Halle Berry won’t be working with Bryan Singer again any time soon.
The actress recently opened up about some of her career highs and lows, with Singer’s X-Men films falling squarely in the latter category.
“Bryan’s not the easiest dude to work with,” she told Variety. “I mean, everybody’s heard the stories — I don’t have to repeat them — and heard of his challenges, and what he struggles with.”
Singer has long been accused of grooming underage boys for sex, dangling Hollywood careers and hosting infamous parties. Last year, he agreed to settle a rape accusation of a then-17-year-old, though he denies wrongdoing. He was also fired as director midway through production of Bohemian Rhapsody for reportedly not showing up to set on multiple occasions, which he also denies.
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While Berry may have tiptoed around Singer’s “struggles,” she didn’t mince her words in recalling what it was like to be on set with him.
“I would sometimes be very angry with him. I got into a few fights with him, said a few cuss words out of sheer frustration. When I work, I’m serious about that. And when that gets compromised, I get a little nutty. But at the same time, I have a lot of compassion for people who are struggling with whatever they’re struggling with, and Bryan struggles.”
“Sometimes, because of whatever he’s struggling with, he just didn’t always feel present,” she continued. “He didn’t feel there. And we’re outside in our little ‘X-Men’ stage freezing our ass off in Banff, Canada, with subzero weather and he’s not focusing. And we’re freezing. You might get a little mad.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Berry reflected on the rollercoaster experience of becoming the first (and still only) Black woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, for 2002’s Monster’s Ball, only to have her career stall shortly after.
“The morning after, I thought, ‘Wow, I was chosen to open a door.’ And then, to have no one … I question, ‘Was that an important moment, or was it just an important moment for me?’ I wanted to believe it was so much bigger than me. It felt so much bigger than me, mainly because I knew others should have been there before me and they weren’t.”
She added: “Just because I won an award doesn’t mean that, magically, the next day, there was a place for me. I was just continuing to forge a way out of no way.”
Berry’s latest film, Bruised, premieres this week at the Toronto Film Festival. The film also marks her directorial debut.
Donston
By “struggles” she’s obviously talking about addiction issues, partying, coming into work late, not being focused at work. It’s weird how Singer was able to get away with so much. The harassment and grooming of underage guys is one thing. But he also got away with just years of being generally unprofessional. He wasn’t even a particularly special director. He didn’t even have substantial blockbusters on his resume. I guess he just had powerful people willing to protect him, as often is the case.
Doug
“X-Men” and its sequel made almost 700 million dollars for Hollywood. When the industry finds someone who can make that kind of money, they ignore a lot of things.
BoomerMyles
These directors are responsible for +$200 million dollar films.
They should be allowed a few indiscretions to let off steam.
Ohhh, the bad man made me feel uncomfortable! Waaa! Waaa!
What whiners!
Cam
Please let us know at what income level people should then be held responsible for their behavior?
Chrisk
You do realize there’s quite a few celebrities he’s worked with that say the same thing? That and he got fired from the last film because he just walked off.
radiooutmike
His films have grossed 3 billions dollars. That’s no small potatoes.
Plus, he is gay and high profile; maybe no one called him out because they did not want to be perceived as homophobic?
Cam
Except a gay guy, “Noah Galvin” did call him out on it and straight Hollywood came for him hard.
Chrisk
I met him one time in weho. A friend of his introduced me to him when we were at the club Rage. This was about 15 years ago. He didn’t even acknowledge me. Of coarse I was too old for his tastes. I was in my or 30s at the time.
I’ve met allot of famous Hollywood Directors and Hollywood types and he came off as the worst personality I’ve ever encountered.
Black Pegasus
@Chrisk
I’ll assume you work in the industry. You must have some serious tea on many people.
Cam
Such an “Actressy” interview.
When stuff effected her it was bad. But glossing over statutory rape, supplying minors with drugs, etc… as “His struggles” seems really out of touch.
frankcar1965
You are making unsubstantiated claims, he has never even been charged just a lot of speculation and slander. One of his accusers was found to be lying himself and was charged for it. Do you think the police have not looked into it? It’s all sour grapes for a wildly successful gay man.
Vince
frankcar1965
There is a ton of articles written of his exploits of under aged boys. Esquire and Vanity Affair were pretty damn detailed and specific. He complained but never sued. Plus, a recent documentary called an open secret about him.
Cam
@frankcar1965
Multiple people have accused him, he was fired for not showing up to his sets, and the kid who played Pyro in the first X-Men said he got the job when, as a teen he messed around with Singer in a hot tub.