Halle Berry has long been a force in Hollywood—an Oscar-winning actor and barrier-breaking trailblazer. But at 58, she’s embracing a new role that she calls her “greatest act” yet: entrepreneur, advocate, and cultural disruptor. It’s why she’s earned a spot on Forbes and Know Your Value’s 2025 “50 Over 50” U.S. list, which was released on Wednesday.
“This is my greatest act,” Berry told Forbes’ Maggie McGrath. “As a woman, we’ve been afraid to age… and I’ve been amazed to find out that my 50s, my second act, is really my best act.”
For Berry, that second act was born from a misdiagnosis: when symptoms of perimenopause were mistaken for herpes. That shocking experience ignited her mission to raise awareness, demand change, and create solutions for women entering midlife.
In 2020, Berry launched Respin as a wellness site, but this year she relaunched it as Respin Health, a telehealth startup focused on menopause. Still in its early stage—with less than $5 million in funding and telehealth services just rolling out this summer—Respin is small but mighty. And Berry is clear about her ambitions: “We are trying to be your one-stop shop, all things menopause.”
She’s not just selling services—she’s building a movement. Through Respin, women can access science-backed information, hormone therapy options, coaching, nutritional and exercise guidance, and most importantly, community. “We all know that women do better when they have the support of other women… feeling like we’re in a tribe together.”
Berry’s approach is deeply personal. She describes the frustration of discovering she had likely been in perimenopause since 40—without ever being told. “Only 13 percent of doctors really understand the menopausal body,” she said. “We deserve doctors that actually know how to treat our bodies.” The advocacy doesn’t stop at telehealth. In 2023, Berry stood on Capitol Hill and declared “I’m in menopause!”—a moment that sparked headlines and state-level policy conversations. “It’s going to be a state-by-state battle,” she said. “But I’m not afraid to fight. I’ve done it before.” Berry also isn’t afraid to challenge long-held norms—especially those tied to beauty, age, and race. “People have put me in this sex symbol box,” she said. “But if I can say, ‘Hey, it’s sexy to arrive at this time of our life,’ I hope I’m giving [women] the courage to stand tall… We don’t have to stay eternally 30. Who wants to stay eternally 30?” Ultimately, Berry is reshaping what aging means for women. “I want my legacy to be that nothing is impossible,” she said. “For as long as we’re here, we can continue to push ourselves, to grow, to learn, to break down barriers. We have the possibility to always do that—for as long as we’re taking a breath.”
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