September 19, 2024 • 26 mins
Halle Berry doesn’t need an introduction. She’s the first Black woman to win the Oscar for best actress and has been a fierce advocate for women’s rights, raising awareness about menopause. She’s also got a new horror film out called “Never Let Go,” that she produced through her own production company HalleHolly — just in time for spooky season this fall. Halle joins the Bright Side to discuss her new horror film, what she hopes her legacy will be, and how she paves the way for herself and others.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hey Vestie's Hello Sunshine.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Today on the bright Side, we're talking to Hollywood icon
Halle Berry. Her new horror film Never Let Go is
out tomorrow, and our conversation is pretty incredible. She gives
me some love advice, and she reveals the shocking way
her menopause symptoms were misdiagnosed as herpies. She even shares
(00:25):
what she hopes her legacy will be. It's Thursday, September nineteenth.
I'm Danielle Robe.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
And I'm Simone Boyce and this is the bright Side
from Hello Sunshine, a daily show where we come together
to share women's stories, laugh, learn and brighten your day.
It's a big day today on the bright Side. Danielle,
Big day, Big day, y'all. Halle Berry doesn't get bigger
than that, Noah, doesn't you know. Halle Berry is a
(00:51):
name that I heard a lot in my house when
I was growing up, because my mom was an actor
and she deeply admired Halle for a couple of reasons. First,
Halle totally flipped the script on what it meant to
be an actor of color in Hollywood and redefined the
roles that could be offered to people of color.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Oh wow.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
And my mom when she was a black actor in
the eighties, the roles that were available to her were
like prostitute, domestic labor, you know, house cleaner. But then
Halle with Monster's Ball, with winning the Oscar, I think
really blew open the possibilities.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
And the potential for people of color in Hollywood.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
But the second reason why I heard so much about
Halle is because my mom really celebrated Halle as a
mixed race woman. And I think it was my mom's
way for her to show me that there were other
women out there who looked like me and who were
proudly showcasing their talents for the world to see. And
I've heard Halle talk about what it was like growing
up for her as a mixed race girl. And you
(01:53):
know what happened when she moved to the white suburbs
and she was one of three token black girls in
her class.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
The names that she was called, all of that is
so relatable, HM, and I just appreciate her honesty around
this topic. Danielle, what do you think of when you
think of Halle Berry.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
When I think of Halle Berry, I think of how
women evolve in their lifetimes. She's had this hugely illustrious
acting career and then all of a sudden she became
a fierce advocate for women experiencing menopause. I mean, she
literally joined senators on Capitol Hill to announce new menopause legislation.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
She really lights up when she talks about this issue too.
You can tell that this is this is really going
to be her next chapter, that she pours all of
her heart and effort into.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yeah, and that gumption didn't start on the steps of
Capitol Hill right like, it was sparked long before. I
didn't know this previously, but Halle was the first black
woman to represent the US in the Miss World competition
in nineteen eighty six, and I think that determination and
drive are just among the qualities that led her to
become the first blackman to win the Oscar for Best Actress.
(03:02):
And you know, we can throw out these accolades, but
we often underestimate just how challenging it is to be
the first in anything. And what I love about her
is that she embodies the belief that while she may
be the first, she won't be the last. So, just
like so many of the interesting people that we've gotten
to interview. I think the people that have been through
the most have the most to give or to share.
(03:25):
And you know, she's had these public triumphs and personal battles,
and her resilience, combined with her advocacy for domestic violence
survivors and menopause, makes her story all the more powerful
and inspiring.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Talk about inspiring.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
She's got a new movie out and she's producing it
through her own production company called Hallie Holly. The movie
is called Never Let Go. It's a horror film. It's
out tomorrow, just in time for spooky season this fall. Okay,
let's go ahead and bring her in. Halle Berry, Welcome
to the bright Side.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
I like the bright side.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
You have inspired so many women to hold the door
open for others to follow through. I remember you saying
that when you accepted your oscar, and you've inspired us
on our show to hold the door open for candid
conversations about a topic that we don't often talk about, menopause.
You are honored by Time one hundred Health as you've
lobbied for more extensive menopause research and treatment options, and
(04:22):
you publish a lot of these discussions on your platform.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Respin i'd love to know.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
What makes you hopeful about the future of policy in
this space, I think because.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
The time is now. You know, I'm hopeful because we're
at a place where I think women are starting to
come together. It's like a movement that I'm trying to
spearhead because women, I feel like, are coming together and
we're realizing the importance of education in the space of
women's longevity. Right when women start understanding how much they
(04:55):
don't know, but how much they need to know, I
think they're starting to stand up and say, hey, I
demand more, I need more, I deserve more. Right. And
so the more we can do that and join forces,
I think the collective we is going to change what
the past has been and we will get that those
dollars spent, we will get those clinical trials done, we
(05:16):
will you know, learn more about our bodies. We will
be studied in ways that we were never studied before. Right,
And so I feel that shift happening, and it's the
reason I wake up in the morning, It's the reason
I stay up at night. It's become my second life
passion to make a difference for women in midlife.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Hallie.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
One of the things that I personally admire about you
is you're always innovating and pushing forward, and I think
RESPIN is such a great example of that. It advocates
for more education and research on paramenopause and menopause. I
really am so curious as to what's been the biggest
surprise to you as you've looked into the research and
discovered where those dollars that you mentioned are being allocated
(05:58):
for women's health.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
Well, you know the NRH, we often get money for,
you know, women's health, but menopause or menopausal issues or
women going through midlife those issues that gets the least
amount of money. And when I realized that, that's when
I realized, oh, I've got to stand up, I've got
to put a microphone on this subject. Because that leveled
(06:23):
me when I found that out, And what leveled me
about it was every woman, if we're blessed, if we're
lucky enough to live to our midlife, will go through
perimenopause and menopause, and then we've got all those years after.
