'Adversity does not discriminate': Halle Berry on how she had to BEG for roles because she was deemed too beautiful in W Magazine interview
Her breakout role was as a 'crack ho' in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever and she fought hard to get it too.
Halle Berry described how good looks and a beauty pageant background became stumbling blocks on the road to success in Hollywood in the October issue of W Magazine.
The 50-year-old actress said that it took some convincing to persuade Lee to give her part of the undesirable drug addict because of her breathtaking beauty.
'Discounted as an actor': Halle Berry revealed that being beautiful was a stumbling block on the road to success in Hollywood in the October issue of W Magazine
But she was determined, and she stripped away the make-up and the glamour to prove she could do it.
'Just because someone looks a certain way doesn't mean that they are spared adversity. Adversity does not discriminate,' Halle told W Magazine.
'Spike Lee wanted me to read for the part of his wife and I read that part fine enough, but then I said to Spike, "You know I really am eyeing this crack ho role, can you please let me audition for that?" And he said, "No, no I don't see you as the crack ho."
'I said, "I am the crack ho. Really deep down I'm the crack ho." And he was like, "No, I don't see it."
Begging Berry: The 50-year-old reflected that she had to beg Spike Lee to play the 'crack ho' in Jungle Fever and then strongly convince Lee Daniels to let her play the part in Monsters Ball
'And I said, "Let me go in the bathroom, wash all this makeup off; you will see eyeing the crack ho." So, he let me do that and I came back out and I got to read the crack ho, and I got the part of the of the crack ho.
'And it was an amazing way to start my career, playing a crack ho be directed by Spike Lee. It was major for me.'
In those early days of her career, Halle went out of her way to get the part of the un-gorgeous girl
Retiring? Cindy Crawford is an agelessly alluring beauty in W Magazine and, despite the previous pledge to retire, says she really doesn't plan on that anytime soon
'Yeah, it was intentional to not play the gorgeous girl,' she told the publication. 'I came from the world of beauty pageants and modeling and right away when people heard that I got discounted as an actor.
'So, I had the job of trying to eliminate that part of my persona, and Spike gave me a chance to do that.
'And I took on roles early on that really didn't rely on my physical self at all and that was a good way to sort of get some credibility within my industry.'
Halle said that Monsters Ball director Lee Daniels was 'disgusted' at first by the idea of her playing Leticia Musgrove.
Temptress: Irina Shayk focuses her bluish-green on the viewer while clad in a furry wrap and LBD
'He was actually disgusted by the thought,' Halle said. 'He thought there's no way and my argument to him was, just because someone looks a certain way doesn't mean that they are spared adversity.
'I thought, "My looks haven't spared me one hardship or one hurt moment or one painful situation. So please, you know, give me a shot at this."
'I said, "I often think it's more interesting when you see someone that looks a certain way struggle in ways that you wouldn't think they would be struggling with."
'He ultimately gave me a chance and that sort of changed the course of my career in so many ways.'
Here's Jodie: Double Oscar winner Jodie Foster, 53, smoulders in a Giorgio Armani dress
Halle, meanwhile, joins ten other top stars in alternate W magazine covers.
Looking her very best in a plunging black Versace dress, the mother-of-two proved that 50 really can be fabulous - having celebrated her landmark birthday just last month.
Cindy Crawford, also 50, exuded her ageless appeal in sultry close-up for W Magazine, revealing that that pledge to retire isn't entirely true.
'I think the biggest change is more in the way that I'm approaching work and my career, so I probably should have just kept my mouth shut,' Cindy told the magazine.
Also gracing the October edition of the magazine is another cover girl in her sixth decade - Jodie Foster.
The double Oscar winner, 53, smouldered as she posed in a Giorgio Armani dress.
Irina Shayk, Elle Fanning, Priyanka Chopra, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Chris Evans, Kanye West, Kit Harington, Ethan Hawke, and Rami Malek all posed as well.
Young and fabulous: Elle Fanning and Irina Shayk are among the 11 cover stars
The magazine is a 'his-and-hers' fashion issue with the double issue boasting a female cover subject on one side, and a male cover subject on the other.
Captain America star Chris Evans told the magazine: 'In the 6th grade, I played the supporting lead in a play called Crazy Camp. I ended up dating one of the more popular girls as a result.
'The second the play was over, she dumped me. So, at a young age, I learned the power of getting a good role.'
Aye Aye! Captain America star Chris Evans talked about how acting made him a sex symbol
Strike a pose: Rami Malek and Ethan Hawke look mean and moody
And Indian-born actress Priyanka Chopra talked about her body image.
'When I was a teenager, I was a tomboy and had scars on my legs. But then I taught myself to take care of my body and my hair.
'It takes time, but if I can do it, anybody can. Today, my legs sell 12 or 15 products in my part of the world.'
Make it a double! Fashion conscious Kanye West is a natural choice as a cover star
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