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Monster's Ball (2001)

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Berry Celebrates Becoming a First-Time Mom
18 March 2008 (WENN)
Halle Berry and her partner, model Gabriel Aubry, are celebrating after welcoming a baby girl into the world on Sunday. The Catwoman star gave birth at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. It's the first child for the 41-year-old and her model/restaurateur beau. Berry recently cooed about her pregnancy, stating, "I want to stay pregnant forever." The Monster's Ball star met 32-year-old Aubry on a photo shoot for Versace in 2005; the couple announced the pregnancy in September. A representative for Berry has confirmed the baby news, revealing the new mom "is doing great."

Berry Enjoys Sweet Smell of Success
3 March 2008 (WENN)
Oscar winner Halle Berry is set to add fragrance mogul to her resume - after signing a deal to lend her name to a range of perfumes for cosmetic giant Coty. The Monster's Ball star joins a host of stars including Jennifer Lopez, David and Victoria Beckham, Sarah Jessica Parker and Gwen Stefani, who have previously developed fragrances for the beauty giant. Berry will develop a 'fragrance portfolio' for the company, and will appear in Coty's advertising campaigns for the forthcoming products. Steve Mormoris, of Coty, says, "Halle is an iconic actress and symbolizes beauty to many generations. She adds another dimension to the celebrity fragrance market. Halle has always been a little more mysterious, not quite as open with her personal life as some other stars. Her fragrances will allow her to present another facet of her personality to her fans." The range will hit stores around the world in 2009.

Heath Ledger Dead at 28
23 January 2008 (WENN)
Movie star Heath Ledger has been found dead in his Manhattan, New York apartment. The actor was declared dead by medics at his Broome Street, SoHo home at 3:30pm on Tuesday, according to the New York Police Department. A police spokesperson reveals Ledger was discovered by his housekeeper, after he failed to answer the door to a masseuse he had booked to give him a massage. While prescription drugs were found at scene, there were no illegal drugs discovered. The Australian Brokeback Mountain star, 28, was just about to start promoting the Batman Begins sequel The Dark Knight, in which he plays movie villain The Joker. Born in Perth in 1979, Ledger made a name for himself in a series of brooding roles on the big screen; he was nominated for a 2006 Oscar for his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in the gay-themed drama Brokeback Mountain. Fiercely private, Ledger has openly spoken about his public shyness, but he hit the headlines for romances with Heather Graham, Naomi Watts and his Brokeback Mountain co-star Michelle Williams, the mother of his two-year-old daughter Matilda Rose.

A star field hockey player and athlete, Ledger turned his attentions to drama in his teens and, when a friend headed to Sydney, Australia to chase an acting dream, the star-to-be went along for the ride. He landed a break as a gay cyclist in 1996's Sweat - a TV drama about a group of Olympic hopefuls - and then he portrayed the best friend of a rapist in low-budget 1997 movie Blackrock. Hedger left Australia to find acting work in America in 1999 and landed the lead in Aussie director Gregor Jordan's crime thriller Two Hands. That film helped him land the lead hunk role in teen movie hit Ten Things I Hate About You. He went on to play Mel Gibson's son in The Patriot and Billy Bob Thornton's troubled offspring in Monster's Ball. Both roles earned Ledger high praise from critics. But then came a string of critical flops - A Knight's Tale, Ned Kelly, The Four Feathers, The Order, Lords Of Dogtown, and The Brothers Grimm. But then followed Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain in 2005, which Ledger has often described as a major turning point in his professional and personal life. As awkward cowboy Ennis Del Mar, Ledger regained his position as one of Hollywood's top stars. The role led to a Best Actor Oscar nod and the coveted role of The Joker in the upcoming The Dark Knight, for which he's already receiving great acclaim. Ledger has also won acclaim for his role as Robbie Clark in quirky Bob Dylan-inspired movie I'm Not There. The tragic star was last seen publicly on the London set of director Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus on Saturday.

Berry Petrified of Giving Birth
17 January 2008 (WENN)
Mother-to-be Halle Berry is terrified at the prospect of giving birth - insisting childbirth is more nerve-wracking than awaiting the winners' announcements at the Academy Awards. The first-time parent, who suffers from diabetes, has been warned by doctors she will have to be carefully monitored when she goes into labor in the coming months, because her condition can cause birthing complications. She tells British magazine Reveal, "I'm worried about giving birth. I've been pretty cool about my pregnancy up until lately, but suddenly I'm realizing that there's a baby that's got to come out and someone is going to have to be there to push it out. Emotionally, I'm a bit of a mess. Besides all the hormones bubbling and boiling inside me, the anticipation is starting to get to me. I'm more nervous now than I was during the Oscars." Berry - who won an Academy Award in 2002 for her performance in Monster's Ball - is expected to give birth to boyfriend Gabriel Aubry's baby in March.

Marc Forster To Helm Next 007 Movie
20 June 2007 (StudioBriefing)
Marc Forster, whose films include Stranger Than Fiction, Finding Neverland, and Monster's Ball, has been signed by producers Michael Wilson and Barbara Broccoli to direct the 22nd James Bond movie, Sony Pictures Entertainment and MGM announced Tuesday. The companies said that Daniel Craig will return in the role of Bond. In a statement, Forster said, "The new direction that the Bond character has taken offers a director a host of new possibilities." Sony Pictures Entertainment Co-chairman Amy Pascal commented that Forster's previous films show "that he will bring to this film all the elements Bond audiences expect -- action, humor, suspense, and thrills." The title of the film has not been disclosed.

Forster Named New Bond Director
20 June 2007 (WENN)
The director who persuaded Halle Berry to bare all for a raunchy sex scene in a part that earned her a Best Actress Oscar is to take charge of the next James Bond film. Monster's Ball filmmaker Marc Forster, who also made Johnny Depp movie Finding Neverland, has been given the keys to 007's latest adventure, where he'll direct Daniel Craig as the suave spy in the Brit's second Bond film. The 22nd Bond film, which he'll direct, will be adapted from a script he and Oscar-winning screenwriter Paul Haggis will develop. The new film doesn't have a title yet but it's expected to hit movie screens in November 2008.

Halle Berry To Shave Her Head in Movie
5 April 2007 (WENN)
Hollywood star Halle Berry's new movie Nappily Ever After will include a scene where she shaves off all her hair. The Monster's Ball Oscar-winner admits she is terrified about the scene, in which she will mimic Britney Spears - who was filmed by the paparazzi shaving herself bald in a California salon in February. Berry says, "In the course of the story something bad happens to my character's hair and she shaves it all off. I'm scared to death but that's what I must do. I suppose going bald could be a little exciting too, thought, so we'll probably film the process from beginning to end."

Berry Unveils Star Four Years Late
4 April 2007 (WENN)
Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry claimed her star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame yesterday - four years late. The sexy Monster's Ball star unveiled the 2,333rd star on the famous Hollywood Boulevard landmark - an honor she was set to receive in 2003. Berry's busy work schedule kept her from making that ceremony, but she told organizers she wouldn't miss the belated honor this time around. Speaking to fans in Hollywood this morning, Berry said, "I'm thrilled and very honored to be part of Hollywood history." Berry will next be seen in thriller Perfect Stranger opposite Bruce Willis.

