The Oscar-Winning Actress Recreates Her Iconic 2003 Moment with Adrien Brody at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025, While Using Her Platform to Push for More Black Women to Join Her as Best Actress Winners, Stealing the Spotlight at the Dolby Theatre.
Los Angeles, USA – March 4, 2025 – Halle Berry turned the 97th Academy Awards into a night of nostalgia, glamour, and purpose on Sunday, March 2, igniting the Dolby Theatre with a surprise kiss for Adrien Brody on the red carpet and a heartfelt plea for diversity during the ceremony. The 58-year-old actress, radiant in a shattered-mirror Christian Siriano gown adorned with 7,000 beads, recreated her infamous 2003 Oscars moment when Brody, then a first-time winner for The Pianist, spontaneously kissed her onstage. This time, Berry took the lead, playfully “paying him back” 22 years later as he clinched his second Best Actor Oscar for The Brutalist, all while his girlfriend Georgina Chapman cheered from the sidelines.
The red-carpet smooch, captured in a viral Instagram video Berry captioned “I had to get some payback,” was a meticulously planned nod to their past. “I’ve been waiting to get him on a carpet and slap one on,” she told Extra, grinning as she recounted seeking Chapman’s blessing mid-interview: “I’m sorry, Georgina, but I gotta do it.” Chapman, in a custom Marchesa gown, laughed and clapped, later telling reporters, “How can you deny a man a kiss with Halle Berry?” The lighthearted exchange—executed just before Brody’s record-breaking five-minute, forty-second acceptance speech—set a buoyant tone for a night that saw Anora sweep Best Picture and Mikey Madison claim Best Actress.
But Berry’s presence wasn’t just about theatrics. A presenter this year, she used her moment onstage to address a lingering milestone: her 2002 win for Monster’s Ball remains the only time a Black woman has taken Best Actress. “I’m tired of standing here alone,” she said, her voice steady but impassioned. “I hope this year someone stands next to me.” The comment, a rallying cry for representation, drew a standing ovation and sparked chatter about contenders like Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) or Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here), though Madison’s win kept the wait alive. “It’s not just about me—it’s about opening doors,” Berry later told Entertainment Tonight, noting her boyfriend Van Hunt stayed home with their kids so she could seize the night.
Berry’s Oscars glow-up was a team effort. Makeup artist Hung Vanngo sculpted her radiant look with a ’90s-inspired flipped bob—crafted by stylist Sara Seward—that had fans buzzing about a beauty throwback. “It’s a big deal, so I start with calm—music, a mask, mimosas,” she told InStyle of her prep, which began at her LA home hours before dazzling in Siriano’s crystalline creation. The gown, paired with vintage Boucheron jewels, cemented her as a red-carpet standout, a beacon amid a season shadowed by Southern California wildfires.
The kiss wasn’t without its echoes of debate. Rewatched through a #MeToo lens, Brody’s 2003 move—unplanned, per Berry’s past accounts—has stirred unease, though Sunday’s reprisal felt like a mutual reclaiming. “I LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH,” Brody replied to her post, signaling closure to a once-awkward chapter. Still, some X posts questioned the optics, with one user noting, “She got her get-back, but it’s complicated nostalgia.” Others simply celebrated: “Halle owning the night, per usual.”
As the Governors Ball raged, Berry mingled sans Hunt—who she said was “holding it down” with their blended family—proving her star power needs no escort. From her Bond-girl glamour to her push for equity, she turned a presenter’s gig into a headline act. With Never Let Go hitting theaters soon and her advocacy resonating, Berry’s not just reflecting on history—she’s rewriting it, one dazzling step at a time.
