Every Best Actress Oscar Movie Winner Of The 21st Century Ranked
10. Halle Berry - Monster's Ball (2001)
Who should have won: Halle Berry - Monster's Ball.
The incomprehensible fact that Halle Berry is still the only African-American Best Actress winner often overshadows the winning performance itself, which remains a frighteningly visceral portrayal of confinement, emotional pain, and loss.
Playing troubled mother Leticia, Berry's performance is one big juggling act, forcing her to capture this broken widow's toxic relationship with her young son, her overwhelming grief regarding her husband's death, and her need for connection with a racist prison guard who hides a harrowing secret.
Berry is haunting, raging, and painfully human, bringing Leticia to life as a flawed yet powerful presence whose turmoil is impossible to fathom. As far as Berry's brilliant career goes, it's a high point she's been unable to best ever since.