1. Halle Berry
It has been over a decade since Halles historic Oscar win. Feels like longer, right? Thats because the drop-off her career experienced after the win is almost unprecedented. She stayed on top for another two years with her coveted role as a Bond girl in Die Another Day and her second appearance as Storm in X2, but after that? Catwoman. Its hard to believe that an actress who broke racial barriers and turned in such a knockout performance only a few years earlier was able to star in this movie with a straight face (although, she did admit defeat with her in-person acceptance of her Razzie for the film). She did score an Emmy nod for Their Eyes Were Watching God, but aside from that, her last decade has been a series of misfires and long absences. 2007 saw her in both Perfect Stranger and Things We Lost in the Fire, which are better off forgotten. Then, for three years after, she disappeared until returning in Frankie & Alice, the ultimate Oscar bait. Instead of pursuing similar roles afterwards, she instead elected to go for New Year's Eve, which is even more tragic than Valentine's Day and Dark Tide. The latter is arguably the lowest point in her career. Whats more embarrassing than what is essentially a direct-to-DVD shark movie?
Is there hope for her yet?: Im leaning more towards a no. The obvious bright spot in her future is The Wachowski's Cloud Atlas. High-profile and opposite Tom Hanks can never be a bad thing. It could definitely bring her back into the public eye and remind us why we loved her for so long. Her other two upcoming releases are bigger question marks. The first, The Hive, is a thriller co-starring Abigail Breslin. Not exactly a common combination, but it could have potential. The other, Shoe Addicts Anonymous, is probably better left at its title.
My suggestion: I will first say that I do think Hollywood is partially to blame for Halles trajectory, as it is no secret that roles for women of color are severely limited. However, its Halle Berry, one of the bigger stars in recent memory. If she wanted to, I firmly believe she could find her way back to the roles that people want to see her in. Her star has faded considerably since her days as a Bond girl, but I think her recent film that shows the most promise is Frankie & Alice. Halle was integral in the production of this film, which indicates a considerable passion that many thought to be gone. If Halle can maintain these sensibilities, and not the ones that led her to star in a holiday-themed ensemble romantic comedy, she can be back in business in no time.