Berry Lands Star Honor
27 March 2007 (WENN)
Oscar winner Halle Berry is set for another major honor after being selected to receive the 2,333rd star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. The actress will be added to the Hollywood Boulevard landmark, right in front of the home of the Academy Awards, the Kodak Theatre, next week. Bruce Willis, her co-star in new film Perfect Stranger and Monster's Ball pal Billy Bob Thornton are expected to be among those congratulating the star at the unveiling.

Berry Rules Out Marriage
21 March 2007 (WENN)
Twice-divorced actress Halle Berry insists she will never marry her boyfriend Gabriel Aubry - or anyone else. The Monster's Ball star is adamant no man will ever take her down the aisle again, following her failed marriages to baseball star David Justice and singer Eric Benet. The 40-year-old tells the US edition of In Style magazine, "I will never, never get married again. Actually it's just that now I've come to a place where I think two people can share their lives without the ring, without the piece of paper." Berry has been dating model Aubry, 31, since November 2005. The Oscar-winning star is next set to be seen in thriller Perfect Stranger opposite Bruce Willis.

Berry Records Debut Album
21 December 2006 (WENN)
Oscar winner Halle Berry is turning her hand to music and has just finished recording a self-titled album which will be released next year. The Monster's Ball actress, 40, has already showcased her vocal talents in the films Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and Why Do Fools Fall In Love. She tells Ebony magazine, "I've always loved to sing. This album will show people that I can do more than act." The Die Another Day star will next be seen opposite Bruce Willis in thriller Perfect Stranger and later in 2007 in drama Things We Lost in the Fire.

Actor Peter Boyle Dies at 71
13 December 2006 (IMDb News Flash)
Peter Boyle, the hulking, snappish actor who started out his career as a tough but gained fame for his comedic roles as the Monster in Young Frankenstein and the irascible father on Everybody Loves Raymond, died yesterday in New York; he was 71. In news reports on Wednesday morning, Boyle's publicist stated that the actor passed away at New York Presbyterian Hospital after suffering from from multiple myeloma and heart disease. (The actor had suffered a stroke in 1990, and a heart attack in 1999.) A Christian Brothers monk who taught drama before turning to acting himself, Boyle honed his craft with both the Second City Chicago ensemble and famed acting teacher Uta Hagen. Bit roles soon gave way to a starring role in the Vietnam-era drama Joe, where he played a misanthropic factory worker; in the early '70s, he also had supporting roles in The Friends of Eddie Coyle, The Candidate, and Steelyard Blues. Boyle overcame his rather ominous appearance and brooding presence with a phenomenal comic turn in Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein, where as the Monster he was the he perfect foil to the manic actors surrounding him, including Marty Feldman and Madeline Kahn, and stood out in two memorable scenes: one where he stumbled across a blind man (Gene Hackman) living alone in a cottage, and a show-stopping musical number with Gene Wilder, where the two performed a hilarious version of "Putting on the Ritz."

Boyle continued in character actor roles throughout his career, appearing in hard-hitting dramas, raucous comedies, and action flicks alike; very few actors could claim a range that put them in films as disparate as Taxi Driver and While You Were Sleeping throughout their career. Winning an Emmy for a guest turn on the sci-fi series The X-Files in 1996, Boyle was cast that year as cantankerous patriarch Frank Barone in the Ray Romano sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. The show made him a household name and comedy television fixture, earning him seven Emmy nominations but never a win. In stark contrast to his TV role, his chilling turn as a racist former cop in 2001's Monster's Ball demonstrated that Boyle could still play intense drama as well as light-hearted comedy. Most recently, he appeared in The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause and the upcoming drama Shadows of Atticus. Boyle is survived by his wife, Loraine Alterman (whom he met on the set of Young Frankenstein), and their two daughters. --IMDb staff

Theron Steps In As Bond Babe Favorite?
8 December 2005 (WENN)
Charlize Theron has reportedly replaced Angelina Jolie as director Martin Campbell's first choice for the latest Bond girl role. The Monster star has bewitched Campbell and executives at Sony, according to website Scotsman.com, and now she's the favorite to follow in the footsteps of Bond babes like Honor Blackman, Jane Seymour and Teri Hatcher. If selected, the South African beauty would become the second actress to star in a Bond film following an Oscar win - Halle Berry appeared in Die Another Day after picking up a golden statue for her role in Monster's Ball. Jolie has reportedly been offered the role of Vesper Lynd in the new 007 adventure, Casino Royale, but suggested the character should be "toughened up."

New Dad Ledger's Life Is "Food and Sleeping"
29 November 2005 (WENN)
Hollywood heart-throb Heath Ledger is reveling in his new role as a father, even though his waking hours are now devoted to preparing food and washing up. The Monster's Ball actor is looking after his four-week-old baby Matilda and her mother Michelle Williams in his New York City apartment - and he has already settled into his domesticated new life. He says, "My life right now is ... I wouldn't say reduced to food but my duties in life are that I wake up, cook breakfast, clean the dishes, prepare lunch, clean those dishes, go to the market, get fresh produce, cook dinner, clean those dishes and then sleep if I can. And I love it. I actually adore it." After taking his new family to celebrate Christmas in Montana with Williams' parents, Ledger plans to take baby Matilda to his native Australia. He adds, "Next year my hope is to spend as much time in Australia as possible. I want to introduce Matilda to the ocean."

Berry Making Room for a Family?
1 August 2005 (WENN)
Sexy actress Halle Berry has made a big step towards becoming a mother, after purchasing a family-sized Hollywood Hills home from Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz. The twice-wed Monster's Ball beauty announced earlier this year that she's ready to have a child, but has no plans to marry again. And her new purchase has sparked speculation that she's on the verge of making her dream a reality. The property, which she bought for its asking price of close to $6 million, boasts a four-bedroom main house and a one-bedroom guesthouse, as well as a spa, a pool and a 10-car motor court. Berry bought a Malibu, California, home for $8 million in October, which sources say she'll use as a retreat.

Halle Berry Gets Restraining Order on Security Guard
1 March 2005 (WENN)
Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry has won a three-year restraining order against a security guard she has accused of sending a series of threatening letters to her home. Robert Sawyer said in court papers his contact with the Monster's Ball star was a result of mistaken identity and possible fraud and he begged the beauty for forgiveness. Neither Berry nor Sawyer were in court for yesterday's hearing where a judge ordered Sawyer to stay away from Berry's home and place of work and stop phoning, emailing or writing to her. Sawyer wrote in documents submitted to the court that the contacts started after he met a woman who introduced herself as Halle Berry and asked him to write a manuscript for her. He said, "I think Berry and myself are victims of mistaken identity, and possible fraud. (I apologize for) disturbing (Berry) the way I've done. It was not my intention to do so." According to papers filed on behalf of the actress, Sawyer wrote saying he wanted to spend Valentine's Day with Berry. He wrote, "Leave a message where I can reach you. I'm not playing now." Referring to the manuscript he had written, Sawyer added, "Call me. I'm serious, so stop horsing around. I'm tired as hell of not hearing from you. I was told that you'd talk to me when I finished. Its (sic) finished, so call me damn it."

