Halle Berry Wins Best Actress: 74th Oscars (2002) 

Who's in 2024

What’s beautiful about this clip that I’m now realizing years later after rewatching a million times…is she’s pointing to Denzel Washington. Denzel also took home Best Male Actor that night; first time in history that two Black Actors won in their respective leading category. It’s almost as if they were the only two in the room… acknowledging the historical moment, sacrifices, and struggles they’ve endured to get there. And for a moment they weep.

people just don't understand how this moment change history and what door she open. That's why she was so emotional.

the audience looks touch by her speech. and they all gave her a standing ovation

This is certainly one of the most triumphant moments in the history of the Oscar’s. Her acceptance speech was so emotional, unplanned/not rehearsed and natural. It was a long time coming for black women. Well done Queen Halle. Watching this clip 22 years later and seeing how far ‘we’ have come in breaking barriers, I cried all over again.

Russell Crowe, what a gentleman....he saw her being overwhelmed and took her in his arms and you could feel him giving her words of encouragement and support I promise you that's what he said....love that

Nicole's reaction to Halle's emotion is beautiful

Such a HISTORICAL MOMENT! I still tear up watching and remembering this night! 🙏🏾💜

that was the most heartfelt, honest acceptance speech in awards history! That shit made me cry! HISTORY WAS MADE AT THAT MOMENT

Congrats to Halle for this, a huge achievement but, this clip cracks me up so much, the announcer had me rolling around in tears ''Enemy- ENEMY- ANY- EEMMMYYYY-Award winning performance...'' Is it really that hard to pronounce? LOL

Finally, comments are on. So proud of Halle, waiting to see her next nomination ❤

probably the longest speech ever seen at the oscars, but shes such a cutie and ... ah, makes my heart cry... so happy for her!

This is a memorable moment in the Oscar history... Im so proud of her still.

me too, actually...watching now...and tears are flowing...

I was Soooooo rooting for her, and was so happy she won

I go back to this scene on a regular basis .It is beautiful.

I think people at the time read this as just her being emotional and not her feeling the weight of this moment. A door was opened but we’re still waiting for someone to walk through it.

Her speech is just the best! History making legend

Even tho ppl were predicting Halle would win, she didn't give herself much of a chance. Sissy Spacek had won all the precursor awards until SAG award when Halle pulled out a win. And Nicole was coming on strong during the last week or two of Oscar voting according to anonymous Academy voters. Halle is nothing but Pure Raw Emotions here but she composes herself to tick off important ppl in her speech. Look how Nicole and Renee are visibly moved by Halle's raw emotions. In a way many moviegoers are still waiting for Halle to find another project as strong as Monsters Ball cuz it just hasn't happened

She deserve this win. That movie made me cry and so many ways. It was a brilliant performance all around and let's just be honest, who doesn't love Halle Berry?

wow.... just seeing her react like that makes me wanna cry too o-o

A very unforgettable and iconic moment. Halle Berry became a global superstar after that night.

2:53 he wanted to cry so bad😂

I ALWAYS cry when I watch this...😢❤

did you watch the last scene. she conveyed so much without saying a word. totally deserved the award.

This must have been the best feeling

She is so beautiful, like hearing an angel speaking. She totally deserved that award, god bless her.

1:18 Ememy, enemy, any EMY! hahahaha. funny

So much fun was made of her for this reaction and that says it all. No one would truly understand what this huge occasion and award meant for her and for history, that is a huge thing to take in.

the dress and that hair 🔥🔥

Who’s here bc of the Cleveland show?

Halle Berry's dress is beautiful, it's one of my favourites.

I feel that this is the most real reaction when someone wons an award.😢😢😢

She was so filled with hope that the door had been opened that night. I can only imagine how she must feel today.

I agree with you 100%... I can't believe people are sitting here making jokes and saying it's fake. This little speech has me in tears at this very moment.. I was literally crying because I could feel every emotion she wanted to express.

