Halle Berry Says Confronting X-Men Director Bryan Singer Was One of Her Best Days on Set: “He Deserved It”

Halle Berry is opening up about why her new movie role feels very personal to her. In the upcoming thriller Crime 101, the Oscar-winning actress plays Sharon, an insurance worker who feels ignored and pushed aside at her job because of her age and gender.

The film stars Berry alongside Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo. Sharon’s frustration grows when she is passed over for a promotion, which leads her to make a risky move that turns her life upside down. Berry says the character immediately spoke to her because the struggles felt very real.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Berry explained that her own experiences in Hollywood played a big role in why she wanted the part. I thought, wow, I have an opportunity here to put in film something that I’m wildly passionate about personally, she said. This was so me.

That close connection also made the role harder at times. Berry admitted it was tricky to separate herself from the character. My struggle with this character was because it was so me, how do I make it feel like a character and not feel like it was Halle up there just having her say, she shared with a laugh. In the end, she decided to embrace that overlap. It was okay to have it be a little bit me, a little bit Sharon, because my say feels really important in the world for women right now.

One powerful scene in the movie shows Sharon finally snapping at her sexist boss and warning another woman not to fall for his behavior. When asked if she has ever done something similar in real life, Berry didn’t hesitate. Oh, yes, she said, before recalling a moment from her time on the X-Men films.

Berry revealed that she once confronted director Bryan Singer on set. According to her, the cast was fed up with his behavior and asked her to speak up. Everybody was mad, but they all said to me, ‘Halle, you go tell ’em,’ because they knew I would, she said. And it’s one of the greatest days on a set, telling someone who was wronging the entire crew exactly where to go.

Her co-star Ruffalo reacted with laughter during the interview, calling it a great story. Berry added bluntly, I’m sorry, that guy deserved it.

The incident has been talked about before by actor Alan Cumming in his memoir, where he described the tension on set. A representative for Singer later denied the claims in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

Now, Berry says roles like Sharon feel more important than ever. With Crime 101 hitting theaters, she hopes the story connects with women who have felt overlooked or dismissed. For her, bringing some of her real-life fire to the screen felt not just right, but necessary.

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