Halle Moving In with Boyfriend?
3 December 2004 (WENN)
Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry has taken a major step in her romance with Michael Ealy - she's moving him into her new home. The Monster's Ball beauty started dating the Barbershop star after her marriage to Eric Benet came to an end last year, and now pals say that once construction is completed on her Malibu, California, home, she'll move her new beau in. The two were recently seen inspecting the $8 million four-bedroom, five-bathroom home, where they shared a champagne toast before going for a romantic beach stroll.

Latifah Almost Landed 'Monster's Ball' Role
29 October 2004 (WENN)
Queen Latifah has revealed she almost stripped for the much-hyped love scene in Monster's Ball - to make-out with Robert De Niro. The rapper-turned-actress was slated to play the lead in the acclaimed 2001 movie - opposite De Niro and Sean Penn - until Halle Berry convinced director Marc Forster that she could play a struggling single mother, and Billy Bob Thornton and Heath Ledger took over De Niro and Penn's father and son roles. Berry became the first black actress ever to win a Best Actress Oscar for the role. Latifah, real name Dana Owens, says, "I actually had that role before Halle. But they couldn't set it up. It would have been me, Sean Penn and Robert De Niro."

Angelina's Special Note for Billy Bob
8 October 2004 (WENN)
Angelina Jolie has congratulated her ex-husband Billy Bob Thornton on his new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, by taking out a full-page advertisement in a trade publication. Thornton received a star on the Tinseltown walkway Thursday, and has been honored by a range of studios and professionals with congratulatory ads in Daily Variety. But most noteworthy of all was a special message from Jolie. The sexy actress, who split from the Monster's Ball star in 2002, writes, "Billy, I love your brilliant mind... Congratulations! With love and respect always, Angie." Thornton's Bad Santa co-star Bernie Mac writes in his own full page ad, "You deserve it! There is no Badder Santa than you!"

Berry Dumps Benet's Clothes
26 August 2004 (WENN)
Hollywood beauty Halle Berry has reportedly donated her estranged husband Eric Benet's clothes to homeless Los Angeles residents. The Monster's Ball star's soul singer spouse Benet moved out of their Hollywood home in October following their split after two and a half years of marriage. According to British newspaper The Sun, Berry has repeatedly asked the hitmaker to pick up his belongings from the house, but finally lost her patience and brought the garments to a charity collection point. A friend says, "Halle was boiling mad. She found it hurtful having his stuff around. There will be nicely dressed tramps around."

Stalker Banned From Contacting Berry
9 June 2004 (WENN)
Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry is breathing a sigh of relief after a Los Angeles judge ordered a dangerous male stalker to stay at least 100 yards away from her and two of her associates Monday. The order bars fantasist Greg Broussard from having any contact with the Gothika star, her publicist Karen Samfilippo and her manager Vincent Cirrincione. And the Monster's Ball beauty says she's relieved the dangerous situation is now under control. Berry explains, "Mr. Broussard, a stranger to me, has imagined a relationship with me wherein he and I are engaged to be married, and that my manager and publicist are preventing him from being with me. I do not know Mr. Broussard and do not wish to have any contact with him. The threats he has relayed make me fear for my own safety as well as those who represent me."

Watts Slams Ledger over Scarlett Flirtation
3 May 2004 (WENN)
Oscar-nominee Naomi Watts reportedly called off her romance with Heath Ledger after becoming infuriated with his roving eye. The 21 Grams beauty, 35, was deeply embarrassed when, on a recent night out, Ledger openly flirted with rising star Scarlett Johansson in front of her - leading to a humiliating argument. Johansson, 19, was enjoying a cozy conversation with the Monster's Ball hunk in a Los Angeles nightclub when Watts discovered them and reportedly dragged him back to their table. British tabloid the Sunday Star reports that Johansson simply burst into a fit of giggles following the showdown, much to Watts' disgust.

Billy Bob Thornton's Girlfriend Pregnant
9 April 2004 (WENN)
The Alamo star Billy Bob Thornton is going to be a father again - he's expecting a child with his girlfriend Connie Angland. The 48-year-old Bad Santa actor, ex-husband of Angelina Jolie, announced yesterday that he and his 39-year-old belle will welcome their child into the world this autumn. Thornton's publicist Arnold Robinson says, "The due date is set for sometime in October." The star of Monster's Ball and The Man Who Wasn't There has three children from two previous marriages.

Thornton: "I Didn't Cheat on Jolie"
17 March 2004 (WENN)
Hollywood actor Billy Bob Thornton claims he didn't cheat on ex-wife Angelina Jolie during their three year marriage. The couple divorced last year, amid speculation the Monster's Ball star had been unfaithful. But Thornton insists "that was the rumor but that was never it". He says the marriage ended because he and Tomb Raider star Jolie had different ideas about how they wanted to lead their lives - she loves to travel and work for the United Nations around the world, while he prefers to stay at home.

Stone and Pesci Love Scene Voted Worst Ever
31 December 2003 (WENN)
Hollywood beauty Sharon Stone's romp with vertically challenged tough guy Joe Pesci has been voted the worst love scene of all time. The scene from Martin Scorsese's 1995 movie Casino beat out competition from Entrapment, in which Sean Connery bedded Catherine Zeta-Jones, 40 years his junior. Third in the poll - voted for by readers of American magazine Film - came the controversial 1972 movie Last Tango In Paris in which Marlon Brando frolics with Maria Schneider. Describing the Casino sex scene, one reader said, "Could there be a more repulsive combination than these two? It's like one of the munchkins got a shot at Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz." Other scenes to make the top 10 include Madonna's candle wax session with Willem Dafoe in Body Of Evidence, and Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton in Monster's Ball.

Bashful Berry and Coy Cruz
19 November 2003 (WENN)
Movie co-stars Halle Berry and Penelope Cruz refused to strip alongside naked extras for a raunchy scene in new movie Gothika, after changing their minds at the last minute. Despite Berry previously peeling off in Swordfish and Monster's Ball, and Cruz stripping in Vanilla Sky and Open Your Eyes - the sexy pair insisted on keeping their underwear on for the steamy shower scene after losing their nerve at the last minute. Berry laughs, "Penelope and I kind of wimped out. We had pasties while the other ladies stood there naked for hours." However, the movie beauty insists she's still happy to consider roles that require nudity. She adds, "My sexuality is a part of me I like to play with and explore. There was a time when I thought that to be taken seriously as an actress I could not really express that part of who I am. But with Swordfish I got a lot more comfortable with my sexuality."