Dame Judi dench got out her seat to give her a standing ovation

"This is the first Oscar for Halle Berry. She got raved reviews from her 1999 Enemy...Emeny...Enny...Emmy!! Award winning performance in the Lead and Introducing Dorothy Dandrich. -Love how she kept messing up on the words!

She was going through a heartbreak too cus Eric had been cheating on her & during the speech not only was she shocked & appreciative she was hurt 💔

Halle you have me in tears lve you Halle berry

This is the most touching moment of success. I cried watching this video. I love Halle

Wow.She sure was emotional.Beautiful.Classy.Talented.

I remember this moment. It means so much now. Especially her speech. Love her❤

If I ever need a good cry, I watch Halle Berry winning at the Oscars. She is so overcome with disbelief and joy, she doesn’t know what to do! She was so overwhelmed by the moment, her whole body was trembling…. My favorite Oscar moment of all time! ❤️🫵🏽

Halle is a wonderful actress, she definatly deserved the oscar awards. That speech she made was so wonderful and beautiful.

OMG I cant believe I'm actually tearing up, that was truly heart felt...

She is beautiful and very talented super star,

They opened and closed the door that same night 😂

Sidney's like 'chill girl'

Sent chills down my body!!! You feel her passion and how she finally broke the barrier!!! GREAT SPEECH!! You go Halle!!!!!!

Very moving... but her face at 1:00... is absolutely hilarious.

love how she looks terrified when they announce

This still makes me cry 2024 the tears are rolling . 4:18

I saw this live back in the day and had no idea of the significance for being too little, but watching it now, isn’t it amazing the she won in a nominated group of Unitedstatian, British and Australian white women? Wow.

I remember watching this at 12 years old not realizing what this meant until I grew up. The fact that Dorothy Dandridge was nominated in the same category as Halle was decades later, and then she won! Wow 🥹👏🏾✊🏾

It's remarkable to see people who's very job it is to be both graceful and composed reduced to moments of raw emotion beyond the professional confines of etiquette and decorum.

Oh, my. This brought tears to my eyes. I was literally crying. Groundbreaking moment indeed.

an amazing actress so beautiful inside and out she deserves that oscar!

0:08 Here comes the music called; “Broken Up and Blue” by Red Meat.

amazing how she pulled it all together when it was time for props.

A moment in history. Her pride is so infectious and inspiring. What a woman! ❤😊

Oh yes. I remember this. I watched this live-I stayed up all night (I'm from germany) and I soooo wanted Nicole Kidman to win this Oscar.

her face at the beginning was so funny hehe! she must've been in shock.

Haters gonna always hate, she was very emotional and she have DAMN RIGHT to be, first African American woman to win an Oscar for Lead Actress, for not having anything written down and her overwhelmness she did an EXCELLENT job, i particularly LOVE how she mentioned other african american women actresses, Jada, Angela and Vivica, who im sure were very surprised and honored that she even mentioned their names...................so yall can hate all yall want to, HALLE IS THE SHIT!!!!!!!POINT BLANK

This was such a powerful moment!

CONGRATS FOR HER!!! thats real emotion. :) shes so beautiful :)

Sidney Poitier, Denzel’s first, and Halle’s first. 2002 was lit!

such a moment for her and African American women!! this was a great speech!!!!

yeah!! thats y shes so emotional. i cry every time i watch this

Watch her Razzie Award speech, she really makes fun of herself! Love this girl.

I don't no if i will steal be around to see that happen again what a moment halle is a living doll i liked when they use to say envelope please . 5:38

lol "Enemy, Enne, emm- EMMY AWARDS.." xD

I just don't think some of you guys understand how hard and long she worked for that award!! She was a little over the top but if I worked my butt off for almost 20 years and got no recognition for it just because of my skin color! I would be screaming to once I finally got it and she deserves many more because she is a talented faithful actress. That speech should go down in history!!

Gorgeous woman ! Great actress ! I hope she is happy... I wish !

