Halle Berry Confesses Her Extreme Method Acting Prep, Including Skipping Showers 'Half the Time'
Some of Halle Berry's most raw and unpolished roles have been the ones she cherished most throughout her 30-year career.
In a recent interview with 'Sway's Universe,' Berry shared how challenging yet rewarding it was to take on roles like her character in the 1995 film 'Losing Isaiah,' where she portrayed Khaila Richards, a crack-addicted mother trying to regain custody of her son.
The Cleveland, Ohio, native admitted she stopped showering, brushing her teeth, and combing her hair to fully embody her movie character. "She was nasty," Berry explained, believing this physical transformation helped her connect with Vivian.
The 58-year-old actress made her film debut in 1991's 'Jungle Fever,' a Spike Lee film, where she starred alongside Samuel L. Jackson as crack addict Vivian, opposite Jackson's character, Gator.
While Jackson had personal experience with addiction, having overcome his own struggles just before filming, Berry had no such background.
who played a crackhead better than her ??? 😭 pic.twitter.com/qtU9J1wntl
— sharniece🏳️🌈 (@shaarniiece) June 19, 2020
"That was a big leap for me," Berry, 58, reflected about playing Khaila. "Jungle Fever gave me Viv, the crack ho, and I loved it," she said, with a smile, as she described her passion for taking on these kinds of characters.
"I was so into it," Berry continued. She revealed that to prepare for her role as Vivian, she spent time in real crack houses, determined to make her performance as authentic as possible, even though it was a dangerous decision. "I was such a young actor at the time... I didn't know the world of crack. But I knew I wanted to play the crack ho', even though I knew nothing about it."
Berry's extreme commitment to the role left her colleagues, including Jackson, in shock. "They couldn't believe I did that," she said. "They were like, 'What [...] is wrong? You did what? Why? It's called acting!'"
In 2021, Berry celebrated the 30th anniversary of 'Jungle Fever,' reflecting on how Vivian remains one of her favorite characters to this day.
Her latest film, 'Never Let Go,' in theaters now, is a survival horror thriller film directed by Alexandre Aja. The film, written by Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby, also stars Percy Daggs IV, Anthony B. Jenkins, Matthew Kevin Anderson, Christin Park, and Stephanie Lavigne.
