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Halle? Natural?

by afrobella

Gorgeous!!

Saw this photo on Just Jared and there’s another one on Jezebel, of Halle shopping at Whole Foods in Vancouver, Canada.

Love it!

But of course, I think Halle looks great whatever she does.

I’m wondering — is this curlicious style just because she’s letting her hair do its thing, or is this for her role in Nappily Ever After? Either way, I hope she sticks with it for a while. Of course, I might be biased — I’m a bit of a Halle stan, ever since the days of Strictly Business and Boomerang. So forgive me if I gush.

What do you think, bellas? Yay or nay on Halle as an afrobella?

Trisha R. Thomas’ book has been on my list of upcoming books to check out at the library for a while now, so I don’t know if Halle is apropos for the role or not. According to those message boards on IMDB, her casting is controversial at best. Nappily Ever After fans, what say you? Yay or nay on Halle as Venus Johnson?

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. sungoddess

    at

    “Yay or nay on Halle as an afrobella?”

    Is this a real question or are you teasing us?

  2. Zee

    at

    She looks gorgeous… Yay for big hair!

  3. Toni

    at

    I have had some problems with Halle casting in the past, but after reading all of the “Nappily” books, I think she would be good in this part.

  4. aquababie

    at

    i believe it’s strictly for the movie, but it would be nice if she stuck with it. i read the book many years ago. it’s a good read.

  5. Yolanda

    at

    It looks great no doubt, also looks like a wig to me…

  6. bella

    at

    Yolanda, I have terrible wig radar, so perhaps it is! Regardless of if it’s hers or not, I think she looks fly rocking it.

    Sungoddess =)

  7. Candy

    at

    Natural is always best for anyone with textured hair. I think that the controversy surrounding this role is so ignorant. I have most 4b texture, but the very back of my hair is just like how Halle’s hair pictured here. While the rest of my 7 inch tresses shrink down to a 1 inch fro when wet, the back shrinks into 4 inch “curls.” It kinda looks like a nappy mullet.

    I think that most of the people complaing about this are probably permies not afrobellas. Because Bellas have come to realize our textures are so varied that you don’t really know what you are going to get when you BC.

    I often wonder, if my hair was like the hair in the back of my head, would people consider me to be a less authentic bella? Or would they automatically assume that I was mixed race?

    It still amazes me how much controversy brews over black and/or mixed race women’s hair.

    About the book, I have the first two. They are decent reads, but to be honest, the writing could be a little better. Just my opinion.

    Peace & Blessings y’all

  8. Maria

    at

    I’m one of those people that praises everything Halle Berry does. Naturally I was so happy to see this picture. Does she ever get old? Can she ever possibly have a bad hair day? I will light a candle to her shrine LOL

  9. negrita

    at

    she looks ridiculously fabulous as usual. i haven’t forgiven her for “catwoman” yet, so i’m going to be side-eyeing til i see the film.

  10. LTEEFAW

    at

    Is that Halle’s real hair or is that a wig? I don’t recall Halle’s curls being quite that tight. She wore her hair natural several times right after she had her baby and her hair was very wavy.

    Anywho,she still looks great.

  11. sjay

    at

    She looks wonderful. I’m sure its a wig, but I’m glad the movie is being made. Hope its good!

  12. TJ

    at

    She could be bald and still look good, but I’ve always liked her really short cuts best.

  13. [fung'ke] [blak] [chik]â„¢

    at

    Halle can wear her hair green and still look beautiful!

    But as far as the role in Nappily Ever After, when I first read the book, for some reason I had it in my head that the character would be someone in their 20’s…

  14. danaali

    at

    i love the look. however it does look a little wig-a-licious…but like you i am a huge halle fan, so she can do no wrong!

    danaali.com

  15. hey y'all

    at

    The wig looks terrible, she is only wearing so she won’t get noticed.

