Jinx (Halle Berry)

Character

Halle Berry says the Bond-girl she plays "Die Another Day" is a modern, intelligent woman.

"I play the feminine James Bond," she said. "She's the next step in the evolution of women in the Bond movies. She's more modern - more intelligent - and not the classic villain."

When Jinx first meets 007 in Havana, she has the intention of killing him. But after a spot of death-defying grappling, she ends up falling for Bond's smooth charms.

Berry suffered a slight injury to her eye during the filming of the helicopter scene in Cadiz. She was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was treated with anti-inflamatory drops.

"Sure, there are love scenes", she allows, "but there's no disrobing", reminding us that Bond films are PG-13. Just wait till you see the bedroom scenes though. He started out on top, the next minute I was on top."

Biography

Born: 14th August 1968, Cleveland Ohio USA

African American actress Halle Berry has been raising eyebrows even since she was elected prom queen in high school (she nearly lost the crown upon being accused of ballot-box stuffing).

After participating in the Miss USA pageant, Berry became a model, which led to her first weekly TV series, 1989's Living Dolls. Rapidly gaining a reputation for on-set tenacity, Berry preferred to "live" her roles, remaining in character even when the cameras stopped turning. This technique was not universally condoned by her fellow workers, especially when she refused to bathe for several days before starting work on her role as a crack addict in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever.

In 1992, Berry was cast as Eddie Murphy's vis-a-vis in Boomerang, one of the few times that the explosive Murphy was evenly matched on screen. Usually appearing in adult-oriented films, Berry gained a youthful following for her performance as sexy secretary Sharon Stone in The Flintstones (1993).

Berry's highly publicised co-starring stint with Jessica Lange in Losing Isiah (1995) made some observers feel that her scenes with Lange merely amplify Berry's artistic shortcomings, while others believe that she has never given a more dynamic performance.

Her film career has been nothing but prolific, yet remains largely unrecognised. She has been in so many movies yet few has brought her any real recognition, despite exceptional performances. She has her loyal fans, but they know she deserves a lot more attention and fanfare.

Berry recently shot into the limelight with the unexpected hit film Swordfish and the blockbuster adaptation of the X-Men comic books. The sequel is planned for release shortly after 007's 40th anniversary adventure.