Wow.. you said perfectly.. they just don't understand what that moment meant.. it almost brings me to tears when i look at it know.. brilliant thank you!

How can anyone doubt her acting ability after seeing this? 5 stars.

@ 2:48-2:49 she got so caught up in the emotion she forgot it's "fought every fight," not "fought every fought"

3.29, lol at the guy smirking in the background.

Actually, Hattie McDaniel did make a little "drama" about it when she won her oscar. It was a big deal then, and it is now. There have only been three black females to win acting Oscars in 81 years, and the first two to win, McDaniel and Whoopi Goldberg were both for supporting roles. Anyway, Hattie, in her emotional speech said that she hoped that she'd be "a credit to her race."

Well Deserved win!!

Make me feelllll good 😂😂😂😂

Sissy Spacek was odds-on favorite to win w Nicole as alternate. Spacek cleaned up the precursor industry awards except SAG award which Halle won. According to anonymous voting members of the Academy, Kidman (Moulin Rouge) made a lot of inroads during the last two weeks of voting, but wasn't enuff to overtake Berry. It was meant to be Halle's time

"enemy awar.., enemy, eny, eMMy" lmao!

She made me cry😢❤

They call it acting for a reason. That's for damn sure.

People say she over did it when she was crying but she didn't. just imagine after all these years black female actors have tried to get this award and that night she got it. THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE!!! GREAT JOB HALLE BERRY!!! Good speech.

So so deserved!!! Her Last Scene in Monsters Ball…Those eyes😳😳😳 the best of the nomines!,no doubt

She was not too emotional. You don't know what it took for her to get to that moment in her life. So any emotion she felt was justified.

Thank god Sidney Poitier was alive to see this moment by himself.

When Reneé won her 2003 oscar, they have all became oscars winners. Wow

Nothing to critic, she's a woman, a professional, a real prettiest woman ever.

She is not the first black woman to win an oscar for best actress. She is the first mixed race actress to win best actress, She uses the term "women of color" when honoring black actresses so we can assume she identifies herself as black despite having a white mother.

You can tell she didn't think she'd win. Her face before they made the announcement says it all "Okay so just be done with it. I know a black girl aint winning this." Her reaction afterwards is so genuine. I love it.

Ive never seen her as that particularly good actress, shes not bad but I think the other nominated were better

I Love Halle Berry ever since that Queen Mini series. I didn't like her in X-men 1, but she grew on the sequels. Long Live Storm.

For those that don't get it, she's so emotional and she brought up color becuase she was the first African American/Black actress in history to win an Academy Award in the Best Lead Actress category. Which will be written in history books regaurding Hollywood and Hollywood and colored actors. It was an historic moment which is why she said in the begining that the moment was bigger than her. Ps. Please don't bring up that she only half balck to try and discredit her win.

You can be as emotional as you want. I dont know why people are complaining. She, and others who cry and cant breath are obviously great actors. They just won an OSCAR for BEST Actress of the year!!!!

I wish it was an Oscar for Dorothy Dandridge. I thought Halle was too worthy to do Monsters Ball & even too pretty to be just another bond girl. The woman is a gentle diamond (Im straight). Anyhow I am happy for her winnings & she is very bold to cry like that for the world to see. I'll also agree with others about Angela Basset & Laurence Fishburne not getting an Oscar for what's love got to do with it. But I am not going to take it out on Halle. God Bless all.

You obviously don't realize the power of the moment that comes from knowing the degrading history we've experienced or the sustaining legacy of those who overcome (so many I thought of as she mentioned those she could remember): Fredi Washington, Ethel Waters, Ethel Meyer, Beah Richards, Abbey Lincoln, Juanita Hall, Diane Sands...so many WONDERFUL actresses from even CLASSIC films, unrecognized...! ):(( I cried with her.

she is the first African-American woman won the Academy Award for best actress

That dress is BEAUTIFUL.