One of Halle Berry’s most memorable roles continues to be in the 2001 drama Monster’s Ball, especially considering it’s the performance that led to her Oscar win. The actress’ co-star Coronhi Calhoun Sr, who played her young son Tyrell Musgrove has died at the age of 30. The former child star passed away due to congestive heart failure last month.
Coronji Calhoun Sr. died on October 13 following being well-known for his role at ten in the movie that also starred Billy Bob Thornton, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Peter Boyle and the late Heath Ledger. The news was shared by The New York Post.
Following his death, it’s been reported that Halle Berry and Monster’s Ball producer Lee Daniels contributed money to his family’s GoFundMe page. In response, Calhoun’s mother Theresa C. Bailey wrote this:
We are blown away by the outpouring of love the community and Coronji’s adopted family has shown during our process of grief. As we close this chapter, we ask that in your remembrance of him, you remember to love your neighbor as yourself, because that is what Coronji did for his entire community.
Halle Berry and Lee Daniels each donated $3,394 to the fund. At the time of this article’s publication, a little over $10,400 has been donated to aid the family’s unexpected tragedy. Coronji Calhoun Sr’s only acting credit was in Monster’s Ball, but it was most certainly a powerful one as the movie followed Halle Berry’s Leticia as she deals with her inmate husband (played by Sean “Diddy” Combs) enduring death row before falling in love with his prison guard (Billy Bob Thornton).
In the movie, Halle Berry plays an abusive mother to Coronji Calhoun Sr’s character, who was 10 at the time. Per a former interview with Gate (via People), it was a difficult role for Berry to take on. In her words:
It was a lot harder than even the love scene because [Coronji] was really 10 [years old] and obese. I worried that I would somehow damage him emotionally, not just in doing the scene, but down the road. So I talked to him a lot and hugged and kissed him a lot. He said, 'You don't have to worry about what you say; it can't be as bad as how they treat me at school... But I hear now he's the most popular kid in his school. So I guess (the movie) helped.
Halle Berry is gearing up to release her directorial debut, Bruised, hitting Netflix on November 17, where she’ll play a disgraced MMA champion who gets back in the ring after her son unexpectedly returns. The actress also has a movie called Moonfall set for early 2022.
We don’t know much about Coronji Calhoun Sr’s life following Monster’s Ball since he has remained away from the spotlight, but his young death will certainly come as a surprise to many. By his adoptive mother’s words, he was a special person who gave back to his community and family. We send our deepest condolences to Coronji Calhoun Sr’s family, friends and fans who will miss him.