  16. zee

    at

    @ hey ya’ll

    You think it’s a disguise? LOL

  17. Brandi

    at

    I think her hair/wig/whatever looks really cute. I wish it was cut shorter so you can really see her face and features but I still like it.

    I’ve read all of the Nappily books and honestly, I can’t see Halle playing the role of Venus. It would have been great to see a newbie or someone who’s a more emotional actress have a shot but you know how Hollywood is.

  18. nyc/caribbean ragazza

    at

    I thought this was just a disguise.

  19. flygyrl72

    at

    Ha! Bella, I was gonna send you this photo & ask you to post it! I swear, you be on it!

    I like it! I’ve been wondering when she was finally gonna go this route. I wonder if it’s all her though…

    Whatever the case, maybe after rockin it like this for her flick, she’ll stick with it for a while…

  20. Moe

    at

    idk…she kinda looks like a chia pet…maybe if it didnt look SO much like an afro i could dig it…and im a big halle fan too, but eh i could do without the chia pet….

  21. Trina

    at

    This is why it’s so hard for black women to wear their hair natural, ‘chia pet’ really. What does your hair look like without a weave or a perm, sis?

  22. bellasugar

    at

    I’m glad to see you posting this pic — I saw it and thought Halle looked gorgeous, and I was so happy to see her rocking a natural look. (Even though it might be a weave or wig, it’s still the natural look.) I was surprised and disappointed to see how many of my readers didn’t like it. I think a lot probably don’t know about the politics of hair, but even outside of that, I think she looks good.

  23. Georgia Peche

    at

    To Candy: I don’t think that the controversy of the role is ignorant. I think that it is frustrating to see someone that doesn’t have kinky hair playing the role. Our issue with our hair can be traced back to the slave times when no one was mixed, with anything, so the master didn’t like how our hair look and somewhere along the line it caused self hate. For most black women these days we would rather have some curly or wavy hair once we make that big chop because it makes the transition easier. In Halle’s case she had the best of both worlds because she could wear her hair straight or natural without much issue because her hair would be curly and she wouldn’t have to try to get acceptance of her afrom from family, friends and coworkers. Now most of us have all types of blood in our veins, but from generation to generation the African blood is dominant, so we end up with different textures, but most of the time it is just kinky with curls in a small spot and the rest has no curl definition. So for someone that is not biracial we would rather not see someone doing a movie that involves liberating ourselves from perms, when said person never had one and never got burned from a straightening comb. I’m sure she already had her own struggles in life even with her hair, but she just can’t relate with nappy hair.

  24. Chelle

    at

    I love it. It looks cute and chic. However, the way it is sitting on the crown of her head does make it look a little wig like. Either way, it’s cute on her.

  25. Georgia Peche

    at

    I’m also trying to get a copy of the book because I want to be clear own Venus’s hair type because I don’t know what the author would let her movie be made without signing off on the character’s hair texture because I see pictures of Trisha R. Thomas and she clearly has a twist out and that look is not usually used on someone who has naturally curly or wavy hair and Ms. Berry’s wig in the picture is definitely not a twistout afro, or an afro for that matter.

  26. SoFrolushes

    at

    she has one of those faces that any style suits really.

  27. bella

    at

    Bellasugar, I noticed those comments and they made me sad. As did the comments on TMZ — http://www.tmz.com/2008/10/28/rhea-perlman-is-that-you/3#comments

    there’s still so much ignorance when it comes to natural hairstyles. I think Halle looks gorgeous, wig, weave, natural, twistout, whatever.

  28. b.

    at

    I haven’t read the books, so I don’t know if she’d fit the role. I kinda agree that any title that evokes the word “nappy” makes me think of kinkier hair than Halle’s.

    As for the look, her hair is pretty. I feel the glasses are overwhelming, given the hair volume and the daintiness of her features. I hope she continues to embrace her natural texture.

    Yeah, Bella, those comments on this story…yikes.