So half the population spends half of their life because
we're now living until we're eighty, and menopause starts in
(06:43):
your late thirties early forties. Another misconception when I found
that out. I've been in Perrie menopause probably for ten
years before I even knew that I was there. When
people realize these statistics, they go, oh my god, Yes,
we've got to do something about it. You know, women
were only allowed in clinical stuff UDI in nineteen ninety three.
Up until then, only men were studied in clinical studies.
(07:04):
So you wonder why we know nothing about us, Well,
this is why. So that's what was shocking to me
when I started to realize how much a part of
the conversation we have not been, but how much we
deserve to be.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
It's still shocking when I hear those numbers, it's pretty unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Yeah, and only thirteen percent of doctors in the United
States have studied the menopausal, midlife woman body. And for
all of them who have studied it, it's usually a
chapter in medical school. A chapter, yeah, in medical school.
So the ones who really are learned about it have
had to go back and get higher education on their own.
(07:44):
It's not because it was required of them in any
way for their medical degrees.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
I can't thank you enough for being vocal about this,
because I feel like you really have been instrumental in
normalizing these conversations. And you know, one of our producers
on our staff actually saw you speak about this alongside
doctor Joe Biden at this conference called a Day of
Unreasonable Conversation, and you shared this wild story.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yeah, I thought Joe Biden was gonna was I think
she left her body.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Okay, we have to tell them why though, Hollie, because
you tell this wild, stranger than fiction story about how
you went about getting your menopause symptoms trying to get
a diagnosis and they were actually tragically misdiagnosed by your doctor.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Can you share this story one more time with us?
Speaker 4 (08:33):
If you really want me to, we do. Okay, Well,
I was fifty four. Just want you to know at
fifty four, nobody had talked to me about menopause at
fifty four and now, and we know we started going
into menopause at forty like that's like a tragedy right there.
Then nobody had really sat me down and told me anyway.
(08:54):
So at fifty four, I had been in a relationship
with my person. You know, it took me a long
time to find my person, but I found him and
so we were enjoying like the first year of our relationship,
everything was amazing. And one morning I woke up after
sex and I went to go to the bathroom and
it was excruciatingly hard to just urinate. I had no
(09:19):
idea why. I had never felt this feeling before. And
as the day went on, it got worse and worse
and worse. So I went to see my doctor and
I said, hey, I don't know what, like what's happening,
but like I feel like I have razor blades in
my vagina, like I've never felt this before. I can't
go in to the bathroom. I can't shut my legs,
like I said. My boyfriend had to drive me here
(09:41):
because I'm just in a lot of pain. So he,
you know, does his exam. He looks up there and
he says, oh, I know exactly what this is. I said, great, Great.
What he said, I hate to tell you this, but
this looks like a really bad case of herpes. Oh,
my heart, berees what I I said.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
He goes, I'm going to do the test and I'll
send it out. You'll get the results back in three days.
But I've been doing this a long time. I've seen
this enough. This is a really bad case of herpes,
and he's like, you got a new guy. I'm like yeah.
He's like, well I think this is what this is. Sorry,
So I go down. Of course my new guy is
down there in the car. So I'm like, hey, you
you got herpes. It's like, oh, I have herpes. I said, well,
(10:24):
you clearly do have herpes, because now I have herpes.
And I didn't have herpes before I knew you. I've
never been told I have herpes. I said, well, let
me be the first to tell you have herpes. You
just gave it to me.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Now two people got diagnosed with herpes.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
And so it caused a big, you know, friction between
us because I would have thought that would be a
conversation we would have had if he had herpes. None
of these things are ever doing breakers, but like, there's
a conversation should have. So he's I said, emn you
need to go get a test because I've gotten a test,
and then we're going to see like who's got the
herpes here. So we both went and got a test.
Sure enough, this test came back first and he comes
(11:02):
to me and he says, well, I don't have herpees.
So it looks like you're the one who has herpes,
and thank god you didn't give it to me because
I don't have it. So now of course I'm like,
oh god, I have herpees? How did I get herpes?
So then an hour or two later, my doctor calls
me and he says, this is the craziest thing, Hallie,
(11:23):
you do not have herpes. So I'm just like, thank
you God, I don't have herpes. But I said, why
did you tell me I had herpes? Like what is this?
And he said, I don't really know what this is,
but this is not herpes, so you have nothing to
worry about. Well I left there full of worry because
one he wasn't able to tell me what it was,
(11:45):
and it was one of the most painful things I
ever experienced I had ever gone through. So that got
me on this investigative journey of what is going on
with my body and why did this happen? And it
didn't take me that long to figure out that this
was a symptom of menopause, or in my case, perimenopause,
(12:06):
when your estrogen starts to bottom out and many of
your orifice become dry, your vagina, your eyes, and your mouth.
I had the dry mouth. Also, one of another doctor
tried to diagnose me with Chogren's disease, wanted to put
me on steroids and take me down the path of
having an autoimmune disease. Nope, it's just dry mouth. Your
mouth gets dry. I realized I needed to take Omega
(12:28):
sevens with Buckhorn oils, stop red wine because the tannins
and red wine can dry you out and up my vitamins,
and boom, I got better. So this is the kind
of research that I'm fighting for so that women can
understand what is happening to their bodies. And don't let
doctors who haven't even studied your body, who really knows
nothing about what happens to us when that estrogen leaves
(12:48):
our bodies. Don't let them start telling you what's wrong.
