Back in October folks began tweeting about Halle Berry’s turn as Catwoman. Catwoman was on people’s minds because the trailers and stills were coming out for the new Batman movie starring Robert Pattinson as Batman and Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman. Halle Berry’s 2004 Catwoman bombed at the box office, with Halle graciously accepting four Razzie Awards in person that year. Critics blamed Halle’s performance for the failure of the movie.
This week Halle stopped by the Jimmy Kimmel show to promote her film Bruised, which she directed and stars in. Jimmy brought up the tweet that she sent out about receiving Catwoman love. Halle said that even though so many people were disappointed with the Catwoman movie, she knows she worked hard and that’s not on her. Halle went on to say that she’d love to do Catwoman again as the director of the film. Below are a few more highlights via Yahoo! and the interview is embedded below the post:
“I worked really hard to be a Catwoman. I learned capoeira. I did the work,” Berry said. “The disheartening part was I didn’t direct it, I didn’t produce it, nor did I write it. I was just the actress in it. But for all these years I have carried I think, you know, the weight of that film. And whatever success it had or didn’t have, somehow it seemed like it was all my fault. But it really wasn’t my fault. But I’ve been carrying it.”
The conversation started after host Jimmy Kimmel pointed out a Tweet that Berry posted in late October, after she started randomly getting love from people who were discovering, or re-discovering, Catwoman and praising Berry’s performance.
“So when that came up,” Berry said of the random Twitter praise. “It gave me a chance to sort of like… to stick it back.”
Catwoman was nominated for seven Golden Raspberry — or Razzie — Awards, given to the year’s lousiest films. It won four, including Worst Picture and Worst Actress for Berry, and with a Best Actress Oscar already in her possession from 2001’s Monster’s Ball, Berry was a great sport and actually showed up to accept her trophy.
I am not gonna lie, I did not like Halle’s Catwoman movie but not because of Halle. I loved how Halle mastered the whip. The problem with Catwoman was it was poorly written and produced. Halle had no control over those things and she is right, it is not her fault. I don’t think Halle should play those gritty, kickass roles because I feel those are energies that Halle struggles to grasp (hello Storm). Halle makes a great love interest (Boomerang), comedienne (BAPS) and a down on her luck woman (Monster’s Ball), but not a heroine or antiheroine. I wonder how well she did as the ex-MMA fighter in her new movie Bruised. It now has a 70% Rotten Tomato critics rating, with people praising Halle’s directorial debut and performance.
It is interesting that people are looking back at Catwoman 17 years later and making Halle feel better it. Catwoman also gave me my favorite song of 2004, Scandalous by Mis-Teeq. I am not looking forward to seeing Zoe Kravitz in the role despite liking her. The actresses that played Catwoman best at this point are Eartha Kitt and Michelle Pfieffer and you can fight me on that.
I loved it and Gothika…people were just haters. pic.twitter.com/JFC9wr4yzK
— BlackWomenViews Media (@blackwomenviews) October 26, 2021
Photos credit: Avalon.red and Instar
I loved Catwoman for all its corniness and porno acting. Sometimes you just have to take a movie for what it is.
I have seen the movie twice compliments of streaming and I do not think Catwoman is that bad. I thought it just a highly campy movie with stars Sharon Stone and Halle Berry trying to out camp each other. The movie is excellent mindless entertainment.
The best Catwoman was Eartha Kitt, hands down.
Yep, agreed! Eartha Kitt was the all-time best Catwoman. My second fave is Julie Newmar, I think because she was a dancer.
She’s glowing. That’s all I’ve got.
I love her belted kimono and short skirt, she looks fabulous. And Catwoman was silly but Halle was not the problem with that movie
I love her outfit as well!! I would never think to pair a kimono with a skirt! As for Catwoman, I can’t comment as I never watched it!!
I think it’s ridiculous to blame the goofiness of that movie on Berry. It was just really, really goofy. That had nothing to do with her.
I think Halle is actually so beloved, she could do whatever she wanted. I know probably the roles haven’t been coming her way. But she could pull a Reese (and she has) and direct herself. Or pull a Mindy, and write the roles. She really does have that kind of sway because she is a magnetic person…she’s a great celebrity, period. She does seem to have a super messy personal life and she barely even wears it because she’s just so stinking beautiful.
The movie was awful as was her acting. Give me a break.
Get over it, Halle. Her Catwoman was a flop, but I can’t imagine anyone who saw it saying she was the only person to blame. Idiotic script, strange direction and she is super corny in it. At least it’s good for a laugh.
I am a Halle stan. I’ve watched her since she was on Knott’s Landing back in the 80’s. I’m happy for her career success and I have respect for her grind. I really don’t get the Halle hate when it comes to her acting. Catwoman wasn’t the best because the plot and script sucked. Selena Kyle on her own is an amazing person to play. FUN FACT: Ertha Kitt is the Originator of Cat Woman so she damn well should have played her well. I also liked Anne Hathaway’s performance. I think Zoe would be able to play it well too. People should put 100% of a terrible movie on the actor. Last time I looked there were a lot of people on those end credits.
Eartha Kitt was not the first actress to play Catwoman. A cursory google search could have shown you that. Apologize to Julie Newmar.
I just can’t get over her hit and run accident and shady behavior towards her daughter’s father. She has gotten much less pretty to me over the years, because of her actions.
I used to watch this movie on tv all the time. Given I grew up with the notion that superhero movies (calling her a superhero because she is the good girl fighting the evil woman here) were meant to be silly and fun, I liked it! It sucks that she was blamed for the flop, hopefully it didn’t influenced her being cast in subsequent roles.
(Obsessed with that wrap/skirt combo!)
I have to disagree about your opinion stating that she shouldn’t play gritty, kick-ass characters. She was seriously bad-ass and awesome in John Wick 3. And not campy or silly, but rather very convincing. She nailed that part!
I like Halle, but I don’t understand why she keeps inserting herself in this new Batman/Catwoman thing. She started all this talk when she posted her and Zoe side by side and commented. It wasn’t a bad comment, but still.
She had her time, she needs to let Zoe shine.
I *liked* her Catwoman (and Benjamin Bratt!), one of my fav Berry movies.
I liked the movie and I like her. Also she’s so hot 😭💜 she was awesome in John Wick, she did cool acting with big dogs
She was fine. If they’d given her a better script she would have risen to it. I have no idea why people are still complaining about this film (well, actually I do a little: comics nerds can be pretty extra towards films they consider unworthy).
Her Catwoman just wasn’t Selina Kyle Catwoman but the film was clear it was more a campy homage to Eartha Kitt’s Catwoman anyway. This film just ended up in the same bracket as Batman and Robin. To some that’s unforgivable, I guess.
Tbh, I don’t mind it for what it is but people should stop asking her about it every time a new Catwoman movie happens. I actually like that she defends it, lol.