WATCH | Halle Berry On Netflix’s ‘The Union’ And How She Prepares For Action Roles
The iconic actress sat down with ESSENCE to discuss the new film, the level of excitement that audiences can expect, and more.
Transcript
00:00Two nights ago, a list containing the identities of every U.S. spy was stolen.
00:05And to get it back, we need someone who is not on that list.
00:08We need a nobody.
00:09A nobody I can trust.
00:11So what are you guys, like the FBI or something?
00:13We work for the union.
00:16So for my first question, you've had so many iconic roles in so many iconic films.
00:21Now in your career, what is your vetting process like when you're choosing roles?
00:26And what about this role intrigued you specifically?
00:28Ah, vetting.
00:32Well, sometimes you have to work because now you're raising your family.
00:37But usually I'm just looking to do something different, something that
00:40challenges me in a new way, whether it be with a new character that I've never
00:44played, whether it be with a new kind of action that I've never done, or a
00:48director or a co-star.
00:50Like there's usually something that makes me go, hmm, never done that before.
00:54Let me give that a try, right?
00:56And with this one, I just love the idea of like a Jersey James Bond having been
01:02in a real James Bond movie.
01:03I liked the play on.
01:05This is a, you know, a working man's, a blue-collar version of a James Bond
01:09movie.
01:10I love those great movies of the past like Lethal Weapon and you know, where
01:15you have these buddies getting together and there's comedy, but there's also
01:19a caper and there's espionage, you know what I mean?
01:22So I loved that aspect of it.
01:23Like I was a big fan of Moonlighting growing up.
01:26And so I love to see couples, men and women going at it, you know, there's
01:29history there and you're fighting it.
01:31And because I knew Mark since over 30 years, like I've known Mark, so it was
01:37nice to be working with someone, you know, someone you call a friend and to
01:42explore a life on camera together with someone, you know, so well, I thought
01:46would be something I'd never done before.
01:49Now, The Union is a fast-paced action comedy.
01:52Do you find the preparation for action films more challenging than let's say
01:56a drama or psychological thriller due to the physical aspect?
02:00No, not more challenging, just more time-consuming usually because when you
02:03do a physical movie, you have to put in the time in the gym with the, you know,
02:07the stunt team, learning the choreo, learning certain moves, learning how to
02:10handle a gun or a knife or nunchucks, whatever it is you're working with,
02:15right?
02:15And so that just takes time, like that's just sheer time.
02:18But the challenge is the same.
02:20Anytime you try to bring a character to life, you know, I always put in the
02:23work and I study, work it out with people so that I'm not doing it when the
02:28camera's rolling for the first time, you know.
02:31So I wanted to ask, this is, and I may be incorrect, like your second or third
02:35film with Netflix.
02:37How did you initially connect with Netflix and why did you feel as though
02:40that was the right platform for this film?
02:43Well, Netflix gave me the great honor of buying my directorial debut out of
02:49Toronto Film Festival.
02:51They saw the value in that and so they will forever be, you know, close to me
02:56because that was, that was my baby and my baby found a home and I made it
03:01independently and I didn't know if it would get picked up.
03:03I didn't know if it would find a distributor and they picked it up right
03:05away and actually gave me the money to help me finish it.
03:08So, Netflix is all right by me.
03:12And this movie was already set up at Netflix when Mark came to me and asked
03:16me to be a part of it and I couldn't have been happier.
03:19Well, thank you so much, Hattie.
03:21That's all I have for you today.
03:22I'm really excited about the film and thank you so much for your time.
03:26Nice to see you.