Start investigating on your own. That's what I did. That's
how I got on this path, and I've been on
that path ever since of self investigation, educating myself, talking
to the doctors that do understand our bodies, who have
studied I'm talking to other women who are in the
same place. I am listening to things that they've tried
(13:08):
that have helped them, sharing my stories. That's what we
have to do right now as women while we sit
here waiting for the studies to be done, we have
to start talking with each other about it because we
are all in this together, every single one of us.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Okay, we have to take a quick break, but we'll
be right back with more from Halle Berry. Stay with us,
and we're back with Halle Berry.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Halle, congratulations on your new horror film. It's called Never
Let Go. In it, you play the mother of two
young boys, and y'all are isolated in a post apocalyptic world.
But Halle, this is such a big deal because this
is the first film that you've released with your new company,
Halle Holly, So what did you see in this script
that made it worthy of becoming your first release?
Speaker 4 (14:00):
Well, first, I love this genre, you know, psychological thriller
or slash horror. I love it. And when I read
the script, it presented a world that I had never
seen before, and certainly I haven't seen it with a
black family, right, a black mother with her two black children.
So the idea of as a mother giving birth to
two children and for ten years, you never get to
(14:22):
leave that house, you never get to leave those woods,
and you are tethered to it by a rope in
order for your survival. Just exploded all the things for me,
and I thought, Wow, I really need to get inside
this story. I really need to unpack this. I really
need to understand why this happened, what's happening, how would
(14:43):
they survive? And the idea of it just wildly intrigued me,
wildly intrigued me. And because it also deals with elements
of generational trauma, it also had something that I felt
was very complicated and deep at its core. And I
always like movies that leave me thinking deeply about something
while I've had a great time and maybe I left,
or I cried, or I was scared shitless. I love
(15:03):
movies that leave me thinking, thinking about what I just saw,
and sometimes even questioning what I just saw. And this,
to me, did all of that. After I read the.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Script, I saw something that you posted on Instagram. So,
thirty three years ago, Spike Lee gave you a breakout
role in Jungle Fever as Viv and you said it
basically gave you an opportunity to break out from the
gorgeous girl roles. And you wrote that he looked past
your exterior, and I was thinking about how you were
(15:33):
the it girl before we even started using the term
it girl. Now it's all over the place, and I'm
curious what the blessing and the curse has been of
being an it girl.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
I do know that that stigma I felt like plagued
me right and my first television role was playing a
model in television, so I knew that I had work
to do to sort of destigmatize myself and to get
people to see me more clearly as an actor who
I'd been studying, who was really wanting to not be
put in that box. And the thing about Spike was
(16:08):
he really first wanted me to play his wife you
know that girl part. And I went to the audition
because I wanted to meet Spike, always knowing that once
I got in the room, I was going to flip
the script and try to fight for myself to have
an opportunity to play the role that I really wanted
to play. And so luckily, to his credit, he allowed
(16:29):
me to do that and got to see a deeper
side of who I was, where I got to rely
on something than the exterior. And it was a wonderful
opportunity and it was a wonderful way to start my
film career. And I'll never forget him for being able
to see past that and to give me that chance,
because it set me off down the right path.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
When you think about all the sets you've been on,
all the productions you've been a part of, what's the
most fun you've ever had in entertainment?
Speaker 4 (16:55):
You know that's hard because I always try to find
the fun and everything that I'm doing, even on the
sets that are less than perfect, shall we say yeah.
I always try to find the people that are about
the fun, the people that are about the joy, who
realize that we're all blessed to be making movies, doing
make believe as a career and getting paid to do it.
(17:16):
I always try to align myself with those people and
try to stay away from the drama of at all
the best I can, because I've also learned, once you
do a movie, how that movie turns out and how
people receive it has nothing to do with me. That's
out of my control. What I can control is that
experience of making the movie. So I try to control
(17:37):
that as much as I possibly can, And I say,
this experience is all I have today. When this movie
comes and goes, who knows what will happen, but this
memory of this will be mine forever, right and this
is making me me. This is the fabric of my life.
It's happening right here. So let me make that the
best possible version of itself I possibly can. And that's
(17:57):
worked for me over the years.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
That you find the fun, I actually find that to
be very rare in entertainment because people take their jobs
so seriously.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
So I think that's really cool.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
I know, and I don't. You have to laugh at
yourself first, to be able to laugh at any situation
and find, you know, the good in it. It's also silly.
One day we're not going to be here. We're going
to be in a blip, you know. And I really
believe three months after we die, and then six months
after we die, a year after we die, does anybody
really care in any real way? You know, we just
(18:27):
become someone who was but life goes on, and I
have a real clear knowing of that.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
So I'm thirty three, I'm very single, very single. And
so you mentioned you found your person, and I feel
like you've always been able to stay aligned for what's
best for you throughout the highs and the lows. I'm
wondering if you have any love advice for me at
my big age of thirty three.
Speaker 4 (18:57):
Well, I'm usually not the one to give any love advice.