Halle Berry Hits Back at Critics
13 October 2003 (WENN)
Halle Berry has hit back at critics who believe her Oscar-winning status should have stopped her from appearing on the cover of the latest issue of men's magazine FHM. The screen beauty, who scooped last year's coveted best actress Academy Award for her efforts in Monster's Ball, appears in boxing gloves and a slinky outfit alongside the headline "Halle Berry: The undisputed sexiest woman in the world" for the publication's November issue. But her decision to pose for the magazine's cover has sparked ire among a handful of critics, who believe her prestigious award should steer her to front more serious publications. But her representative hits back, "Well, for one thing, Gothika, which is Halle's new thriller, is aimed at a young male audience. So this photo shoot and the interview make sense. And, please tell me, why can't Halle be the Oscar-wining actress who is still a sexy pin-up, an artist straddling every film genre? Just because she won an Oscar for Monster's Ball doesn't mean she can't be the world's sexiest woman!"

Did Halle Berry Ditch Husband Over Infidelity?
10 October 2003 (WENN)
Representatives for Halle Berry's estranged husband Eric Benet are scrambling to deny reports the Oscar-winner ditched the singer because she caught him cheating on her again. The Monster's Ball beauty announced her separation from Benet last week amidst reports she had begun a romance with Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst. But according to the New York Daily News newspaper, it was Benet - who has previously admitted to cheating on Halle with ten women, including some of her good friends - not Berry, who has strayed. A source tells the paper Halle arrived home recently to discover Benet entertaining two mystery women. The source adds, "There were two women in various stages of undress. One of them was wearing Halle's lingerie and the other was wearing nothing." However, a spokesperson for Benet dismissed the story as "fabrication".

Berry and Benet Split
2 October 2003 (WENN)
Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry and her husband Eric Benet have split, after less than three years of marriage. The pair, who walked down the aisle on January 24, 2001, have gone through a series of problems during their brief union, which eventually led to the meltdown of their marriage. Monster's Ball beauty Berry says in a statement, "Eric and I have had marital problems for some time now and have tried to work things out together. However, at the this point I feel we need time apart to reevaluate our union. We ask that you respect our privacy as we are going through this emotional time." Berry, 37, spoke about the struggle to make their marriage work in the October issue of Elle magazine. Berry said she supported Benet, 32, during his rehab for reported sexual addiction. She explained, "I've been through it with my husband, but it's not about alcohol. If everybody lived by the principles of 12 steps, there would be a lot more healthy people walking around. What you finally find out is that everybody has the same s**t in their closets."

Angelina's Ready for Sex Again
23 July 2003 (WENN)
Hollywood beauty Angelina Jolie hasn't had sex in a year since splitting with ex-husband Billy Bob Thornton - and she can't wait to make love again. The Tomb Raider babe has made much of her single status since parting ways with the Monster's Ball actor last July - despite reports linking her with first husband, British actor Jonny Lee Miller. She recently said, "I haven't had sex in a really long time. I am beginning to think I am really supposed to be alone and that's OK." But she now admits the novelty of a chaste life is wearing thin; "I'm single. I haven't been dating. I haven't had sex for over a year. It's horrible. God help the next person. I'm looking forward to the next time, of course."

Ruben Does the Doo
19 June 2003 (WENN)
American Idol winner Ruben Studdard is wasting no time in getting into the movies - he has signed up to appear in the Scooby Doo sequel. The larger-than-life singer, who was an unknown six months ago, will perform in Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed - as part of a dance sequence. Other cameos in the sequels include Seth Green and Monster's Ball star Peter Boyle.

Halle Berry's Intruder Terror
13 May 2003 (WENN)
Sexy actress Halle Berry was left terrified on the set of her new movie Gothika - when an intruder tried to barge his way into her luxury rented house. The Oscar-winning beauty, who stars alongside Spanish actress Penelope Cruz in the film, was reportedly lying half-naked on a table during a massage session when a trespasser came banging on the back door of her temporary home in Montreal, Canada. When approached by 36-year-old Halle and her masseuse, the potential intruder ran away, but the Monster's Ball actress was so shaken up she left her mansion and moved into the same hotel as Penelope. Westmount Constable Gilles La Mar says, "The person didn't gain entry, no one was harmed and nothing was taken." Police suspect the intruder could have been a burglar casing the residence, which had been empty before it was rented to screen stunner Berry. Halle, who has been without husband Eric Benet during filming, rented the deluxe digs because she wanted a backyard for her two white dogs, but as soon as the cops left she packed up and moved out. She has also hired an extra bodyguard.

Halle Looks Forward to Wedded Bliss
16 April 2003 (WENN)
Despite her recent marriage troubles, gorgeous actress Halle Berry is looking forward to her family's future. The X-Men 2 star is married to musician Eric Benet, who admitted that he had been unfaithful in the past to the Monster's Ball beauty. But the couple have worked hard to put their difficulties behind them and carry on as a family unit with Eric's daughter India. Halle says, "I try to choose movies that will only take me away for a short period of time. I don't want to be separated from India or my husband. I don't think of myself as her stepmother, only as her mother. She even calls me Mom. She has been what I needed. We do so many things together."

Halle Berry Strips Again
8 April 2003 (WENN)
Sexy actress Halle Berry is set to give her fans a real thrill - she's stripping off once more on-screen. The curvaceous beauty, who flashed her breasts in Swordfish and stripped for a raunchy sex scene with Billy Bob Thornton in Monster's Ball, is set to take her clothes off again in her new film Gothika. In the flick, beautiful Berry plays a psychiatrist who wakes up one day in a psycho ward, charged with a murder she has no memory of committing. According to showbiz website Pagesix, in one scene, Berry and 19 other inmates take a shower that turns into a soapy catfight. Production sources in Montreal, Canada, where the picture is being shot, say that Berry declined to use a body double.

Berry Set To "Inspire" Troops with Oscar Dress
21 March 2003 (WENN)
Stunning actress Halle Berry's planned outfit for the Academy Awards is so dazzling, her stylist promises it will even be inspiration to the troops fighting in the Middle East. The Oscar-winning beauty regularly shines on the red carpets of star-studded events with her classy outfits. And despite the withdrawal of the red carpet from the Hollywood ceremony on Sunday in recognition of the American-led war with Iraq, Berry still plans to turn heads when she puts in an appearance to present the Best Actor award. Celebrity stylist Phillip Bloch, will dress the Monster's Ball star, Jim Carrey and Iman, says he's advised his clients to stick to their original attire. He says, "If a picture of Halle gets out and those guys in the service see it, it will only inspire them all the more."

Billy Bob Set for Marriage Number Six?
20 March 2003 (WENN)
Actor Billy Bob Thornton is planning to get married yet again - even though his divorce from Angelina Jolie isn't complete. The eccentric Monster's Ball star, who already has five marriages under his belt, split with Tomb Raider beauty Jolie last summer after a two-year marriage. And a source now tells American magazine Us Weekly he plans to walk model Danielle Dotzenrod, his girlfriend of six months, down the aisle - and he's already purchased her a three-carat blue diamond ring. Fred Cuellar, president of Diamond Cutters International, confirms, "He is on the list for an Asscher (cut) or round, three-carat-plus blue diamond." The ring is said to cost at least $1.26 million.

