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Halle Berry

"I spent a lot of time with a crown on my head." says Halle Berry, on her beauty pageant days

Born August 14, 1968, in Cleveland, Ohio, Halle Maria Berry was raised by her mother Judith, a psychiatric ward nurse, with her older sister Heidi. Her father, Jerome Berry, has been absent from most of Halle’s life. He left the family when she was four, returning when she was eight. The second time around, he beat Halle’s sister, mother, and even the family dog. Halle has no contact with her father to this day due to his inexcusable behavior.

Although living in a single parent household was somewhat tough, Halle's mom managed to move the family out of the inner city neighborhood and into the suburbs of Cleveland. Because the neighborhood was predominantly white, Halle and her sister were treated cruelly because of their dark skin.

Determined not to let the color of her skin get the better of her, Halle made it a point to make friends, while her dream of becoming an actress had already begun to surface.

By the time Halle reached high school, she was a cheerleader, an honor society member, editor of the school paper, and class president. Not surprisingly, she was crowned her high school's prom queen. more about Halle Berry