Like you know, that's a hot take that you're asking
me for that. But what I will tell you is
I have been able to stay true. And I think
as women, what I think I would say to you,
You're gonna make mistakes, You're gonna choose someone not right
for you. But that's how we grow, That's how we
learn what is right for us. That's how we become
(19:18):
better versions of ourselves. And what I would say is,
if you find yourself in a situation that's not right
for you, get out. Don't stays longer then you know
in your heart you need to stay there. And I
think as women, we have a hard time getting out
of things because we fear the judgment. Oh how many
is she gonna have? How many marriages? How many divorces?
(19:40):
Like I don't care how many you have. Have the
courage to get out, Have the courage to get out.
Never stay stuck. Don't stay for the children. No, children
don't need to see a miserable mom who is settled
in life. Children need to see an empowered, logged on
boss mom that dares to put her feelings first so
that she can be the best version of herself for
her children. So whatever you do, don't stay stuck anywhere
(20:05):
you don't want to be. Have the courage to do first,
and you will find it. If it's meant for you right,
and it will be found, You'll find it. I don't
think a relationship is then do'll be all. When I
found man, I was so happy to be by myself.
I said, I'm done with that. I'm just going to
be solo and raised my children and have my career.
And when I least expected it, when I finally was
(20:27):
clear about who I was and what I would and
wouldn't put up with in life and the path I
was going down, that person showed up. But it's because
I was not ready for that person to show up.
Thank you for that.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
I also, I asked you because you've lived, and I
love a woman who's lived.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
Oh yes, girl, I've lived and I'm still living. I
have a whole act to do. Ies so excited about
so excited to live that act? Yeah, what is that act?
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Is it what you're already doing with Respin or is
it something a dream that you haven't talked about yet.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
Now it's my dream of Reespin. It's about, you know,
empowering women through the second act of their lives, because
that's where I'm at. So that's something that I know
I can speak to authentically. I can fight for them
because I'm fighting for myself and I think we've been
so overlooked during this time of our lives. And I
know that I'm just gearing up for the second act,
and I want to walk through that in good health
(21:25):
the best I can. I want to be around to
see my grandchildren, if my children so you know, desire
to have children. I want to be here for all
of it. But I don't want to be a burden
to them. I want to be as healthy as I
possibly can be. So that's my act, my second act.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
We need to take another short break. We'll be right back.
We're back with Halle Berry. Okay, Halle, you did say
that you don't take things too seriously, so I'm going
to ask you an unseerious question. This is the most
unserious question you'll get all day. So you are an
(22:05):
Oscar winner, of course, but you also deserve an Award
for most number of shout outs and rap songs, because
by my count, it's at least thirteen, Like I think
it's actually way over that. I think that's an underestimate.
But I'm dying to know. How you learn about these references?
Do you get a text from your friends like who
are like, Hey, you got to listen to this new song?
(22:27):
Do google yourself every now and then? How do you
find out about these zeitgeist references?
Speaker 4 (22:32):
Never googling myself? Okay, I don't know what might come up,
and I don't want to even know. But sometimes people
tell me. Sometimes I hear them on the radio or
hear them and I go, oh my god, they just what.
It's always so flattering and so amazing that, especially the
younger generation, that they still consider me a part of
(22:53):
their culture. You know what I mean in some way
because sometimes I feel so far past it. But it's
nice to know that they still include me, and my
kids still think I'm cool because they get to hear
my names and song.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Do they really?
Speaker 3 (23:09):
I feel like that's the ultimate feather in your cap
when you get that head tip from the younger generation.
Speaker 4 (23:13):
You know, my kids have no idea why they don't
know why I'm cool. They don't know why I'm like why,
like why they rap it? Why are they got you
in the songs? Like they don't really understand that because
they just see me like they don't get it. And
that's like a big joke in our house because they're
just like clueless. Oh my gosh, this is killing me.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
This is so funny.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
And then have you ever interacted with any of the
artists who have included you in their songs? If you have,
what have those interactions been?
Speaker 4 (23:40):
Like, this isn't a rap song, But I had a
really sweet one with Bruno Mars. He had me in
one of his songs and he asked me to do
a recording, like a telephone recording for one of his songs.
And I was a big fan of his, so when
he asked me to do that, I was really honored
by that.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
So wait, that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Like Bruno Hallie, I think oftentimes our careers grow and
evolve as we do as people, and I've observed that
in your life for sure. I feel like we took
a look back today. But in thinking ahead, what do
you want your legacy to be? I?
Speaker 4 (24:16):
You know, I don't know I don't often think about legacy.
When you're so busy just doing your work, you don't
really think about that. So that's an interesting question. I
don't know if it'll if it will be my legacy,
but what I hope people remember, because do know that
I do believe it's just a blip and a very
short period of time. We will not remember whatever I
did here I think won't be that significant at all.
(24:39):
But while we're remembering, I hope that people just see
me as someone who dared to live her life on
her own terms, march to be to her own drum
right and pave a way for herself and by doing
take away for others. Like that's really how I have
seen my career. And I've taken big risks, I've won
big I've lost, but I continue to stay relevant throughout
(25:03):
all the years. I hope that will be the legacy
that you know, that girl just kept going, she kept
doing her thing her way, on her terms. That's what
I hope they say.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
That's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Thank you, We really appreciate your time.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
Thank you so much, Hallie, You're the best.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
Thank you, Thank you guys, having a beautiful day.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
Halle Berry is a director and Academy Award winning actor.
Her new movie Never Let Go, is in theaters tomorrow,
September twentieth.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
That's it for today's show.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
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Speaker 1 (25:45):
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Speaker 2 (25:47):
Join the conversation using hashtag the bright Side and connect
with us on social media at Hello Sunshine on Instagram
and at the bright Side Pod on TikTok, and feel
free to tag us Simone Boys and Danielle Robe
Speaker 3 (25:59):
See tomorrow, folks, Keep looking on the bright side.