Billy Bob Gets Ernest Inspiration
6 March 2003 (WENN)
Hollywood actor Billy Bob Thornton is set to bring the work of classic novelist Ernest Hemingway to life in a new movie. The Monster's Ball star has teamed up with the writer's granddaughter, Manhattan star Mariel Hemingway, to secure foreign financing for an independent production of A Moveable Feast, Hemingway's memoir-based novel of 1920 expatriates in Paris. Mariel, who hopes to start shooting the film later this year, will make it her directorial debut, while Thornton, she says, has only confirmed he will be producing at this stage. The film will join two of Hemingway's best-known novels now in development at Hollywood's movie studios: For Whom The Bell Tolls and To Have And Have Not at Warner Brothers and Focus Features respectively.

Halle Berry's Dad Dies
30 January 2003 (WENN)
Movie star Halle Berry's dad has died - before the pair had the chance to end their feud. The Oscar-winning Monster's Ball actress never forgave alcoholic Jerome for beating her mum Judith and sister Heidi in drunken rages and walking out on the family when Halle was four. Jerome, who had Parkinson's disease, died of a heart attack in Cleveland, Ohio. The screen sex symbol's half-sister, Renee, tells British newspaper The Sun, "It's terribly sad. He wasn't the best father when we were growing up but his other children forgave him. Dad would have died a happier man if he'd known that Halle had accepted too that he made mistakes."

Berry Blasts Racist Britons
1 November 2002 (WENN)
Die Another Day beauty Halle Berry has launched a blistering attack on the British - claiming they are racist. The actress, who won the Best Actress Oscar for Monster's Ball this year, claims that Brits look down on her because of her cross cultural roots. Berry, whose mother is from Liverpool, also revealed that despite her success she still suffers racism in the film industry. She says, "They permeate every industry. I'd tell people in the UK my family are from Liverpool and they'd be like, 'Oh dear.'"

Billy Bob's Fork Rage
28 October 2002 (WENN)
Actor Billy Bob Thornton flew into a tantrum on the set of his new movie Bad Santa - because he couldn't find his silverware. The Monster's Ball star, who has admitted to having a phobia of plastic cutlery, stunned cast and crew on the set of his flick-in-making when he ran out of his trailer while letting out blood-curdling screams. But it was quickly discovered that Thornton's trauma was that he had misplaced the zip-up plastic bag in which he keeps his silverware for use on the set. A source tells American tabloid the Star, "We thought he hurt himself. He doesn't want his silverware to touch other people's. So he keeps it in a bag." The actor's colleagues were relieved when the metal items were found and the svelte actor could finally eat.

WSJ Writer Gives Censorship Software a Thumbs-Down
3 October 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Assessing the MovieMask versions of several Hollywood theatrical films, Wall Street Journal technology columnist Walt Mossberg, commented today (Thursday) that the system does indeed skip violent or sexual scenes and words as advertised. (Unlike other censorship systems, MovieMask does not rerecord the films; the original DVDs are left intact.) Mossberg, however, concluded that the MovieMask software (the DVDs must be played on a computer) "seriously degraded the viewing experience, either by removing crucial segments from the movies, or by causing frequent jumps and skips and stutters that drove me crazy." In the case of the movie Monster's Ball, Mossberg comments, MovieMask "cut the tough, painful heart out of the movie, and peppered the rest with so many jumps and skips that viewing was a chore." Mossberg also observes that while he is in no position to comment on the legal claims by writers and directors that MovieMask infringes on their copyrights, "I can say that its censored versions of films are different creations than the directors and studios released, and not very satisfying to watch."

Jolie Moves Out of Marital Home
20 September 2002 (WENN)
Hot on the heels of the news that her estranged husband Billy Bob Thornton is living with a new woman, Angelina Jolie has sent staff in to clear her possessions out of their marital home. The luscious Girl, Interrupted star, who is currently filming the Tomb Raider sequel in Europe, split from the Monster's Ball actor earlier this year. And Thornton has quickly moved on after being snapped on numerous occasions with new 23-year-old girlfriend Danielle Dotzenrod. On September 10 and 11, moving men from Northstar Moving Corporation loaded clothes, mirrors, chairs, tables, mattresses, a dresser and numerous boxes - including one marked 'baby's toys' - into two big trucks from the $3.8 million Beverly Hills mansion that Thornton and Jolie bought after they got married in 2002. Jolie, 27, hasn't been back to the house since the couple separated in June, was filming in Santorini, Greece when her items were carted away and put into storage. Thornton, 47, reportedly hasn't been back to the home either, spending time instead at the Sunset Marquis Hotel And Villas in West Hollywood.

Billy Bob's Film Saved by Cable Film Channel
3 September 2002 (WENN)
The film Billy Bob Thornton feared he'd never see has been saved from oblivion by an American film channel. Movie executives turned their backs on The Badge because it was so similar to Thornton's acclaimed role in Monster's Ball. In both, the actor plays a smalltown law man coming to terms with his own bigotry. Director Robby Henson feared his second feature would become a straight-to- video disaster after production company Propaganda Films went bankrupt during post-production and other companies refused to take on the project. But cable channel Starz came to the rescue of the star-studded film, which also features Patricia Arquette, William Devane and Jena Malone, and they plan to air it as a special feature this coming weekend. Henson says, "Everyone is delighted. This is a good film with great performances. It was kind of orphaned for a while and then Starz stepped in and they've been very good for the film."

'Monster's Ball' Will Be Sexier Overseas
22 August 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Lion's Gate has confirmed that the European versions of Monster's Ball contain scenes that were removed from the domestic version in order to avoid an NC-17 rating, MSNBC.com columnist Jeannette Walls reported Wednesday. Walls quoted an unnamed source as saying that Halle Berry, who won an Oscar for her role in the film, "thinks the whole thing is ridiculous. ... She was saying that Americans are so weird about sex -- that they're fine watching people being blown to bits, but they cut a sex scene."

Halle Berry Gets In Charge
31 July 2002 (WENN)
Oscar-winning superstar Halle Berry is planning to step behind the camera to produce her first Hollywood movie. The Monster's Ball star will star in and co-producer Nappily Ever After, a comedy - adapted from a novel by Trisha Thomas - about a black woman's journey to self-discovery.

Billy Bob 'Cheated On Angelina With Sex Therapist'
25 July 2002 (WENN)
Billy Bob Thornton cheated on estranged wife Angelina Jolie with his sex therapist, according to reports. British tabloid the Daily Star, claims Tomb Raider actress Angelina ordered Thornton to attend sessions at a clinic in a bid to save their two year marriage - after discovering he had cheated on her with a string of groupies and members of their household staff. But rather than use the counseling to cure his sex addiction, the newspaper claims Billy Bob seduced the therapist. Now Jolie has reportedly given up hope for their marriage and is seeking a divorce. A friend of the actress told the Star, "That was the point she realized her marriage was truly finished. She felt humiliated and destroyed." The pal claims Jolie confronted Thornton - with whom she recently adopted Cambodian baby orphan Maddox - and told him, "You aren't a fit husband for me or father for our child." According to the newspaper, Angelina first discovered her husband's infidelity when one of their maids claimed the Monster's Ball star had made her pregnant. The pal adds, "She was devastated. Billy Bob's a horn dog. He would screw anything that moves - and does. Angie knew how he was from the start, but had no idea of the extent of his problem. She agreed to kinky bedroom games, but it was never enough. Angie warned him their marriage was over unless he sought help and he swore on everything holy that he'd get treatment. But then we hear he's screwed the therapist." The split marks the end of an intensely passionate two-year union. To the outside world the pair appeared to have one of the most solid relationships in Tinseltown. They frequently expressed their devotion to each other and even exchanged vials of each others blood.

