Black American actress Halle Berry is set to "white up" for her forthcoming performance in Cloud Atlas. The actress has a major role in the adaptation of David Mitchell's bestselling novel, and stars alongside Tom Hanks and Jim Sturgess, reports the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper.
Though white actors and actresses "blacking up" is no longer considered acceptable in Hollywood, Berry has agreed to "white up" for her performance in the movie, which follows six stories that are intricately linked to one another. Speaking about Berry's role, co-star James D'Arcy explained, "I hope I am allowed to tell you this, but Halle Berry plays a white woman at one point.Everyone is playing multiple roles in the film. Ben Whishaw plays a woman at one point". D'Arcy, who plays Edward Viii in Madonna's new movie W.E, adding, "It's a crazy, sprawling epic. I play someone who is 70 for quite a while and I play an Asian at one point. It's nuts". The original novel was a literary sensation following its release in 2004, and was shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize, as well for the Nebula Award and the Arthur C Clarke Award.
Following the news concerning Halle Berry's character, Cloud Atlas may prove to be a controversial movie, though the actress has more light-hearted projects in sight. She is set to begin work on Shoe Addicts Anonymous - a film about four people who join a support group for those addicted to shoes.