It’s no surprise that Halle Berry is already rocking her 60s as she continues to challenge Hollywood aging stereotypes, and each time, I just have to applaud her. The actor has always been an advocate for women, and in recent years has focused on speaking out about aging and menopause. She has certainly defined Hollywood’s concept of aging by going all-out to celebrate her 60th birthday at a resort in Los Cabos, Mexico, with her fiancé Van Hunt. So obviously, Berry doesn’t hold back about the lessons she’s learning at 60.
She brought these lessons when she spoke at the Create & Cultivate event in Los Angeles on September 20. The Monster’s Ball actor gave the keynote conversation entitled On Her Own Terms: Halle Berry on Menopause, Aging, & Women’s Health. Berry certainly proves she lives life “on her own terms” with a lot to say about age expectations and what she’s learned in this new era of her life. She states (via People):
I think as I’m aging, I’m learning that confidence just grows. It grows. You become more of yourself. And that’s why I say this time of life, whenever I’m talking to women, I tell them, this is going to be your best chapter. It’s your ‘I have zero fucks to give’ chapter. And you really start to patronize yourself.
We’ve definitely seen Berry rocking the confidence, and not just in how she celebrates her birthdays. While promoting the character drama Crime 101, she called out fans for compliments that said she looks good (for her age). When one of her cards had a fan comment that called out her age when calling her gorgeous, her response was blunt: “My age is always talked about with women.”
This bluntness has only grown with Berry constantly advocating and speaking out about her age, and it’s refreshing. However, the actor isn’t a stranger to speaking her mind. She has recently shared about the time she confronted Bryan Singer on the set of X-Men 2, before flying home in her costume. She described the moment as “one of the greatest days on a set,” and I love that that energy hasn’t faded. During her keynote conversation, she elaborates on this growing confidence that aging has given her, stating:
I think I’ve always had the ability to walk in my own shoes and walk my own path. I’ve never really been a follower. I’ve never tried to keep up with anybody. I’ve realized I’ve always been in my own race.
The Create & Cultivate event isn’t the first time we’ve seen Berry speaking out about menopause or how aging has given her confidence. Last year, she had a campaign about getting older, with an appearance on An Oprah Winfrey Special: The Menopause Revolution. During her appearance, she spoke about women educating and advocating for themselves and their health. In 2024, the actor famously declared “I’m in menopause!” during a visit to Capitol Hill.
Additionally, she’s also helped introduce the bipartisan Advancing Menopause Care and Mid-Life Women's Health Act. This act seeks to allocate $275 million toward a variety of women’s issues and more, such as medical provider training, public health awareness, and federal menopause research.
But wait, there’s more! Berry has also founded Respin Health, an online platform and care community that focuses on helping women with menopause symptoms and connecting them with proper medical support.
Not only does she share what she’s learned at 60, but she’s an amazing voice for women, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.