Angelina's Tattoo Agony
23 July 2002 (WENN)
Oscar-winner Angelina Jolie is set to suffer more pain because of estranged husband Billy Bob Thornton - with the removal of her tattoos. The Girl, Interrupted star has a mass of body art proclaiming her love for the wayward Monster's Ball actor. But these very visible declarations of devotion have become a major embarrassment to Jolie now that their bizarre union is over. But friends say the Tomb Raider actress will go through any amount of pain to erase the tattoos and Billy Bob from her life. One says, "Angelina's so distraught after Billy Bob walked out on her, she wants to clear him from her mind and body. She's prepared to do whatever it takes. Even if it means going through the pain barrier." And if rumors about Angelina's body art are true, one particular tattoo will be particularly painful to get rid of - it's in a rather private place on her body. In the past, she has said, "I have Billy Bob tattooed down there so any time I do a love scene, the name is really, really clear."

Thornton Seeking Solace With Ex-Wife?
8 July 2002 (WENN)
Monster's Ball star Billy Bob Thornton has added fuel to the rumors of a split from Angelina Jolie after being spotted spending time with his ex-wife. The five-times-divorced Oscar-winner was snapped with ex-wife Pietra Cherniak, and their sons William and Harry. Pietra was granted a restraining order against Thornton when she filed for divorce in 1997, after she accused him of spousal abuse. Thornton's marriage to stunning Jolie has been strained of late, with reports suggesting he's less than happy about her intense devotion to their adopted Cambodian son Maddox. The once wacky couple has even stopped wearing the vials of each other's blood around their necks.

Ball Producer Reacts To Bassett's Charges
28 June 2002 (StudioBriefing)
The producer of Monster's Ball has rebutted Angela Bassett's claim that she was offered Halle Berry's role in the film but turned it down because she believed it perpetuated stereotypes of black women. Lee Daniels, who is black, told the online Electronic Urban Report that Bassett's assertions, published in the current edition of Newsweek, were "completely incorrect." Daniels maintained, "I'm the producer of the movie. She wasn't offered anything." The producer was also miffed over Bassett's criticism, saying, "There are movies that I don't like, that are black that I would never go to, but I am publicly very supportive of my people, otherwise there is no structure, there is nothing."

Bassett Says She Turned Down Monster's Ball Role
24 June 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Angela Bassett, who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance as Tina Turner in 1993's What's Love Got to Do With It?, has told Newsweek magazine that she turned down the role that won an Oscar for Halle Berry in Monster's Ball. She says she objected to playing the role of a waitress who falls in love with an ex-prison guard who had executed her husband. "I wasn't going to be a prostitute on film," she told Newsweek, noting that other actresses, including Vanessa Williams, had passed on the role. "I couldn't do that because it's such a stereotype about black women and sexuality." Bassett said that after her Oscar nomination (she also won the Golden Globe award for best actress the same year) she didn't work again for a year and a half. "I guess I was pretty naïve to think it would be different -- that it was just about the talent -- particularly for someone who looks like me." Her latest film, Sunshine State, directed by John Sayles, opened in New York and Los Angeles last Friday with much praise from critics.

Halle Rift With Husband Denied
24 June 2002 (WENN)
A spokeswoman for Halle Berry has slammed reports that the gorgeous actress is heading for a split from musician husband Eric Benet. Halle's profile has been drastically raised since her Best Actress Oscar win for Monster's Ball earlier this year, but her success has set tongues wagging as she's rarely been seen in public with her spouse at recent events. She also failed to thank her husband as usual at the Essence Awards, where she picked up another award for her the racially charged film. But the spokeswoman has told E! Online gossip columnist Ted Casablanca there is no rift between the two, insisting, "If you'll notice, Halle didn't name anyone. She said she already did that at the Oscars. Eric has a career as well, you know. He's been working in the studio."

Jolie Amused By Billy Bob Stabbing Reports
8 May 2002 (WENN)
Angelina Jolie is amused anybody believed she stabbed her husband Billy Bob Thornton - because if she really did it, she'd have killed him. Jolie and her equally eccentric spouse were recently at the center of reports that they'd had a confrontation which led to her taking a knife to the Monster's Ball actor. But Jolie insists nothing could be further from the truth. She says, "There was recently a tabloid story that I had stabbed Billy and had to be sent to a nut-house or something. "We thought that was pretty funny. I mean, if I wanted to kill him, I'd kill him."

Halle Stands By Nude Scenes
7 May 2002 (WENN)
Halle Berry has defended the graphic sex scenes that adorn her film Monster's Ball - because there are so many worse things in Hollywood. Berry won a Best Actress Academy Award® for her role in the racial drama, but some of her love scenes with Billy Bob Thornton were so intense that American censors cut them. She says, "You know, it's such a contradiction. "In America, people are happy to watch a film in which someone blows someone else's head off, but these same people have a problem watching the most natural thing in the world - people making love." And although she feared she'd find filming the contentious scenes difficult, Halle actually grew as a performer from her experiences. She adds, "I was able to get to a place where I wasn't one bit concerned about what I looked like. I completely shed all those inhibitions, and it was really cathartic."

Panic-See-Ya
2 April 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Movie patrons for Sony/Columbia's Panic Room were as numerous as Easter eggs over the weekend as the film set a record for the holiday with a $30.1-million gross. The animated film Ice Age remained frozen in second place with $18.1 million, to bring its three-week total well past the $100-million mark. Disney's G-rated baseball flick The Rookie scored strongly with $16 million, to finish third, while New Line's Blade II, with a weekend gross of $16 million, lost 60 percent of its audience in its second week. Two Oscar winners got big boosts. Halle Berry's Monster's Ball saw ticket sales increase 30 percent as it nabbed $2.1 million in its 14th week, while best-film winner A Beautiful Mind remained in the top ten with $3.9 million after 15 weeks.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Panic Room, Sony, $30,056,751, (New); 2. Ice Age, 20th Century Fox, $18,135,449, 3 Wks. ($116,862,514); 3. The Rookie, Disney, $16,021,684, (New); 4. Blade II, New Line, $13,021,698, 2 Wks. ($54,921,131); 5. Clockstoppers, Paramount, $10,108,333, (New); 6. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Universal, $6,163,305, 2 Wks. ($24,294,365 -- Reissue) ($420,190,415 -- Total); 7. Death to Smoochy, Warner Bros., $4,266,463, (New); 8. A Beautiful Mind, Universal, $3,884,455, 15 Wks. ($160,844,681); 9. We Were Soldiers, Paramount, $3,723,298, 5 Wks. ($67,601,100); 10. Showtime, Warner Bros., $3,532,984, 3 Wks. ($33,300,131).