  29. summer

    at

    yeah, of course for the curly tresses. however, nay on the size of it. i like halle better with short hair, period. she’s one of those beautiful people for whom hair actually takes away from her. it’s overwhelming. i don’t like it long whether it’s processed, natural, or fake.

    hey, if she likes it, i love it. but i bet a short natural style would look the bomb!!!

  30. J.adia

    at

    I read the books 3 years ago and I didn’t think Halle would be the best person to play Venus. I always imagine Venus to lookk more like the picture on the covers of her book (kinkier texture, darker complexion). But I guess that’s the benefit of purchasing the rights to a book you can make the role for yourself. And I believe this to be a wig. or a straw set. Her natural hair texture is wavy.

  31. sho nuff

    at

    yeah, halle is beautiful. but she is not nappy. as is usually the case it has to be watered down for the masses. black white and other, as a rule find it easier to digest. i can show you nappy! (and happy!)

  32. Shelly

    at

    I’m part of a book club in California and Trisha Thomas was the guest author when we read Nappily Ever After. We asked her about Halle playing the role of Venus in the movie. Trisha said Halle would not have been her first choice but of course once you sell those rights…..no one really askes your opinion. Nevertheless, I can’t wait to see the movie.

  33. InstantVintage

    at

    It’s so cute on her! Definitely prefer this look.

  34. lolo

    at

    I think the world has complimented Halle enough on herself so I’ll pass on adding to the cup of sugar. I read the book several years ago while in high school. I must say, I felt Venus’ pain in my adolescent type of way. I preferred natural hair but your own people would turn their backs on you and ridicule you for appreciating your natural self. Now I will not say that Halle Berry did not grow up with her own issues with self-esteeem, but she does not fit and CAN NOT relate to Black women with type 4 hair. Whites see her as “exotic beauty”, and Black folks see her as “the FINEST black woman in the universe.” Does that sound like someone who we as Black women could really relate to? There are many talented Black actresses who could have fit the character. Some examples are Gabrielle Union, Kimberly Elise, Garcelle Beauvais, Sanaa Lathan, Sophie Okonedo(she’s mixed as well but her features favor her African side). I can go on with the list. Additionally, Halle Berry has had the golden opportunity to succeed and make herself a brand name in every household. I think it’s time that Hollywood get out of its uninspired daze and get in touch with the people they are trying to “represent.”

    As I write this I’m filled with even more frustration. First of all, I’m pretty positive this is a wig. Now, have we ever seen Halle Berry with curly hair? Most likely we haven’t. Even she is exploiting Black females as well. You’ll wear that curly wig just to show “the pain and agony us black women face.” But on a regular day on the red carpet or whatever carpet she has to walk on, she will never be caught dead with her hair in that form. I will not congratulate anyone…whether you are black, white, bi-racial…onyou exploiting my features and my hair.

  35. sheHungry

    at

    I’ve read the Nappily series. From facial features to skin tone to height to age, Nia Long would be the perfect Venus. A twentysomething Halle Berry would have been the perfect Kandi.

  36. LBellatrix

    at

    I love Halle to death, she’s my homegirl (fellow Cleveland native, only a year or two younger than me), and I’m thrilled that she’s finally happy in love and a mother, but unless she appears onscreen with what I call “classic nappy” hair (basically, MY HAIR, lol) she should NOT be playing this role for the reasons that Georgia Peche and lolo stated. If her character has anything other than “classic nappy” hair then most black folks will roll their eyes and say what they always say, which is, “Well, if MY hair looked like that I’d be natural too!” and it will take most of not all of the impact away from the plot.

    I fail to understand why Hollywood keeps picking from such a small pool of “talent” when it comes to black women in leading roles. Over on Nappturality I found out that Mary J. Blige is going to play Nina Simone in a movie; that makes NO sense to me whatsoever as someone who grew up listening to Nina. India.Arie would be a MUCH better choice on several levels but even if she weren’t available you can’t tell me that there aren’t talented dark-skinned nappy-headed actress-singers out here who could handle playing Nina.

