In the late 1980s, Berry went to Illinois to pursue a modeling career as well as acting. One of her first acting projects was a television series for local cable by Gordon Lake Productions called Chicago Force. In 1989, Berry landed the role of Emily Franklin in the short-lived ABC television series Living Dolls (a spin-off of Who's the Boss?). She went on to have a recurring role on the long running serial Knots Landing. In 1992, Berry was cast as the love interest in the video for R. Kelly's seminal single, "Honey Love".In 1998, Berry received praise for her role in Bulworth as an intelligent woman raised by activists who gives a politician (Warren Beatty) a new lease on life. The same year, she played the singer Zola Taylor, one of the three wives of pop singer Frankie Lymon, in the biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love. In the 1999 HBO biopic Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, she portrayed the first black woman to be nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award.Berry's performance was recognized with several awards, including an Emmy and a Golden Globe.Berry portrayed the mutant superhero Storm in the film adaptation of the comic book series X-Men (2000) and its sequels, X2: X-Men United (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). In 2001, Berry appeared in the film Swordfish, which featured her first on-screen nude scene.
At first, she refused to be filmed topless in a sunbathing scene, but she changed her mind when Warner Brothers raised her fee substantially.The brief flash of her breasts added $500,000 to her fee. Berry considered these stories to be rumors and was quick to deny them.After turning down numerous roles that required nudity, she said she decided to make Swordfish because her husband, Benét, supported her and encouraged her to take risks.
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | Queen | Won |
| 2000 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or Movie | Introducing Dorothy Dandridge | Won |
| Golden Globe Award | Best Actress - Miniseries or TV Movie | Won | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Best Actress - Miniseries or TV Movie | Won | ||
| Black Reel Awards | Best Actress in a TV Movie/Mini-Series | Won | ||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | Won | ||
| 2001 | Academy Award | Best Actress | Monster's Ball | Won |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Best Actress - Motion Picture | Won | ||
| British Academy of Film and Television Arts | Best Lead Actress | Nominated | ||
| NBR | Best Actress | Won | ||
| 2002 | Black Reel Awards | Best Actress | Won | |
| NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress | Swordfish | Won | |
| BET Awards | Best Actress | Won | ||
| 2003 | BET Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |
| NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress | Die Another Day | Won | |
| 2004 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress | Gothika | Nominated |
| BET Awards | Best Actress | Won | ||
| 2005 | BET Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |
| 2006 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress - TV series | Their Eyes Were Watching God | Nominated |
| 2007 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Female Action Hero | X-Men: The Last Stand | Won |
| 2008 | BET Awards | Best Actress | Won | |
| 2009 | Spike Guys' Choice Awards | Decade of Hotness Award | Won |