Halle Berry has apologized after being widely criticized for speaking about her interest in playing a transgender man in an upcoming film.
The 53-year-old actress said in an Instagram live that she had been preparing for the role before another project came up.
Berry said she wanted to do a “deep dive” into “that world,” apparently a reference to the transgender community, and repeatedly referred to the character as a woman.
Berry joined Christin Brown for an Instagram Live interview over the weekend, and she revealed that she’d recently been approached to play a trans character, and was excited by the possibility.
“[The role is] a character where the woman is a trans character, so she’s a woman that transitioned into a man,” Berry said at the time. “She’s a character in a project I love that I might be doing.”
Her comments led to allegations of “misgendering” while others said any role involving a trans character should go to a trans actor.
Halle Berry has now tweeted a statement apologizing for her remarks, and stating that she would no longer be considering the role.
“As a cisgender woman, I now understand that I should not have considered this role, and that the transgender community should undeniably have the opportunity to tell their own stories,” she posted on Twitter.
“I am grateful for the guidance and critical conversation over the past few days and will continue to listen, educate and learn from this mistake. I vow to be an ally in using my voice to promote better representation on-screen, both in front of and behind the camera.”
Activist groups have responded to Berry’s apology with a number of organizations addressing her on Twitter to thank her for listening and learning.
GLAAD, the media monitoring organization founded by LGBTQ+ people in the media, responded to Berry on Twitter.
“We are pleased that @halleberry listened to the concerns of transgender people and learned from them,” it said on Twitter. “Other powerful people should do the same.”
Mmm. Could they be referring to J.K. Rowling, perhaps?
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