  37. flygyrl72

    at

    @LBellatrix – What??!! Mary J. as Nina?! Oh Lawd, what a tragedy!! I love Mary’s little ghetto behind, but I cannot see her playing Nina Simone at all. Plus, she has no acting chops, that’s gonna suck…maybe it’s a cameo…LOL…

  38. Bsquared86

    at

    Yay for Halle in Nappily Ever After. She fits the description IMO. That hair though, looks like a good wig or weave which is fine by me, lol. She’s rocking the look!

  39. butter_at_will

    at

    WTF…mary j.blige??? oh broda, dis gone b eitha a breathrough performance by mary or the final blow for me and mary. im on tha fence with this sistah already and if she messes this up…oh broda..? why not India Arie? is there a better match up there?

  40. hypnotic

    at

    am i the only one who thought those series of books SUCKED!?

    i think it’s pretty sad when someone will disparage another person based on their own insecurities. we don’t know what obstacles she faced because of her color hair texture gender looks etc. it is a bit ridiculous to get upset because in your head she doesn’t fit the part. it’s called creative license.

    also if halle didn’t have all these accolades she wouldn’t have had the purchasing power to put out this movie.

    i think it’s funny that when korto’s hair was discussed (which is also a wig/weave) no one posted negative comments, since it pretty much looks like halle’s “hair” just a different color.

    it’s 2008 there are bigger issues to be concerned about, not whether someone is “nappy” aka black enough to play a role.

  41. Natural Hair Product Researcher

    at

    Halle wasn’t always “Halle Berry”, she was once just a mixed race girl in Cleveland, living in an all white neighborhood. I am most certain she has had issues with and understands having hair that she doesn’t know how to manage and feeling some kind of way about it.

    Isn’t the message of the book self acceptance?

  42. Nicki

    at

    I’m going to say nay. In my opinion it would look better if there wasn’t so much height on top. I really love curly locks when they fall.

  43. Moe

    at

    To Trina- not for nothing but u make it sound like im knocking woman with natural hair, not the case AT ALL. i love natural looks. LOVE THEM. but this PARTICULAR look on halle TO ME looks chia-petish..sorry, just my opionion. oh and im sure if i let my relaxed hair go natural i would probably look like a chia pet too…lol..i still love halle just the same. and all my natural bellas 🙂

  44. Miss Smith

    at

    Who cares?! For a role? Great! For her privacy? Whatever! She’s just a person. Wig? Cool. Do you.

    Halle Berry’s pretty just like my best girlfriend is pretty. Just like my momma is pretty. Just like I’m pretty. So what about her freaking hair? Is she doing what she’s getting paid to do? Is she being a good mother? Does hair define her as a role model to young people?

    Y’all have some twisted priorities if you’re stressed about tresses. If this is an election, I graciously abstain.

  45. Her

    at

    I feel like she isn’t the right character for this movie. I mean I like Halle Berry, but mostly in her older movies, not the recent ones. I also don’t get to into movies with her ’cause she’s rarely with a black man these days. This movie is about a black woman struggling with black men, and although she has in her real life I just don’t see her being this character. I could see Sanaa Lathan, or someone of a darker tone playing this character.

    It took me a while to get into the story of the character, but when I first bought it, and saw that it said something about Halle Berry and the rights or some who shot John I was kind of upset. I just couldn’t see her being the character, and that’s why it took me so long to imagine the character. She plays weird characters, and a strong black woman isn’t one I see her playing.

