More Emotion
She wasn't crying any longer, but Best Actress Halle Berry (Monster's Ball) was definitely still breathing deep and gathering herself when she made it backstage. "It's a great night. I never thought it would be possible," Berry said of her historic win--the first ever for a black actress in a lead role. "I am filled with so much pride and joy and gratitude." Also filled with pride and joy was hubby Eric Benét who stood just off to the side of the podium, stargazing--at his wife.
Best Actor Denzel Washington (Training Day) was a much more cool customer, even though his win also was historic--he's the first black actor to win two career Oscars and the first black actor to win for a leading role since 1963. He said his prior experience at the Academy Awards (a Best Supporting win for 1990's Glory) helped keep him "very calm" and watching the NCAA basketball tournament until just before his limo arrived. In other words, he was the opposite of Halle. "She doesn't know where she is--she's gone," he said with a laugh.
For the record, reporters made more of the black-actor-wins-an-Oscar angle than Washington. He invoked the name of tunesmith Randy Newman more than once (as when he asked whether Newman lost 16 times in a row before winning tonight, was that racism?) and helped a newspaper reporter with the wording on his lede: "Say an actor won."
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