Oscar Win Pushes Denzel's Movie To No. 1 On DVD
28 March 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Denzel Washington's Training Day shot to No. 1 among Amazon.com's best-selling DVDs after Washington won the best actor Oscar Sunday. The film was No. 3 on the website's videocassette list. Halle Berry's best-actress win also helped spike sales of the Monster's Ball DVD, even though it hasn't yet been released. (It was being offered as a "pre-order.")

Angry Kidman Fan Defaces Halle's Site
28 March 2002 (WENN)
A furious Nicole Kidman fan hacked into Halle Berry's official internet website to vent their fury over Berry's Oscar triumph. Australian actress Nicole was tipped as a frontrunner in the race for the golden statuette on Sunday for her role in Moulin Rouge. But she was pipped to the post by an emotional Halle, who won after a breathtaking performance in Monster's Ball. A devotee of Nicole was so furious at the redhead star's loss, they used technology to exact revenge on stunning Halle's internet site Hallewood, which she uses for her news, biography and webchats. In place of the hi-tech cartoon-themed site, a simple defaced image of the beautiful actress has been added, sporting a handlebar moustache and goatee plus strange blue and green eyes. And the angry hacker has simply left the misspelt words "Just Nicol Kidman." A disgusted Halle devotee said, "I couldn't believe it when I logged on to the site. She's my favorite actress and I was so pleased when she won the Oscar. But the sick geek who did this has made her look like one of the Three Musketeers. It's awful."

A Black High Affair
25 March 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Sunday night's Oscar ceremonies produced an abundance of emotional drama on their own, enough, some suggested, to fuel a plethora of movies. The eloquent remarks by special-Oscar winner Sidney Poitier, followed by the acceptance speeches of best-actress winner Halle Berry and best-actor winner Denzel Washington left many viewers feeling as if they had witnessed a significant turning point in movie history. "The evening seemed to belong to the historic wins of Halle Berry and Denzel Washington, the first time in Oscar history that African Americans have taken the top two acting prizes," wrote Sharon Waxman in today's (Monday) Washington Post. "The Oscar ceremony touched chords of genuine feeling you would have sworn were beyond the grasp of this often derided ceremony," wrote Los Angeles Times critic Kenneth Turan. The online Electronic Urban Report commented: "The night belonged to Denzel and Halle. And to those who've waited for a night like this."

Winners in the top categories: Picture: A Beautiful Mind; Director: Ron Howard, A Beautiful Mind; Actor: Denzel Washington, Training Day; Actress: Halle Berry. Monster's Ball; Supporting Actor: Jim Broadbent, Iris; Supporting Actress: Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind; Adapted Screenplay: Akiva Goldsman, A Beautiful Mind; Original Screenplay: Julian Fellowes, Gosford Park; Animated Feature: Shrek; Art Direction: Moulin Rouge; Cinematography: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Halle Breaks Down At SAGs
13 March 2002 (WENN)
Stunning actress Halle Berry broke down backstage after her triumph at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday night. The Revlon spokesmodel picked up Best Female Actor in a Leading Role, for her portrayal of prison widow Leticia Musgrove in Monster's Ball, at the star-studded bash. Gorgeous Halle was so overcome with emotion, she sobbed on the shoulder of several reporters. One journalist says, "I mean, she really cried. My shirt got wet, but hey, I'm not complaining." And Halle later bumped into fellow Hollywood star Angela Bassett, giving her another shoulder to cry on. Both were heard shouting to each other, "I love you, girl."

Russell And Halle Triumphant At Eighth SAG Awards
12 March 2002 (WENN)
Russell Crowe has virtually sealed his second consecutive Best Actor Oscar, after winning the category at the Screen Actors Guild Awards Sunday. Crowe added a SAG to his Bafta and Golden Globe wins this year to clinch the red-hot favorite slot at the Academy Awards on March 24th. Crowe beat out Denzel Washington, Sean Penn, Tom Wilkinson, and Kevin Kline to win. Halle Berry surprised many by picking up the Best Actress award for her role in Monster's Ball. Elsewhere it was a good night for the Brits, with the ensemble cast of Gosford Park winning the Best Cast prize, Helen Mirren (Gosford Park) the Best Supporting Actress award and Sir Ian McKellen (Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring) the Best Supporting Actor gong. Newly-knighted Sir Ben Kingsley also took home an award for Best Actor in A TV Movie or Mini-series for his role as Otto Frank in American TV movie Anne Frank. In the TV awards, it was a clean sweep for The West Wing in the drama categories - the show's stars Martin Sheen and Alison Janney claimed the Best Actor and Best Actress awards, and the show's cast won the Best Ensemble prize. The full awards list is: Film Awards: Cast of A Theatrical Motion Picture - Gosford Park, Male Actor in A Supporting Role - Sir Ian McKellen for The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, Female Actor in A Supporting Role - Helen Mirren for Gosford Park Male Actor in A Leading Role - Russell Crowe for A Beautiful Mind, Female Actor in A Leading Role - Halle Berry for Monster's Ball. TV Awards: Male Actor in A TV Comedy Series - Sean Hayes for "Will & Grace", Female Actor in A TV Comedy Series - Megan Mullally for "Will & Grace", Outstanding Ensemble in A TV Comedy Series - "Sex & The City", Female Actor in A TV Drama Series - Alison Janney for "The West Wing", Male Actor in A TV Drama Series - Martin Sheen for "The West Wing", Outstanding Ensemble in A TV Drama Series - "The West Wing", Male Actor in A TV Movie/Miniseries - Sir Ben Kingsley for Anne Frank, Female Actor in A TV Movie/Miniseries - Judy Davis for Life With Judy Garland: Me & My Shadows, Life Achievement Award - Ed Asner

Crowe, Berry Are Top SAG Winners
11 March 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Moving into front-running position for the Oscars, Russell Crowe and Halle Berry received best-actor and -actress statuettes Sunday at the Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremonies. Crowe received his for A Beautiful Mind; Berry, for Monster's Ball.The cast of Robert Altman's Gosford Park took the ensemble award, while the film's Helen Mirren won for best supporting actress. Ian McKellen won for best supporting actor for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Beatty Backs Berry For Oscar
21 February 2002 (WENN)
Screen legend Warren Beatty is hoping his Bulworth co-star Halle Berry will pick up an Oscar next month. Halle has been nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award for her role as widow Leticia Musgrove in Monster's Ball, and Beatty is standing staunchly behind her. Warren enthuses, "Have you seen her in Bulworth? Have you seen her in the Dorothy Dandridge film? I don't like to show partiality to one film over another. But I want to come out in support of Halle. I'm terribly fond of her. She's an incredible actress. Halle is such a beautiful woman and, at the same time, has such a sense of humility that people have trouble adjusting to it."

