Halle Berry says her father helped her fit role
Halle Berry says her childhood with a troubled father helped her fit into the role of an alcoholic in "Monster's Ball."
In the film she plays a woman left to raise her son after her husband is executed.
The film, which has already hit US cinemas, is among 23 entries vying at the Berlin Film Festival for the main award, the Golden Bear.
Berry, 33, said she connected with her character Leticia because her own mother struggled to raise two children after being abandoned by her alcoholic husband.
Berry's father "had never been loved himself," a sorrow shared by the film's characters, the actress told a news conference.
Recently marrying a man with a 10-year-old daughter also made playing a mother easier, Berry said.
"Becoming a mother was a reality in my life and it helped me prepare for my role," she said.
