Halle Berry Had 'Oscar Curse' After Her Historic 2002 Win

People remember Halle Berry's historic 2002 Oscar win to this day. However, according to the 54-year-old actress, the award did not change her place in the industry overnight. She had to work even harder afterward, which suggests even she could not escape the so-called "Oscar Curse."

Berry, who became the first African-American woman to bag the Academy Award for best actress for her portrayal of Leticia Musgrove in "Monster's Ball," shared in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly how "surprising" it was for her not to get the big offers she had expected to receive after her win.

"I thought they were going to just back up the truck and drop them off at my house, right?" she explained. "When you have a historic win like that, you think, 'Oh, this is going to fundamentally change.' It did fundamentally change me, but it didn't change my place in the business overnight. I still had to go back to work. I still had to try to fight to make a way out of no way."

The "Oscar Curse" refers to the "colorful belief that misfortune paradoxically befalls Academy Award winners," Insider said in a report, citing Organization Science Magazine.

Halle Berry will be next seen in her first directorial venture, "Bruised," which is slated for Nov. 24 release on Netflix. In the movie, the actress portrays a disgraced MMA fighter who returns to the ring after many years. The role was first offered to Blake Lively, but the "Gossip Girl" actress turned it down.

"They gave me the script and I loved the story, but it was written for a twentysomething Irish Catholic white woman," Berry recalled.

"I couldn't get it out of my mind, so I thought, is it possible that this could be reimagined for someone like me? Because I think I have a take on it that could actually work — making it about a middle-aged Black woman, someone fighting for a last chance rather than another chance," she added.

Last year, Berry thanked the streaming giant on Twitter for believing in her vision. Netflix reportedly paid the actress $20 million for the worldwide distribution rights of the movie, which also stars Stephen McKinley Henderson, Adan Canto and Shamier Anderson in the key roles.

The actress is currently filming "The Mothership," a sci-fi adventure drama penned and directed by Matt Charman. Berry will also appear in the movie "Moonfall," which will come out on Feb. 3, 2022.