|
Halle Berry MTV Interview
If The Catsuit Fits...
 For decades, beautiful actresses have stepped into Catwoman's form-fitting costume. Will a veteran of comic-book adaptations more concerned with inner beauty make the role fresh for 2004? (Don't worry, the outfit is still hot.) "Catwoman" star Halle Berry stopped by "TRL" and told La La about putting on the catsuit, taking her action-film bumps and looking past the physical.
MTV: You've played the role of a comic character before, so why do it again? Is it like another challenge, a different type of comic character?
Halle Berry: Oh yeah! Catwoman is way different from Storm in "X-Men 2." In "X-Men," I was very much a part of an ensemble cast, and Storm really never got to really fully express herself and be the amazing character she is in the comic books because there are so many other characters and stories to tell. With "Catwoman," I get to be Catwoman, so it is all about her and her journey, you know? And so that makes it majorly different.
MTV: For people that aren't familiar with the storyline, what would you say is the basic concept of "Catwoman"?
Berry: There have been so many incarnations of her, and there have been so many storylines that we could follow, but in our movie ... there is this woman, this meek, shy woman who is just really not in touch with her womanhood, her sexuality or her power as a human being, really.
And one unlucky night — or lucky night, depending on how you look at it — she is killed and reborn anew as this powerful, sexy, in-charge, confident, smart character, who is really walking the line of good and bad. She's certainly not a hero, but she's certainly not a villain either.
MTV: Let's talk about the costume for a minute. When you first saw it, what was your reaction? Was it like, "Oh, I can't wait to put this on, 'cause I know I'm gonna look hot," or "OK, this is a little much"?
Berry: I was like, "Whoa. Who's gonna wear that? Oh, me? Oh!" It was sexy. It was very different from ones of the past, but somehow the same. Black, sleek leather — very much like the ones from the past, but I also felt modern, updated — very, you know, 2004, which I really liked. Because to redo it the way it's been done before, you almost have to start asking yourself, "Why keep just redoing the same version of something?" in a way. So I was excited that it was different. I had a lot of work ahead of me to be able to wear it.
MTV: It is a hot outfit. You're still getting the character, but you're feeling like, "OK, this is something that I could relate to right now."
Berry: Young people today can look at it and say, "Hey, I might get some pants like that," you know, and rock those today. That would be the ultimate compliment, if people felt that way.
MTV: In past movies, you have sustained a few injuries, whether it was "Die Another Day" or "Gothika," and this movie was pretty intense, too. Did anything happen to you on this film, or were you able to get off scot-free?
Berry: I always have little injuries along the way. I think when you work really hard, and you just throw yourself into things and are somewhat fearless, there are bound to be a few bumps and scrapes. I had my fair share. My whole knees, my shin from my knee down on my left leg is just done. It's just — like I was in a war. You're bound to have those, you know?
MTV: People's "50 Most Beautiful People" has recognized you seven times. How does that feel? I feel like your beauty is more of an inner beauty. You're beautiful on the outside, but I feel like you exude inner beauty. Do you think that is what the people in the magazines recognize?
Berry: I would hope so, because I know that this shell is just a shell and that certainly doesn't define beauty for me. I would hope it's something else. But at the same time, I have to say I'm not so sure what that means, you know? Beauty is so subjective. What one thinks is beautiful, [another] might not, or vice versa.
The fact that they choose me year after year — sometimes it's like a little baffling. I'm thinking, "Hmm. They picked me again. Well, alright!" But I do hope it's for more than just my physical self. I hope so.
 More Interviews |
 catwoman
 Cast Biographies More |
RSS Feed XML Sitemap HTML Sitemap Privacy Policy