  46. TRISHA

    at

    I wrote Nappily Ever After to express the inner conflict that black women feel about their hair. I wasn’t talking about grades of hair, 4b’s and the like. I don’t even know what that means. Exactly who was the decision maker in this scientific data? Who cares? I think Halle is an amazing strong black woman…what grade her hair earns is truly the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. As for someone saying, she wasn’t my first choice, that’s false and kind of rude. I think we should be proud of who we are in every shade of skin or hair “grade”. Why would I be checking naps at the door if someone wants to tell ‘our’ story. And it is our story, all of us, regardless of our hair texture. We all have insecurities when it’s time to go against the grain whether we have a white mama or a black one. Please, can’t we all just get along, fried, died or sticking up to the sky. http://www.trisharthomas.com

  47. Carleen

    at

    This is off topic, but someone else brought up Mary J as Nina Simone, and I hope it happens. It takes names to get a movie made (not just talent) and since I’d really love to see a movie about the fabulous Nina Simone, I support the effort. Plus, we don’t really yet know about Mary J’s acting chops. But she’s sure lived a life that gives her insight into Simone’s. I’m looking forward to it.

  48. Oz_Bella

    at

    LBellatrix, so well said. Loved your post thanks!
    And I went off Ms Berry when I noticed she got her nose fixed so it wasn’t so “black”. I don’t care if her career continues to bomb. You’ll have to pay me to see her movies.

  49. Niki

    at

    To paraphrase Bill Cosby “Come on, people!” There isn’t one way to “be black” or “look black”. The whole notion of having a “black nose” or “black girl body”, etc. leaves a lot of proud black people out who may not have those features.

  50. 4B-Trini

    at

    this is definitely yelling FAKE to me
    weave or wig it is absolutely whack.
    and i am an afrobella. i find it hard to believe that halle would sport her natural locks in such an unflattering and awful hair cut!

  51. bella

    at

    Niki, I agree with you. And Trisha — that’d be Trisha R. Thomas, author of these Nappily Ever After books we’re discussing here — I am glad you spoke your piece. Thank you.

    These comments are going to lead me to write a whole nother post.

  52. dettygirl

    at

    FYI– it’s on theybf.com that she rocked this ‘do earlier in the day & changed to a long, straight, wig later that day to shoot something else. So it is a wig. I appreciate Trisha’s comments as well. I don’t see anything wrong w/rocking a protective hairstyle like Halle (like MANY black actresses,models,entertainers do)to protect your natural tresses, whatever texture it is. It’s YOUR hair, you have the right to do with it what you want.

  53. Curly girl

    at

    I think she looks better with short hair. But the curly look is cute on her too.

  54. Ang

    at

    I’d prefer someone like Malinda Williams.

  55. tiff

    at

    odd shaped wig. the hair is too big for her face

  56. flygyrl72

    at

    @Moe – “not for nothing but u make it sound like im knocking woman with natural hair, not the case AT ALL. i love natural looks. LOVE THEM. but this PARTICULAR look on halle TO ME looks chia-petish..sorry, just my opionion. oh and im sure if i let my relaxed hair go natural i would probably look like a chia pet too…lol”

    – “maybe if it didnt look SO much like an afro i could dig it”

    Umm Moe, have you actually read what you wrote?

    Despite your protests otherwise, both of your posts reflect a typical brainwashed attitude regarding natural hair that too many of us natural Bellas are oh so familiar with already,(good looking out Trina…)

    Let me tell you something, I rock a full natural/fro/whatever you wanna call it, & I KNOW I don’t look like no damn “chia pet”. Now, I don’t know what the hell you got growin outta your scalp, so I can’t speak to what you’d look like with a natural, but I take issue with your repeated comparison between natural hairstyles & chia-pets. Have you seen a Chia Pet? I mean, WTF? It’s a dig, regardless of how you were trying to come off. And I found it particularly bothersome, coming from another Black woman who claims to have love for natural hairstyle choices.

    And that’s another thing, the way you keep saying how you just LOVE natural hairstyles…but that you yourself are on the creamy crack…

    I mean, seriously, c’mon now…

    Nappy Nazi, signing off…

  57. Georgiana

    at

    Everyone lpves it when individuals geet together annd share ideas.
    Great blog, continue the good work!

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