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Halle Berry, Dorothy Dandridge

Halle Berryis celebrating Dorothy Dandridge’s 100th birthday.

“23 years ago I was privileged to bring the life of Dorothy Dandridge to the screen,” the actress wrote in the tweet. “100 years ago today this legendary magical creature was born! Happy birthday Dottie”

According to a synopsis on the Golden Globes' website, the biopic follows the trailblazing actress’s career “through early days on the club circuit with her sister to her turn in movies” to “her final demise to prescription drugs, which was debated whether it was suicide or accidental.”

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Dandridge was the first Black actress to be nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award. She was nominated in 1954 for her roleCarmen Jones, a musical film in which she starred oppositeHarry Belafonte. The Broadway adaptation, which featured an all-Black cast, was also nominated for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture.

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Berry’s portrayal of the icon came full circle in 2001 when she became the first Black woman to win a Best Actress Academy Award for her performance inMonster’s Ball, nearly five decades after Dandridge received her nomination.

Introducing Dorothy Dandridgeis available to stream on HBO Max.

source: people.com