Typically when a woman appears in a spy movie it's for one role and one role only: The damsel in distress. An actress is thrown into the all-male cast to play the romantic lead opposite whichever male A-lister gets to be the star, and the tale plays out the same way every single time.
But not for Halle Berry.
The actress is known for taking on impressive and domineering lead roles, whether she's donning her Storm costume for X-Men or skulking around as a deadly Catwoman, and it's no different for her latest endeavor. In Kingsman: The Golden Circle she may be one of the flick's only female roles, but she subverts the stereotype in every way possible.
The sequel to the 2014 breakout hit The Secret Service picks up the story of the Kingsman, the British espionage group that operates out of a Savile Row tailor shop and uses expensive umbrellas and briefcases as their deadly weapons. This time around there has been a catastrophic attack on the spy team, leaving only Taron Egerton's Eggsy and one other member standing. They journey all the way over to the States to seek out help from their American counterparts, the Statesmen.
Thus, enter Halle Berry. She plays one of the American spies greatest minds--a tech wizard who goes by the name Ginger Ale, and is in charge of saving her male counterparts on more than one occasion. Yes, that means what you think it means: Berry's character is a total nerd.
"I've never played a techy, cerebral character like this before," she said. "And there's more to Ginger than meets the eye. I think she can be deadly."
It's certainly a pivot from the roles she usually takes on, at least in the looks department. Ginger Ale is infamous for donning the exact same geek ensemble every single day, which provided both peace of mind and challenges for the actress.
"It was quite nice not to be in costume changes," she told E! News while promoting the film. "It was fun to put on new hair and the glasses were great. I always start creating a new character by the hair, so that's my nerdy version of it. If I were a real nerd that's how I would wear my hair."
But, Berry added, being told she was going to wear the exact same costume every single got a little ridiculous by the end: "The costume was walking itself by the end," she joked.
The bulk of the movie follows the two different spy agencies as they work together to figure out who took down the Kingsman (hint: keep an eye out for Julianne Moore's villain), and offers actors like Jeff Bridges and Channing Tatum the opportunity to perfect their rodeo skills (because of course that's how American spies fight).
Without giving away too much of the plot, the flick does open up the door for Berry's character to expand her deadly spy portfolio should there be a third installment. And Berry has a few ideas for what she could bring to the table the next time around.
"I think she's gonna work knives," Berry said of Ginger Ale. "And probably some capoeira. I see her being low to the ground and fighting—she's badass that way. Plus, I already learned capoeira in Catwoman and still practice it."
Are you taking notes, Kingsman?