Halle Berry Approaches 60 Without Insecurities: ‘This Is Your “I Don’t Care What Anyone Thinks” Chapter’

Halle Berry is approaching her 60th birthday with an entirely new attitude toward herself, aging and her life. The Hollywood star, who has been regarded as one of cinema’s biggest sex symbols for decades, says that with age she has become not only more confident, but also much freer, according to People.

Berry says aging has unexpectedly given her something that neither fame, perfect looks nor career success can provide: inner freedom.

“I feel like confidence just grows with age. It just grows and grows. You become more and more yourself,” the actress shared.

Berry believes this stage of life can be the happiest chapter for a woman, because the pressure to constantly live up to other people’s expectations finally begins to fade into the background.

“So when I talk to women, I tell them: this is going to be your best chapter. This is your ‘I don’t give a damn what anybody thinks’ chapter,” she said.

And judging by her own life, the 59-year-old star has been embracing that philosophy for quite some time.

Berry admitted that she has never been particularly interested in conforming to other people’s expectations or comparing herself with other women.

“I feel like I’ve always been able to go my own way. I was never a follower. I never tried to keep up with anybody. I realized that I was always running my own race,” the actress said.

Her attitude toward family has also changed with age. Halle no longer feels guilty about refusing to do things simply because other people expect them of her.

“I don’t feel guilty about it anymore. I do it very calmly, and I constantly tell my family, ‘No, I’m not going to do that. Why don’t you do it yourselves?’” the star admitted.

For Berry, learning to say “no” has become not an act of selfishness, but a genuine form of self-love.

“You learn to say ‘no’ without feeling guilty. You can say ‘no’ with love, because you’re choosing to love yourself. And that’s something I’ve really learned to live with,” she explained.

Her fiancé, musician Van Hunt, also plays an important role in Berry’s new relationship with herself. According to the actress, being with someone who supports her and accepts her for who she is has made it much easier to take care of herself.

“Now that I have my man beside me, who also supports me, self-love has probably been the greatest gift that has come into my life,” Berry said.