Halle Berry replaces Will Smith as Oscars Best Actress presenter with Jessica Chastain (original) (raw)

Berry — who became the first Black woman to win Best Actress in 2002 — presented the award in a slot traditionally occupied by the reigning Best Actor winner.

Published on March 12, 2023 11:21PM EDT

Halle Berry teamed up with Jessica Chastain for a presentation of the Best Actress category at the 2023 Oscars that likely would have been handled by Will Smith.

The actress duo presented both Best Actor and Best Actress in a slot traditionally reserved for the reigning Best Actor winner, which, in this case would've been Smith, but the King Richard star was banned from attending the Oscars for the next decade after slapping presenter Chris Rock during the 2022 broadcast.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Chastain, who won Best Actress last year for her performance in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, was expected to present Best Actor this year, while it was unclear who would step in to handle Smith's duties.

Berry won Best Actress in 2002 for Monster's Ball, becoming the first Black woman to win the award since the Oscars began in 1929. In the two decades since Berry's historic win, no other woman of color has been victorious in the category. That could change if Michelle Yeah wins tonight, also making her the first ever Asian woman to claim the title.

Smith was barred from Academy-sanctioned events after he approached Rock, who was on stage to present the award for Best Documentary, and slapped the comedian in the face for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Smith ultimately issued an apology for his behavior, but was banned from attending all Academy-sanctioned events for the next decade.

See the full list of 2023 Oscars winners.

Check out more from EW's The Awardist, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights leading up to all the major award shows.

Related content: