Halle Berry Chopped It All Off for a Dramatic Oscars Hairstyle

Say one thing about Halle Berry it’s that she knows how to make a statement on Oscars night. Having rocked that iconic Elie Saab mesh floral gown when she won Best Actress in 2002, she’s a tenured Oscars legend. So when she rocked up to the 2021 Academy Awards last night, April 25th, with a super-short French bob with baby bangs, no one was surprised that all eyes were on her.

Ahead of the awards show, which was held live and in person with limited-capacity seating, Berry teased a major chop on her Instagram Stories. Prior to the Oscars, Berry was sporting chest-length locks in her signature honey-streaked chocolate color. But clearly, she was ready to make a massive change.

Employing the expertise of her hairstylist Sara Seward, Berry showed up to the event with a super-cropped bob that sits about cheek-length with micro bangs. It’s a look and then some.

In a post that Seward uploaded to her feed, you can see just how short the cut is at the back of Berry’s head. In fact, it’s nearly a pixie cut (which also gives us flashbacks to her 2002 masterpiece Oscars look).

The chop is youthful and playful and absolutely made Berry stand out amongst the (small, yet still present) crowd.

Berry paired her new chop with a gorgeous draped organza Dolce and Gabbana gown in a violet purple color and kept accessories to a minimum in order to let herself be the star of her own show.

And yes, Berry is still the only Black woman to ever win Best Actress at the Academy Awards. Last night, Andra Day and Viola Davis were both nominated in the category for their respective roles in The United States vs. Billie Holiday and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. However, Frances McDormand took home the award for her leading role in Nomadland.

“The heartbreak I have is because I really thought that night meant that very soon after that, other women of color, Black women, would stand beside me,” Berry told The Mirror in January. “Now it’s been 20 years and no one has, and so every time Oscar time comes around, I get very reflective and I think, ‘Well maybe this year, maybe this year.'”

It wasn’t this year…so maybe next year the tide will actually turn.