Winning an Oscar for Monster's Ball improved life for mom-to-be Halle Berry, 41.

“Things changed,” she says. “It’s a moment that I will never repeat ever, I don’t care how many more awards I’m lucky enough to win again. Nothing will replace that magical moment of that night for me. Things changed. My industry saw me differently. I think there’s a different kind of respect that I garnered that night. I think directors saw me differently.”

Still, she couldn’t rest on her laurels.

“What didn’t happen is the movie guy didn’t come and put all these great movie scripts on my front door. I realized maybe a month after that that my life as an actor was going to be back as it always had. Yes, I was a part of history and yes, more people around the world maybe knew my name, but as an actor, my role was going to be always as it had been. It’s a very competitive industry to be in, and I was still going to have to fight hard, work hard and continue to study and grow and learn. All that stays exactly the same.”

 

This year's nominees certainly have lots to be excited about.