With the 2022 Oscars upon us, Halle Berry is looking back at the 2002 ceremony.
The 55-year-old actress won the Best Actress Oscar exactly 20 years ago for her work in “Monster’s Ball.”
She nostalgically reflected on the monumental win in a post on Twitter.
"20 years ago, this week, I walked through that door," the actress said alongside the iconic photo of herself holding the coveted gold statue.
"I will never get over this moment!” she added.
While reminiscing on the huge feat, Berry celebrated those who helped her along the way, including The Academy, Lionsgate, Lee Daniels and Marc Forste.
In the 2001 film, Berry stars as Leticia Musgrove, a woman who develops a relationship with a prison guard that played a part in the execution of her husband. Billy Bob Thornton, the late Heath Ledger, Peter Boyle, and Sean Combs also appear in the drama.
The “X-Men” actress's 2002 win was historic.
Not only did she beat out Nicole Kidman (“Moulin Rouge”), Judi Dench (“Iris”), Sissy Spacek (“In the Bedroom”), and Renée Zellweger (“Bridget Jones's Diary”) for the title, but to this day, she remains the only woman of color to have won the category in the show’s history.
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During her emotional acceptance speech, Berry noted that the “moment is so much bigger” than her.
“This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll. It's for the women that stand beside me, Jada Pinkett, Angela Bassett, Vivica Fox," Berry said at the time, adding, "And it's for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened.”
The evening was even more triumphant as Denzel Washington became the second Black actor to win the Best Actor category after Sidney Poitier, who was presented with an Honorary Academy Award during the show.
Washington, who was awarded for his work on the 2001 cop thriller “Training Day,” kicked off his speech by acknowledging Berry’s win: “Two birds in one night, huh?”
However, Berry recently told The New York Times that she remains discouraged as no progress has been made since her win and it “didn’t open the door” for other women of color to win the title.
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“The fact that there's no one standing next to me is heartbreaking,” she explained.
Berry’s timely nostalgia coincides with the 2022 Oscars, which air tonight from Hollywood's Dolby Theatre on ABC.
Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, and Wanda Sykes have been tapped to host.
Get all the details about Oscars night here.
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