Exclusive: Halle Berry talks directing and starring in Bruised
Now playing on Netflix is Oscar winner Halle Berry’s (‘Monster’s Ball’) directorial debut and mixed martial arts Bruised, which she also stars in along with Adan Canto, Shamier Anderson, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sheila Atim, Adriane Lenox, Lela Loren and Danny Boyd Jr.
Jackie Justice (Halle Berry) is a mixed martial arts fighter who leaves the sport in disgrace. Down on her luck and simmering with rage and regret years after her fight, she’s coaxed into a brutal underground fight by her manager and boyfriend Desi (Adan Canto) and grabs the attention of a fight league promoter (Shamier Anderson) who promises Jackie a life back in the octagon. But the road to redemption becomes unexpectedly personal when Manny (Danny Boyd, Jr.) — the son she gave up as an infant — shows up at her doorstep.
Canto plays Berry’s MMA manager and boyfriend. Atim is the MMA trainer who helps Justice get into fighting shape.
For Berry, having won an Oscar for Best Actress for Monster’s Ball nearly 20 years ago, and last seen opposite Keanu Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, she’s now gearing up for her second career with this directorial debut. It literally took a lot of hard work and sweat getting behind the scene as well as front when playing the role of a mixed martial arts fighter. That’s a lot of pressure for the mind and body, but she pulled it off. Coming up next is the science fiction action disaster film Moonfall, directed by Roland Emmerich and co-starring Patrick Wilson.
In speaking with BlackFilmandTV.com’s Wilson Morales, Berry goes over directing and starring in the gusty sports and dramatic film.
