Halle Berry, 53, is unrecognizable with a swollen eye to play a mixed martial artist in a FIRST LOOK at her directorial debut Bruised
Halle Berry vanishes into her character in a new still from her directorial debut Bruised, which is about mixed martial arts.
The 53-year-old actress has a significant bruising beneath her left eye in the still, but there is a steely look of determination on her face as she puts her fists up in the ring.
Her new still emerged the same day as news broke that Bruised will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this year.
Fists up: Halle Berry vanishes into her character in a new still from her directorial debut Bruised, which is about mixed martial arts
TIFF will occur September 10 to 19 with a hybrid of virtual and in-person events, though industry members and media are barred from screenings, IndieWire reports.
Furthermore, although the festival typically screens hundreds of movies its lineup this year contains only 50 films.
Halle’s character has left the MMA business and lost custody of her son, but the film finds her locked in a struggle to regain her child and career.
She directed from a screenplay by Michelle Rosenfarb, who described the film to Bloody Elbow as ‘a love story between a mother and her son.’
Off-screen: The actress is pictured in a more glamorous aspect while attending a red carpet event in Las Vegas in April 2019
The cast includes Wynonna Earp actor Shamier Anderson, X-Men: Days Of Future Past alum Adan Canto, London stage star Sheila Atim and Broadway legend Stephen McKinley Henderson who has also been in such films as Lady Bird.
‘I didn’t really set out to direct it, I set out to act in it. I read the script and I loved it,’ Halle explained to iHeart + Variety’s The Big Ticket With Marc Malkin.
‘And, it was written, at that time, for a 22-year-old white woman, which, obviously, can’t be me,’ she said, but she persuaded ‘the producers that it should be me, and why it would be more relevant in the times in which we’re living if it were me.’
She got the part but while looking for a director she found that ‘nobody really saw the story that I saw in my head, that I kept talking to the producers about, that they loved. So, finally we just sat down one day and they said: “Why don’t you do it?”‘
Looking fab: Halle is pictured in a recent Instagram video she posted for Fitness Day
Halle confessed: ‘I thought: “I can’t direct, this is a big acting role for me, I don’t think I should be directing as well.” And they gave me so much confidence and helped me realize that: “But nobody understands it like you. It’s story telling and we definitely feel confident that you’ve got the story.”
She recalled that ‘I put that hat on for a week or so and I thought about how that felt and I realized, after 25 years in the business there is a lot I know about filmmaking.’
The Oscar-winner shared: ‘I’ve never been the kind of actress that just goes to work, stays in my trailer and says: “Call me when you’re ready.”‘
Before Halle was attached to the project it was slated to star Blake Lively and be helmed by The Notebook director Nick Cassavetes, per Deadline.