First known for her beauty - she was the first black American Miss World entrant and is the face and spokeswoman for Revlon - Halle Berry is now acknowledged as a supremely talented actress. She got her first big break as a crack addict in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever, won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of 50s black actress Dorothy Dandridge and in 2002 became the first African-American woman to win a Best Actress Oscar for her role in Monster's Ball. She has also appeared in mainstream movies, such as X-Men, Die Another Day and is to star as Catwoman in Summer 2004. However, her personal life has often been difficult. Berry hadn't seen her abusive father for twelve years before he died, and her two marriages have been troubled. In 2000 she was involved in a hit and run accident, for which she was given three years' probation. In this biography, Frank Sanello delves into the life of Halle Berry to uncover the truth behind the abuse, the racism and the screen nudity, while also showing how one of the most beautiful and talented women in the world still finds it difficult to get the parts she wants.