Hey Vestie's Hello Sunshine.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Today on the bright Side, we're talking to Hollywood icon
Halle Berry. Her new horror film Never Let Go is
out tomorrow, and our conversation is pretty incredible. She gives
me some love advice, and she reveals the shocking way
her menopause symptoms were misdiagnosed as herpies. She even shares
(00:25):
what she hopes her legacy will be. It's Thursday, September nineteenth.
I'm Danielle Robe.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
And I'm Simone Boyce and this is the bright Side
from Hello Sunshine, a daily show where we come together
to share women's stories, laugh, learn and brighten your day.
It's a big day today on the bright Side. Danielle,
Big day, Big day, y'all. Halle Berry doesn't get bigger
than that, Noah, doesn't you know. Halle Berry is a
(00:51):
name that I heard a lot in my house when
I was growing up, because my mom was an actor
and she deeply admired Halle for a couple of reasons. First,
Halle totally flipped the script on what it meant to
be an actor of color in Hollywood and redefined the
roles that could be offered to people of color.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Oh wow.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
And my mom when she was a black actor in
the eighties, the roles that were available to her were
like prostitute, domestic labor, you know, house cleaner. But then
Halle with Monster's Ball, with winning the Oscar, I think
really blew open the possibilities.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
And the potential for people of color in Hollywood.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
But the second reason why I heard so much about
Halle is because my mom really celebrated Halle as a
mixed race woman. And I think it was my mom's
way for her to show me that there were other
women out there who looked like me and who were
proudly showcasing their talents for the world to see. And
I've heard Halle talk about what it was like growing
up for her as a mixed race girl. And you
(01:53):
know what happened when she moved to the white suburbs
and she was one of three token black girls in
her class.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
The names that she was called, all of that is
so relatable, HM, and I just appreciate her honesty around
this topic. Danielle, what do you think of when you
think of Halle Berry.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
When I think of Halle Berry, I think of how
women evolve in their lifetimes. She's had this hugely illustrious
acting career and then all of a sudden she became
a fierce advocate for women experiencing menopause. I mean, she
literally joined senators on Capitol Hill to announce new menopause legislation.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
She really lights up when she talks about this issue too.
You can tell that this is this is really going
to be her next chapter, that she pours all of
her heart and effort into.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yeah, and that gumption didn't start on the steps of
Capitol Hill right like, it was sparked long before. I
didn't know this previously, but Halle was the first black
woman to represent the US in the Miss World competition
in nineteen eighty six, and I think that determination and
drive are just among the qualities that led her to
become the first blackman to win the Oscar for Best Actress.
(03:02):
And you know, we can throw out these accolades, but
we often underestimate just how challenging it is to be
the first in anything. And what I love about her
is that she embodies the belief that while she may
be the first, she won't be the last. So, just
like so many of the interesting people that we've gotten
to interview. I think the people that have been through
the most have the most to give or to share.
(03:25):
And you know, she's had these public triumphs and personal battles,
and her resilience, combined with her advocacy for domestic violence
survivors and menopause, makes her story all the more powerful
and inspiring.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Talk about inspiring.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
She's got a new movie out and she's producing it
through her own production company called Hallie Holly. The movie
is called Never Let Go. It's a horror film. It's
out tomorrow, just in time for spooky season this fall. Okay,
let's go ahead and bring her in. Halle Berry, Welcome
to the bright Side.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
I like the bright side.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
You have inspired so many women to hold the door
open for others to follow through. I remember you saying
that when you accepted your oscar, and you've inspired us
on our show to hold the door open for candid
conversations about a topic that we don't often talk about, menopause.
You are honored by Time one hundred Health as you've
lobbied for more extensive menopause research and treatment options, and
(04:22):
you publish a lot of these discussions on your platform.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Respin i'd love to know.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
What makes you hopeful about the future of policy in
this space, I think because.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
The time is now. You know, I'm hopeful because we're
at a place where I think women are starting to
come together. It's like a movement that I'm trying to
spearhead because women, I feel like, are coming together and
we're realizing the importance of education in the space of
women's longevity. Right when women start understanding how much they
(04:55):
don't know, but how much they need to know, I
think they're starting to stand up and say, hey, I
demand more, I need more, I deserve more. Right. And
so the more we can do that and join forces,
I think the collective we is going to change what
the past has been and we will get that those
dollars spent, we will get those clinical trials done, we
(05:16):
will you know, learn more about our bodies. We will
be studied in ways that we were never studied before. Right,
And so I feel that shift happening, and it's the
reason I wake up in the morning, It's the reason
I stay up at night. It's become my second life
passion to make a difference for women in midlife.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Hallie.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
One of the things that I personally admire about you
is you're always innovating and pushing forward, and I think
RESPIN is such a great example of that. It advocates
for more education and research on paramenopause and menopause. I
really am so curious as to what's been the biggest
surprise to you as you've looked into the research and
discovered where those dollars that you mentioned are being allocated
(05:58):
for women's health.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
Well, you know the NRH, we often get money for,
you know, women's health, but menopause or menopausal issues or
women going through midlife those issues that gets the least
amount of money. And when I realized that, that's when
I realized, oh, I've got to stand up, I've got
to put a microphone on this subject. Because that leveled
(06:23):
me when I found that out, And what leveled me
about it was every woman, if we're blessed, if we're
lucky enough to live to our midlife, will go through
perimenopause and menopause, and then we've got all those years after.
