Ever since Bryan Singer has seemingly been blacklisted from Hollywood, for a number of reasons including various on-set issues and behind-the-scenes sexual misconduct claims, the stories that have been told about the filmmaker are already pretty shocking, to say the least. And now, Halle Berry is adding to that arsenal of Singer horror stories with her recollections from the set of the ‘X-Men’ franchise.
Speaking to Variety, Berry discussed her working relationship with Singer while starring in the various ‘X-Men’ films the director helmed. And though her performances in the films are a bit up and down, it would appear that maybe Berry had other things on her mind when she was trying to become a superhero, such as dealing with a “struggling” filmmaker.
“Bryan’s not the easiest dude to work with,” she explained. “I mean, everybody’s heard the stories — I don’t have to repeat them — and heard of his challenges, and what he struggles with.”
Berry added, “I would sometimes be very angry with him. I got into a few fights with him, said a few cuss words out of sheer frustration. When I work, I’m serious about that. And when that gets compromised, I get a little nutty. But at the same time, I have a lot of compassion for people who are struggling with whatever they’re struggling with, and Bryan struggles.”
Though she didn’t expand on the “struggles” that face Singer, it’s clear she is referring to the headline-making allegations that were lobbed against him, accusing him of sexual assault and misconduct against various men over his career. In addition, there are all the reports and stories from the set of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which found the filmmaker dismissed from production and replaced by Dexter Fletcher.
“Sometimes, because of whatever he’s struggling with, he just didn’t always feel present,” Berry said. “He didn’t feel there.”
Of course, Berry is an accomplished actor that has numerous roles and awards under her belt. She’s definitely not just the woman who starred as Storm in various ‘X-Men’ films. She’s also an Oscar-winning actress and the only Black woman to win a Best Actress trophy at the prestigious awards show. And according to the actress, that win was not only a great time for her but also one of her most heartbreaking.
“It’s one of my biggest heartbreaks,” she said. “The morning after, I thought, ‘Wow, I was chosen to open a door.’ And then, to have no one … I question, ‘Was that an important moment, or was it just an important moment for me?’ I wanted to believe it was so much bigger than me. It felt so much bigger than me, mainly because I knew others should have been there before me and they weren’t.”
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As mentioned, though five other Black women have been nominated for Best Actress since Berry’s 2001 win, none of them took home the trophy. So, even if a Black woman were to win next year, it would mark 20 years between wins, which is pretty sad, no matter how you look at it.
Of course, Berry is now focused on a variety of other jobs in the film industry, including that of writer-director on her upcoming feature, “Bruised.” That film is making its debut at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.