Halle Berry shares her take on aging in Hollywood

Halle Berry says she doesn't believe she can be sidelined by society’s expectations. 

The Oscar-winning actress, 54, recently discussed growing older in an industry that often marginalises women as they age.

“Her character rang so true for me. You get to this age where you feel like you’re being marginalized, devalued. You feel it at work. You feel it from society,” Berry told The Cut of her role as Sharon Coombs in the upcoming film Crime 101. 

In the movie, she stars opposite Chris Hemsworth as a middle-aged insurance broker who leverages her beauty when negotiating with billionaire clients.

“But I have adamantly decided I am not going to allow myself to be erased. That’s why I’m on my menopause mission. I’m going to be louder than I have ever been,” she added.

Berry, who is approaching her 60th birthday in August, has become increasingly vocal about women’s health, particularly menopause. She emphasised breaking the stigma around common symptoms like vaginal dryness. 

“Look, it happens to more than 60 percent of women as we get older. Everything gets dry! If we talk about it and laugh about it, there’s no more shame or embarrassment,” she said.