So half the population spends half of their life because
we're now living until we're eighty, and menopause starts in
(06:43):
your late thirties early forties. Another misconception when I found
that out. I've been in Perrie menopause probably for ten
years before I even knew that I was there. When
people realize these statistics, they go, oh my god, Yes,
we've got to do something about it. You know, women
were only allowed in clinical stuff UDI in nineteen ninety three.
Up until then, only men were studied in clinical studies.
(07:04):
So you wonder why we know nothing about us, Well,
this is why. So that's what was shocking to me
when I started to realize how much a part of
the conversation we have not been, but how much we
deserve to be.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
It's still shocking when I hear those numbers, it's pretty unbelievable.
Speaker 4 (07:22):
Yeah, and only thirteen percent of doctors in the United
States have studied the menopausal, midlife woman body. And for
all of them who have studied it, it's usually a
chapter in medical school. A chapter, yeah, in medical school.
So the ones who really are learned about it have
had to go back and get higher education on their own.
(07:44):
It's not because it was required of them in any
way for their medical degrees.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
I can't thank you enough for being vocal about this,
because I feel like you really have been instrumental in
normalizing these conversations. And you know, one of our producers
on our staff actually saw you speak about this alongside
doctor Joe Biden at this conference called a Day of
Unreasonable Conversation, and you shared this wild story.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yeah, I thought Joe Biden was gonna was I think
she left her body.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
Okay, we have to tell them why though, Hollie, because
you tell this wild, stranger than fiction story about how
you went about getting your menopause symptoms trying to get
a diagnosis and they were actually tragically misdiagnosed by your doctor.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Can you share this story one more time with us?
Speaker 4 (08:33):
If you really want me to, we do. Okay, Well,
I was fifty four. Just want you to know at
fifty four, nobody had talked to me about menopause at
fifty four and now, and we know we started going
into menopause at forty like that's like a tragedy right there.
Then nobody had really sat me down and told me anyway.
(08:54):
So at fifty four, I had been in a relationship
with my person. You know, it took me a long
time to find my person, but I found him and
so we were enjoying like the first year of our relationship,
everything was amazing. And one morning I woke up after
sex and I went to go to the bathroom and
it was excruciatingly hard to just urinate. I had no
(09:19):
idea why. I had never felt this feeling before. And
as the day went on, it got worse and worse
and worse. So I went to see my doctor and
I said, hey, I don't know what, like what's happening,
but like I feel like I have razor blades in
my vagina, like I've never felt this before. I can't
go in to the bathroom. I can't shut my legs,
like I said. My boyfriend had to drive me here
(09:41):
because I'm just in a lot of pain. So he,
you know, does his exam. He looks up there and
he says, oh, I know exactly what this is. I said, great, Great.
What he said, I hate to tell you this, but
this looks like a really bad case of herpes. Oh,
my heart, berees what I I said.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
He goes, I'm going to do the test and I'll
send it out. You'll get the results back in three days.
But I've been doing this a long time. I've seen
this enough. This is a really bad case of herpes,
and he's like, you got a new guy. I'm like yeah.
He's like, well I think this is what this is. Sorry,
So I go down. Of course my new guy is
down there in the car. So I'm like, hey, you
you got herpes. It's like, oh, I have herpes. I said, well,
(10:24):
you clearly do have herpes, because now I have herpes.
And I didn't have herpes before I knew you. I've
never been told I have herpes. I said, well, let
me be the first to tell you have herpes. You
just gave it to me.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Now two people got diagnosed with herpes.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
And so it caused a big, you know, friction between
us because I would have thought that would be a
conversation we would have had if he had herpes. None
of these things are ever doing breakers, but like, there's
a conversation should have. So he's I said, emn you
need to go get a test because I've gotten a test,
and then we're going to see like who's got the
herpes here. So we both went and got a test.
Sure enough, this test came back first and he comes
(11:02):
to me and he says, well, I don't have herpees.
So it looks like you're the one who has herpes,
and thank god you didn't give it to me because
I don't have it. So now of course I'm like,
oh god, I have herpees? How did I get herpes?
So then an hour or two later, my doctor calls
me and he says, this is the craziest thing, Hallie,
(11:23):
you do not have herpes. So I'm just like, thank
you God, I don't have herpes. But I said, why
did you tell me I had herpes? Like what is this?
And he said, I don't really know what this is,
but this is not herpes, so you have nothing to
worry about. Well I left there full of worry because
one he wasn't able to tell me what it was,
(11:45):
and it was one of the most painful things I
ever experienced I had ever gone through. So that got
me on this investigative journey of what is going on
with my body and why did this happen? And it
didn't take me that long to figure out that this
was a symptom of menopause, or in my case, perimenopause,
(12:06):
when your estrogen starts to bottom out and many of
your orifice become dry, your vagina, your eyes, and your mouth.
I had the dry mouth. Also, one of another doctor
tried to diagnose me with Chogren's disease, wanted to put
me on steroids and take me down the path of
having an autoimmune disease. Nope, it's just dry mouth. Your
mouth gets dry. I realized I needed to take Omega
(12:28):
sevens with Buckhorn oils, stop red wine because the tannins
and red wine can dry you out and up my vitamins,
and boom, I got better. So this is the kind
of research that I'm fighting for so that women can
understand what is happening to their bodies. And don't let
doctors who haven't even studied your body, who really knows
nothing about what happens to us when that estrogen leaves
(12:48):
our bodies. Don't let them start telling you what's wrong.
