Halle Berry
Berry in 2009, photo by CarlaVanWagoner / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Maria Halle Berry
Place of Birth: Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Date of Birth: August 14, 1966
Ethnicity:
*father – African-American
*mother – English, some German and Irish, distant Dutch
Halle Berry is an American actress and model. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Monster’s Ball (2001). She is the only black actress to have won the Best Actress Oscar. Her roles also include The Last Boy Scout, The Flinstones, Executive Decision, Why Do Fools Fall in Love, X-Men, Swordfish, Die Another Day, Gothika, Things We Lost in the Fire, The Call, Kidnap, Kings, and Bruised, among others.
Halle’s father, Jerome Jesse Berry, was African-American. Halle’s mother, Judith Ann (Hawkins), is white, of English, some German and Irish, and distant Dutch, descent. She has two children, a daughter, with her former partner, Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, and a son, with her former husband, French actor Olivier Martinez.
Of her upbringing, Halle has said:
I was raised by my white mother and every day of my life I have always been aware of the fact that I am biracial. However, growing up I was aware that even though my mother was white, I did not look or feel very white myself.
Halle’s paternal grandfather was named Robert Berry.
Halle’s paternal grandmother was Cora Lee Powell (the daughter of Adam Powell and Charity Munford/Moffett). Cora was born in Greenwood, Leflore, Mississippi. Adam was the son of Tom Powell and Easter.
Halle’s maternal grandfather was Earl Ellsworth Hawkins (the son of Eugene Allen Hawkins and Bessie C. Spaulding). Earl was born in Dover, Tuscarawas, Ohio. Eugene was the son of John William Hawkins, who was born in Vermont, and of Katherine/Catherina “Katie” Drescher, who was born in Bavaria, Germany. Bessie was the daughter of Ellsworth Warren Spaulding, who was of approximately three quarters Colonial American (English), and one quarter Irish, descent; and of Agnes L. “Aggie” Johnson, whose father was English. Through her maternal grandfather, Halle has American-born ancestors going back to the 1600s.
Halle’s maternal grandmother was Nellie Dicken (the daughter of Henry Dicken and Ada B. White). Nellie was born in Shardlow, Derbyshire, England, to a father from Chesterfield and a mother from Spondon. Henry was the son of Robert Dicken and Ann Marsden. Ada was the daughter of John White and Maria.
Sources: Genealogies of Halle Berry – http://www.wargs.com
http://www.wikitree.com
http://famouskin.com
Halle’s paternal grandmother, Cora Lee Powell, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Cora Lee Powell on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Death record of Halle’s paternal grandmother, Cora Lee (Powell) Berry – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Halle Berry (focusing on her mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com
Halle’s mother on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
No African American Does not mean Mulatto.
I get pissed off when people call me black/ or African American.
Thats not what the fuck I am, or what Halley Berry is,
Mulatto- a simple term one white parent one black parent that makes a totally new breed.
And I’m from the U.S.
To ethnic
Well twenty years ago this wouldn’t even been an issue,but what would you call her?I mean she feel she’s like a black woman,also since African American describes the majority of the black people here.Now granted I rarely call myself that especially since people often confuse me with other ethnicity.However it’s still a fairly new term,I sure they will change it to something else to fit everybody
Lauren brings up an interesting point. Im sure a lot of people would consider her African American despite being biracial.
I wonder if people would apply it to other mixed celebs. for example would a half Asian half white actress/actor be considered the first Asian American?
Actually yes ,if they called them the first Asian American whatever,it wouldn’t phase me one bit
To Lauren
That’s what African American means.The fact that most of use are of mixed lineage,to what ever degree,or whatever ethnic background;african ancestry is the base.That term bring us all under one umbrella.It kinda a double edge knife though.I met this white south african,who was trying to use it to get a scholarship.He said he was African American.The mess up part is ;he right
Btw,I know we disagree alot,but what country are you in?
How is she considered the first African American woman to win an Oscar, when she is of mixed heritage.