How Does Halle Berry Play a 'White Racist' in New Movie?

Halle Berry has played a former drug addict in “Losing Isaiah,” a wife of an executed murderer in “Monster’s Ball,” and a Bond Girl in “Die Another Day.” But the Oscar winning actress may have tackled her most challenging role to date: a woman suffering with multiple personality disorder in the psychological drama “Frankie & Alice.”

The movie is based on a true story of a black woman who struggles to retain her true self and not give in to her “white racist” alter personality.

“A black woman who splits off into a white racist, right there that’s got to be a story worth telling," Berry told Pop Tarts at the film’s Hollywood premiere on Tuesday night. "I really wanted to understand how that could happen, why that would happen and I wanted to see her journey of how she healed herself because our character actually triumphs."

Most importantly, the 44-year-old actress wants "Frankie & Alice" to draw attention to mental illness in the U.S.

"We should talk about it, I hope this movie incites people to talk about the issue," she said. "I see homeless people on the street and I think people think they’re just derelicts or drug addicts, but many of them really suffer with real mental issues."