Start investigating on your own. That's what I did. That's
how I got on this path, and I've been on
that path ever since of self investigation, educating myself, talking
to the doctors that do understand our bodies, who have
studied I'm talking to other women who are in the
same place. I am listening to things that they've tried
(13:08):
that have helped them, sharing my stories. That's what we
have to do right now as women while we sit
here waiting for the studies to be done, we have
to start talking with each other about it because we
are all in this together, every single one of us.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Okay, we have to take a quick break, but we'll
be right back with more from Halle Berry. Stay with us,
and we're back with Halle Berry.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Halle, congratulations on your new horror film. It's called Never
Let Go. In it, you play the mother of two
young boys, and y'all are isolated in a post apocalyptic world.
But Halle, this is such a big deal because this
is the first film that you've released with your new company,
Halle Holly, So what did you see in this script
that made it worthy of becoming your first release?
Speaker 4 (14:00):
Well, first, I love this genre, you know, psychological thriller
or slash horror. I love it. And when I read
the script, it presented a world that I had never
seen before, and certainly I haven't seen it with a
black family, right, a black mother with her two black children.
So the idea of as a mother giving birth to
two children and for ten years, you never get to
(14:22):
leave that house, you never get to leave those woods,
and you are tethered to it by a rope in
order for your survival. Just exploded all the things for me,
and I thought, Wow, I really need to get inside
this story. I really need to unpack this. I really
need to understand why this happened, what's happening, how would
(14:43):
they survive? And the idea of it just wildly intrigued me,
wildly intrigued me. And because it also deals with elements
of generational trauma, it also had something that I felt
was very complicated and deep at its core. And I
always like movies that leave me thinking deeply about something
while I've had a great time and maybe I left,
or I cried, or I was scared shitless. I love
(15:03):
movies that leave me thinking, thinking about what I just saw,
and sometimes even questioning what I just saw. And this,
to me, did all of that. After I read the.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Script, I saw something that you posted on Instagram. So,
thirty three years ago, Spike Lee gave you a breakout
role in Jungle Fever as Viv and you said it
basically gave you an opportunity to break out from the
gorgeous girl roles. And you wrote that he looked past
your exterior, and I was thinking about how you were
(15:33):
the it girl before we even started using the term
it girl. Now it's all over the place, and I'm
curious what the blessing and the curse has been of
being an it girl.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
I do know that that stigma I felt like plagued
me right and my first television role was playing a
model in television, so I knew that I had work
to do to sort of destigmatize myself and to get
people to see me more clearly as an actor who
I'd been studying, who was really wanting to not be
put in that box. And the thing about Spike was
(16:08):
he really first wanted me to play his wife you
know that girl part. And I went to the audition
because I wanted to meet Spike, always knowing that once
I got in the room, I was going to flip
the script and try to fight for myself to have
an opportunity to play the role that I really wanted
to play. And so luckily, to his credit, he allowed
(16:29):
me to do that and got to see a deeper
side of who I was, where I got to rely
on something than the exterior. And it was a wonderful
opportunity and it was a wonderful way to start my
film career. And I'll never forget him for being able
to see past that and to give me that chance,
because it set me off down the right path.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
When you think about all the sets you've been on,
all the productions you've been a part of, what's the
most fun you've ever had in entertainment?
Speaker 4 (16:55):
You know that's hard because I always try to find
the fun and everything that I'm doing, even on the
sets that are less than perfect, shall we say yeah.
I always try to find the people that are about
the fun, the people that are about the joy, who
realize that we're all blessed to be making movies, doing
make believe as a career and getting paid to do it.
(17:16):
I always try to align myself with those people and
try to stay away from the drama of at all
the best I can, because I've also learned, once you
do a movie, how that movie turns out and how
people receive it has nothing to do with me. That's
out of my control. What I can control is that
experience of making the movie. So I try to control
(17:37):
that as much as I possibly can, And I say,
this experience is all I have today. When this movie
comes and goes, who knows what will happen, but this
memory of this will be mine forever, right and this
is making me me. This is the fabric of my life.
It's happening right here. So let me make that the
best possible version of itself I possibly can. And that's
(17:57):
worked for me over the years.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
That you find the fun, I actually find that to
be very rare in entertainment because people take their jobs
so seriously.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
So I think that's really cool.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
I know, and I don't. You have to laugh at
yourself first, to be able to laugh at any situation
and find, you know, the good in it. It's also silly.
One day we're not going to be here. We're going
to be in a blip, you know. And I really
believe three months after we die, and then six months
after we die, a year after we die, does anybody
really care in any real way? You know, we just
(18:27):
become someone who was but life goes on, and I
have a real clear knowing of that.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
So I'm thirty three, I'm very single, very single. And
so you mentioned you found your person, and I feel
like you've always been able to stay aligned for what's
best for you throughout the highs and the lows. I'm
wondering if you have any love advice for me at
my big age of thirty three.
Speaker 4 (18:57):
Well, I'm usually not the one to give any love advice.
Like you know, that's a hot take that you're asking
me for that. But what I will tell you is
I have been able to stay true. And I think
as women, what I think I would say to you,
You're gonna make mistakes, You're gonna choose someone not right
for you. But that's how we grow, That's how we
learn what is right for us. That's how we become
(19:18):
better versions of ourselves. And what I would say is,
if you find yourself in a situation that's not right
for you, get out. Don't stays longer then you know
in your heart you need to stay there. And I
think as women, we have a hard time getting out
of things because we fear the judgment. Oh how many
is she gonna have? How many marriages? How many divorces?
