Halle Berry, 59, Claps Back at Age-Shaming Over Her Role in Crime 101
Halle Berry has never been one to shy away from difficult conversations, and her latest press tour for the heist thriller Crime 101 is no exception. While promoting the film, the Academy Award-winning actress spoke out against the pervasive issue of ageism in Hollywood, particularly how it affects women.
She addressed the “age-shaming” her character faces in the script as a broader reflection of a society that often tries to write women off once they reach a certain milestone.
The actress argued that the industry needs a serious reality check regarding the value of experience and maturity. Berry explained that the criticism her character receives in the film serves as a message for those with ears and heart to absorb it, emphasizing that the systemic push to sideline older women is simply wrong.
She remains firm in her belief that women do not lose their creative spark or professional worth at fifty, sixty, or even seventy. For Berry, who is turning sixty this year, the current phase of her life feels like a vibrant new beginning rather than a slow descent into retirement.
She told reporters that she feels like she is just getting my second groove started and has no intention of slowing down. This sentiment echoes her previous statements to The Times, where she questioned why women should ever feel ashamed of a process as natural as aging.
Halle Berry on her “Crime 101” character being age-shamed for being 53:
— Variety (@Variety) February 11, 2026
“As women, we have to reclaim the narrative that we’re not done at 50, 60, or 70. We have so much more to offer.” pic.twitter.com/hpOGoBeFH2
She believes that the wisdom and strength gained through years of experience actually make her more valuable than she was at the start of her career. By rejecting the stigma associated with getting older, Berry is attempting to reclaim the narrative for herself and her peers.
She views her current self as wiser, smarter, stronger, and better than ever before, a stance that she brings to her role as Sharon Colvin in her latest high-stakes thriller. As of mid-February, Halle Berry is entering one of the most prolific periods of her professional life.
Her new film, Crime 101, is set to hit theaters on February 13 and features her as a disillusioned insurance broker who teams up with a notorious jewel thief played by Chris Hemsworth. The film, directed by Bart Layton, has already garnered significant praise for its gritty, modern take on the classic heist genre, also starring Mark Ruffalo and Barry Keoghan.
Beyond this week’s release, Berry is expanding her reach through her production company, HalleHolly. She is currently preparing to star as President Joanna Duncan in the Apple Original film The President Is Missing, a high-stakes political thriller based on the novel by Bill Clinton and James Patterson.
Additionally, she is set to lead the drama Fleur, which begins filming in Paris in March, where she plays a housewife who flees her marriage to reinvent herself as an upscale dominatrix.
Do you agree with Halle Berry that Hollywood’s tendency to “age-shame” women after fifty is a losing battle in an era where veteran actresses are delivering some of their best work? Share your thoughts in the comments.