Blacks Hail Oscar Diversity
13 February 2002 (StudioBriefing)
African-American leaders on Tuesday hailed the nominations of Will Smith (Ali) and Denzel Washington (Training Day) in the best actor category -- the first time two black actors have been included in the category -- and Halle Berry (Monster's Ball) in the best actress category as representing a historic change for Hollywood. "I'm hoping that given the climate and the new awareness that has been created around this issue of diversity, this won't be something that will be here today and gone tomorrow," NAACP President Kweisi Mfume told today's (Wednesday) Los Angeles Times. "But the wonderful thing about all of this is that each one of these individuals got this nomination because of their skill level and not because of their skin color." Berry, in a telephone interview from London, told the newspaper: "I'm so proud to be a part of this," she said via telephone from London. "What this means to me is that things are changing.... It is a big deal that three black people have been nominated.... This is one big, huge step in that goal toward equality--not just in movies but in life."

The Top Nominees:
12 February 2002 (StudioBriefing)
In the top categories, the nominees were: Best Picture: A Beautiful Mind, Gosford Park, In the Bedroom, Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Moulin Rouge; Best Actor: Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind), Sean Penn (I Am Sam), Will Smith (Ali), Denzel Washington (Training Day), Tom Wilkinson (In the Bedroom); Best Actress: Halle Berry (Monster's Ball), Judi Dench (Iris), Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge), Sissy Spacek (In the Bedroom), Renee Zellweger (Bridget Jones's Diary); Best Director: Robert Altman (Gosford Park), Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind), Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring), David Lynch (Mulholland Drive), Ridley Scott (Black Hawk Down); Best Supporting Actor: Jim Broadbent (Iris), Ethan Hawke (Training Day), Ben Kingsley (Sexy Beast), Ian McKellan (Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring), Jon Voight (Ali); Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind), Helen Mirren (Gosford Park), Maggie Smith (Gosford Park), Marisa Tomei (In the Bedroom), Kate Winslet (Iris).

WGA Nominees Announced
8 February 2002 (StudioBriefing)
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) disclosed its list of nominees for its annual film awards Thursday. They included for best original screenplay: Julian Fellowes for Gosford Park; Joel and Ethan Coen for The Man Who Wasn't There; Milo Addica and Will Rokos for Monster's Ball; Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce for Moulin Rouge; and Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson for The Royal Tenenbaums. For best adapted screenplay: Akiva Goldsman for A Beautiful Mind; Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring; Ken Nolan for Black Hawk Down; Daniel Clowes and Terry Zwigoff for Ghost World; and Helen Fielding, Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis for Bridget Jones. Winners are due to be announced at simultaneous ceremonies in New York and Los Angeles on March 2.

The Berlinale Opens
6 February 2002 (StudioBriefing)
The Berlin Film Festival -- The Berlinale -- is set to open today (Wednesday), with Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and 2,500 guests due to attend the screening of the opening film, Tom Tykwer's Heaven. Among U.S. films entered in the competition for the festival's Golden Bear award are The Shipping News, Monster's Ball and The Royal Tenenbaums.

SAG Nods Boost Hopes Of Other Actors
30 January 2002 (StudioBriefing)
Adding to the uncertainty over who will take home top Oscars this year, the Screen Actors Guild on Tuesday announced its nominees for its own awards program, including several names that were passed over entirely by many other film groups and ignoring others who appeared to be emerging as favorites -- most notably, Nicole Kidman. Best-actor and -actress nominations broke down this way: Actor: Russell Crowe, A Beautiful Mind; Kevin Kline, Life as a House; Sean Penn, I Am Sam; Denzel Washington, Training Day; Tom Wilkinson, In The Bedroom. Actress: Halle Berry, Monster's Ball; Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind; Judi Dench, Iris (Dench was also nominated in the Supporting Actress category for The Shipping News); Sissy Spacek, In the Bedroom; Renee Zellweger, Bridget Jones's Diary.

Halle Snubs Howie
25 January 2002 (WENN)
Actress Halle Berry refused to share the sofa with comedian Howie Mandel on her recent appearance on The Tonight Show. The Monster's Ball beauty was set to join the funnyman on the couch to chat to host Jay Leno, but once she found out Howie was on the show, she demanded they be separated. The American beauty still hasn't forgiven to Howie's joke last year when he filled in for Regis Philbin on Live With Regis And Kathie Lee shortly after she became embroiled in a hit-and-run car accident scandal. When Howie introduced guest Halle, he joked that he'd bumped into her backstage and "she just left the scene," provoking a furious Halle to lash out at him on camera. And when Halle walked on camera to chat to Jay Leno, studio executives made sure Howie had cleared the stage.

Halle's Out-of-Body Sex Scene
26 December 2001 (WENN)
Sexy star Halle Berry had an out-of-body experience while watching her first full-frontal love scene with Billy Bob Thornton in Monster's Ball. The actress was more terrified about watching the scene than actually being in it, but the experience turned out well. She says, "I had an out-of-body experience because I was able to see the sex scene and not see myself - I was able to watch it and go, 'Wow, look at her.' I didn't say, 'Oh my God, look at me.' I could really disconnect from it and really be into that character." Halle demanded studio chiefs behind the new movie screen it privately for herself and husband Eric Benet. She explains, "I didn't think it would be fair the night of the premiere for him to see it for the first time and have everyone say, 'So, what do you think?' I thought he should go and see it out of respect for him and, honestly, he really didn't like it too much. It's hard to watch. He's a red-blooded man and I don't think any red-blooded man wants to see his wife like that but at the end of the movie he was able to say I'm proud of you, you took a risk and no matter what people think about it you followed your heart. I sat behind him. After the scene he did excuse himself for five minutes - probably to throw up. He was far from excited. I'm married to a very secure man."

Moulin Rouge Wins First Critics' Award
6 December 2001 (StudioBriefing)
The National Board of Review, which traditionally opens the critics' awards season, has selected Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge as the best film of 2001. The group, composed of educators, screenwriters, historians and film students, has often displayed eclectic tastes. Last year, for example, it named the indie Quills best film. In 1998, it selected Gods and Monsters over Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. The group, which was founded in 1909 and presented its first awards 20 years later, selected Todd Field as best director for his debut film, In the Bedroom. In contrast to Rouge, which received decidedly mixed reviews, Bedroom, screening currently only in New York and Los Angeles, has received mostly rave notices. The group selected the two stars of the upcoming Monster's Ball, Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry, as best actor and actress.

Halle Bares Absolutely All
15 November 2001 (WENN)
Hollywood star Halle Berry has shot a full-frontal nude scene for a steamy sex scene in her latest flick. The gorgeous actress strips off as she makes love to Billy Bob Thornton in their new movie Monster's Ball. And according to Hollywood gossip columnists, Halle was paid an extra $1 million for the daring scene. The sexy actress also bared her breasts in the film Swordfish with John Travolta - but denied at the time she received a bonus of $500,000 for doing so. In the movie, Halle plays the widow of a Death Row prisoner, played by Sean 'P Diddy' Combs, who has an affair with one of the prison guards who killed him, played by Thornton. At the American premiere of the film last week, the buxom beauty admitted she wasn't comfortable watching the sex scene while sitting next to her husband, singer Eric Benet. She explained, "When he was watching, I was thinking, 'What's going on in his mind?'" But Halle must be able to imagine his emotions to some extent - Benet recently filmed a love scene with Mariah Carey in her failed movie debut Glitter.