(19:40):
Like I don't care how many you have. Have the
courage to get out, Have the courage to get out.
Never stay stuck. Don't stay for the children. No, children
don't need to see a miserable mom who is settled
in life. Children need to see an empowered, logged on
boss mom that dares to put her feelings first so
that she can be the best version of herself for
her children. So whatever you do, don't stay stuck anywhere
(20:05):
you don't want to be. Have the courage to do first,
and you will find it. If it's meant for you right,
and it will be found, You'll find it. I don't
think a relationship is then do'll be all. When I
found man, I was so happy to be by myself.
I said, I'm done with that. I'm just going to
be solo and raised my children and have my career.
And when I least expected it, when I finally was
(20:27):
clear about who I was and what I would and
wouldn't put up with in life and the path I
was going down, that person showed up. But it's because
I was not ready for that person to show up.
Thank you for that.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
I also, I asked you because you've lived, and I
love a woman who's lived.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
Oh yes, girl, I've lived and I'm still living. I
have a whole act to do. Ies so excited about
so excited to live that act? Yeah, what is that act?
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Is it what you're already doing with Respin or is
it something a dream that you haven't talked about yet.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
Now it's my dream of Reespin. It's about, you know,
empowering women through the second act of their lives, because
that's where I'm at. So that's something that I know
I can speak to authentically. I can fight for them
because I'm fighting for myself and I think we've been
so overlooked during this time of our lives. And I
know that I'm just gearing up for the second act,
and I want to walk through that in good health
(21:25):
the best I can. I want to be around to
see my grandchildren, if my children so you know, desire
to have children. I want to be here for all
of it. But I don't want to be a burden
to them. I want to be as healthy as I
possibly can be. So that's my act, my second act.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
We need to take another short break. We'll be right back.
We're back with Halle Berry. Okay, Halle, you did say
that you don't take things too seriously, so I'm going
to ask you an unseerious question. This is the most
unserious question you'll get all day. So you are an
(22:05):
Oscar winner, of course, but you also deserve an Award
for most number of shout outs and rap songs, because
by my count, it's at least thirteen, Like I think
it's actually way over that. I think that's an underestimate.
But I'm dying to know. How you learn about these references?
Do you get a text from your friends like who
are like, Hey, you got to listen to this new song?
(22:27):
Do google yourself every now and then? How do you
find out about these zeitgeist references?
Speaker 4 (22:32):
Never googling myself? Okay, I don't know what might come up,
and I don't want to even know. But sometimes people
tell me. Sometimes I hear them on the radio or
hear them and I go, oh my god, they just what.
It's always so flattering and so amazing that, especially the
younger generation, that they still consider me a part of
(22:53):
their culture. You know what I mean in some way
because sometimes I feel so far past it. But it's
nice to know that they still include me, and my
kids still think I'm cool because they get to hear
my names and song.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Do they really?
Speaker 3 (23:09):
I feel like that's the ultimate feather in your cap
when you get that head tip from the younger generation.
Speaker 4 (23:13):
You know, my kids have no idea why they don't
know why I'm cool. They don't know why I'm like why,
like why they rap it? Why are they got you
in the songs? Like they don't really understand that because
they just see me like they don't get it. And
that's like a big joke in our house because they're
just like clueless. Oh my gosh, this is killing me.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
This is so funny.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
And then have you ever interacted with any of the
artists who have included you in their songs? If you have,
what have those interactions been?
Speaker 4 (23:40):
Like, this isn't a rap song, But I had a
really sweet one with Bruno Mars. He had me in
one of his songs and he asked me to do
a recording, like a telephone recording for one of his songs.
And I was a big fan of his, so when
he asked me to do that, I was really honored
by that.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
So wait, that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Like Bruno Hallie, I think oftentimes our careers grow and
evolve as we do as people, and I've observed that
in your life for sure. I feel like we took
a look back today. But in thinking ahead, what do
you want your legacy to be? I?
Speaker 4 (24:16):
You know, I don't know I don't often think about legacy.
When you're so busy just doing your work, you don't
really think about that. So that's an interesting question. I
don't know if it'll if it will be my legacy,
but what I hope people remember, because do know that
I do believe it's just a blip and a very
short period of time. We will not remember whatever I
did here I think won't be that significant at all.
(24:39):
But while we're remembering, I hope that people just see
me as someone who dared to live her life on
her own terms, march to be to her own drum
right and pave a way for herself and by doing
take away for others. Like that's really how I have
seen my career. And I've taken big risks, I've won
big I've lost, but I continue to stay relevant throughout
(25:03):
all the years. I hope that will be the legacy
that you know, that girl just kept going, she kept
doing her thing her way, on her terms. That's what
I hope they say.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
That's beautiful.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
Thank you, We really appreciate your time.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
Thank you so much, Hallie, You're the best.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
Thank you, Thank you guys, having a beautiful day.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
Halle Berry is a director and Academy Award winning actor.
Her new movie Never Let Go, is in theaters tomorrow,
September twentieth.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
That's it for today's show.
Speaker 2 (25:40):
Listen and follow The bright Side on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (25:47):
Join the conversation using hashtag the bright Side and connect
with us on social media at Hello Sunshine on Instagram
and at the bright Side Pod on TikTok, and feel
free to tag us Simone Boys and Danielle Robe
Speaker 3 (25:59):
See tomorrow, folks, Keep looking on the bright side.
Hosts And Creators
Simone Boyce
Danielle Robay
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