Inspiration And Expert Advice: Famous People
Halle Berry Biography
Claim to Fame: Actress (Monster's Ball, X-Men, Die Another Day)
DOB: August 14, 1966
Diabetes Type: 1
Halle Berry was born to an interracial couple in a Cleveland suburb. Her father abandoned the family early, and Halle’s mother raised her and her sister alone. Overcoming racism on the part of her predominantly white classmates, Halle excelled in everything from academics to extracurriculars in high school, holding positions of newspaper editor, class president, and head cheerleader. Winner of the Miss Ohio pageant and a runner up in the 1986 Miss USA competition, Berry chose to pursue a career in acting. While filming 1989’s Living Dolls television show, she went into a diabetic coma, and was finally diagnosed with Type 1.
Getting her health back in order, her star rose, and took a variety of leading roles- from playing Storm in “X-Men” to a Bond girl in “Die Another Day”. Yet perhaps one of her most pivotal roles came in 2001, starring opposite Billy Bob Thornton in “Monster’s Ball”. The performance won her an Oscar for Best Actress, the first African American to win the award. Now a Hollywood icon, Berry’s continued to act and also start a family, having a baby girl with boyfriend Gabriel Aubry in 2008. Halle Berry has been very candid about controlling diabetes, and is also a volunteer with the Juvenile Diabetes Association.