10 Films That Got Actors Taken Seriously
6. Monster's Ball - Halle Berry
Before Monster's Ball, Halle Berry's career highlights could be summed up as starring in The Flintstones live action box office flop, a bit part in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever and bringing to life the role of Storm in 2000's X-Men.
While Berry's most mainstream role as Storm in the first X-Men film may have put her on the map it barely gave her a chance to showcase her acting abilities as she adopted a half baked African accent for just a few minutes of screen time. The jump up to a meatier role in Monster's Ball as the recent widow opposite Billy Bob Thornton's prison guard was a perfect fit and she was rewarded with a Best Actress Oscar, to date the only person of colour to win the accolade.
The historic Oscar win saw her become one of the most sought after dramatic actors of the mid '00s where she starred as the Pierce Brosnan's final Bond girl in Die Another Day and was given a bigger role in X-Men 2.
However, after burning brightly for a few years she flew too close to the sun with her decision to star in the critically slated Catwoman which severely damaged her career and she has struggled to make a triumphant comeback ever since.