I146;m like a moth to a flame

Halle Berry on roles and real life

After a string of critical and commercial disappointments following her 2002 best actress Oscar for Monster8217;s Ball, Halle Berry drew accolades for her dramatic performance in 20078217;s Things We Lost in the Fire. In the film, Berry plays a mother of two who is devastated when her husband is murdered. She becomes involved in a shaky but eventually healing relationship with his best friend, Jerry, a lawyer-turned-heroin addict Benicio Del Toro. In real life, expecting her first child with boyfriend, model Gabriel Aubry, Berry takes a moment to reflect.

What do you like most about your character and what the least?
I loved her resilience, that she was able to deal with her own grief and was then able to help someone else. But before that, she was a judgmental person, very self-righteous. She passed a lot of judgment on Jerry, but a lot of that came from fear.

Have there been roles that made you wonder if you8217;ve taken on more than you should have?
I always have that fear: have I chosen something I can8217;t handle? But then I8217;m like a moth to a flame. When the risk is really high, that8217;s a real charge for me.

You8217;ve played such diverse roles. Is there a common thread there that defines your sensibility or philosophy of life?
The common thread for me is to always choose roles that provide an outlet to express what I8217;m going through in real life. Since Jungle Fever, I8217;ll have that personal catharsis, where I8217;ll have a eureka moment and think, 8220;That8217;s why this came to my life.8221; With Things We Lost in the Fire, I desperately wanted to become a mother. I8217;ve played a mother before but this was a woman who was a good mother and completely devoted to her children and family. And that8217;s what I wanted to create in my own life.

Do you think having a child will influence your artistic choices?
It will have a profound effect. I know I will feel the need to express something different. If I stay true to how I8217;ve chosen roles before, my choices will express the new person I8217;ve become.

Does it get easier or harder for you to leave a character like this on the set?
I8217;ve really learned the value of leaving it there. When I take my coat off on the set, it stays there. It8217;s not something I talk about at home. It8217;s not really healthy.

During award season, how do you deal with the buzz?
It8217;s easy. I don8217;t feel a great sense of pressure. When a peer group says you did good, it8217;s nice to be acknowledged. But I8217;ve learned it8217;s just the cherry on top of the pie.
-Greg Braxton LAT-WP