Halle Berry is back on screen with the memorable performance in Frankie and Alice. You’ve got to see this. It is a film about a woman suffering from multiple personality disorders. And Halle is here to talk to us all about it. It's great to have you here. It's good to be here. It's good to see you, especially. I watched it this weekend. It is some kind of powerful and your presence on the screen. I didn't realize though you fought for 10 years (I did.) to get this project. What was it so important to you about it? You know, I've always had, I think, a soft swap for people who are mentally challenged. My mother was a psycho nurse in a VA Hospital for 35 years, so I grew up having a certain compassion for people who suffered in that way. So when I heard about this story, I thought here is a chance to add some light in a really dark place, and sort of shameful place. There is a stigma if you go with a mental illness in our society. And also as an actor, to play a character that was this rich and complicated and interesting really ignited me.
It's like saying characters. I mean 3 distinct personalities. Let me say this to you. You don't go over the top with going from one personality to another and that really shows a lot of respect for people who are going through this because we have an idea of what it must be like. And what was it like for you to, as an actor to play these different types of roles?
You know, because this is a subject has been done before beautifully, I thought what do I have to add that could somehow be different and one of the things that affected me was when I watch hours of tape of real patients who are in the therapeutic process, sort of working through this issue. I noticed that it was utterly simple that a lot of their switching was just sort of a matter of fact and sometimes I didn't even know they had switched to a different character because some times it was just like switch of a leg. OK, now I’m somebody else. So I wanted to bring like the subtlety to the performance. And therefore I thought bring a reality to it and not have it be, you know, as dramatic as I think one might think it is. And race is also a part of it because one of the personalities, it took me a while to figure it out. Oh, no, she is white.
She thinks she is. Yeah, she is white, she is white and she is southern. She is, you know, somewhat racist in her way of thinking. And so to have that personality inhabit a black body was the intriguing part for me. How does that happen? And how does one live with that? And ultimately how does one get their brain around that and learn to live in that body with that particular issue.
Because this is based on a true story. And I want to play a clip right now. It is Alice and this is the white character who is, as she said, from the south and has some issues about race. Franki and Alice.
Well, I don't mean to be ungrateful, doctor. But why would I waste a second of my time to help her?
What do you mean ungrateful? Well, for all the help you’ve given me. I think it's this place. Poor things are getting tired. She’s found it harder and harder to cope. I don't know how much longer she can go on fighting with me.
Alice, you gotta see who you are. You are black, you ain’t white. You are her, and she is you. Well then who am I looking at? When you see yourself on film like that, I can see you are kind of looking away a little bit. This had to be, this had to take a lot out. I know you actually was supposed to start the film earlier but you became pregnant and you won’t sure if you were able to at that point. But now see the finished product entirely. You must be very proud.
You know, I am really proud of it simply because I had a dream 10 years ago. This was something that I really wanted to do and then to see it through and to be sitting here, knowing that's gonna open in a week. There is a sense of accomplishment with that. Because so many people tell me all the time what I can't do. You know that's too hard and so when you do what you say, you wanted to do, it is really a good feeling. There is nothing that you can't do. And this was another film that showed your strength and your ability. And I hear that you are thinking about Broadway now? Yeah, Broadway, that's my next… haha... because it scares me to death, just like this did. When it scares me, I am like a moth to a flame. I go right in it that. It must mean that’s what I’m supposed to do next if it scares me to that.
So what is it, you have anything in mind in particular or…?
Yeah, it's a play, an original play called Mountain Tops. And it's with Samule Jacks and I. It’s a two-person-play. And he plays Martin Luther King and it's about the day Martin Luther King got shot.
And you are the maid?
I am the maid that comes into the room that has an interesting exchange with him right before he gets killed. Ok…that's a good little tease there. We will want to see this. And you see like everything personally and professionally going so well. And how is motherhood for you?
Fantastic.
You look, you are just glowing about that.
It's fantastic. I am just so glad I didn't miss it. You know, I waited until I was 40 and I am glad I did because the last 3 years have been, I’ve been there every step of the way. I haven't missed a thing. I’m lucky enough that I could take off work and be there with her in those early years. That was really important and it changed my life. As it does every family, every woman, every father, it's life changing. Well, we can see that it has done that for you. And thank you for fighting to put this on film. I know you've met with Frankie for four and she is here. I mean she is doing well. She is well. She is a teacher. She has two children. She’s married, divorced and she is very happy with this movie and that makes me most happy.
We are always happy to have you here. Continue blessings in everything that you do, Halle. Thank you so much. |