Halle Berry Says The Flintstones Was A “Big Step” For Black Women

Halle Berry is reflecting on one of her earliest movie roles. On May 27, the actor celebrated the 30th anniversary of 1994’s The Flintstones, noting that her role in the live-action adaptation was significant for Black women in Hollywood.

“Being a Black woman in Bedrock seemed like a little thing but, you know, The Flintstones was the fabric of our culture,” Berry said in an Instagram reel, during which she watched clips of the movie for the first time in two decades. “I knew that this was a big step forward for Black people, Black women especially.”

The Oscar winner added that, while the movie was “over the top and campy,” she was aware of “how important this little part in this big movie actually would be.”

Based on the original 1960s cartoon, the 1994 comedy follows the hijinks of two families in the prehistoric town of Bedrock, the Flintstones and the Rubbles. While the film received a mixed response from critics, it became a major hit with audiences, earning more than $340 million at the global box office.

Berry played the seductive secretary Sharon Stone in the film, starring opposite John Goodman, Rick Moranis, Elizabeth Perkins, Rosie O’Donnell, and Kyle MacLachlan, among others. The Flintstones also starred the late Elizabeth Taylor as Fred’s mother-in-law, Pearl Slaghoople, which was her final movie role.

The real Sharon Stone was reportedly set to play Berry’s character, but dropped out of the movie due to scheduling issues.

This isn’t the first time Berry has looked back on her Flintstones role. In 2022, the actor paid tribute to her character “Miss Stone” on X (formerly Twitter), calling her “the blueprint.”

“Everyone said, ‘Oh why would you want to do a movie based on a cartoon?’” she wrote at the time. “To see 28 years later that this character has become so beloved and has resonated with so many of you is so gratifying draped in brown.”