Halle Berry might have just uncovered her next on-screen fixation, and Zendaya’s latest appearance seems to be part of the clue.
More than twenty years have passed since Berry earned an Emmy for her leading role in “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.”
She wore a short hairstyle and a striking black lace gown while she proudly held her trophy aloft. Zendaya attended this year’s Emmys with the same poise and what many are calling her most distinctive look to date.
One unexpected detail caught Berry’s eye and sent fans imagining a collaboration between two generations of Hollywood power.
Berry’s reaction quickly turned a style moment into something bigger, leaving fans eager to see whether the idea could travel from social media to the big screen.
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“There’s an actress that I adore with every fiber of my being. And I would love to play her mother,” Berry said in a clip circulating online.
The clip, from Berry’s February appearance on “The Drew Barrymore Show,” was also shared on her Instagram story.
She paused briefly before revealing the name of the person she hopes to collaborate with on a film.
“Zendaya,” Berry revealed to Barrymore before playfully asking the crowd, “I could play her mom, right?”
Most viewers watching agreed, just as they did online. Two social media users commented, “Someone better be writing the script” and “MAKE….THIS….HAPPEN….NOW!!!!”
Others quickly turned the idea into a wish list, insisting, “We need to start a petition for this!!!! I would pay extra to see this. Even if it only happened for a second.”
Another fan later added, “This aged so well. She looked stunning at the Emmys,” suggesting Zendaya’s latest appearance only amplified the excitement.
The “Euphoria” star attended the 78th Emmy Awards on Sept. 14 wearing a custom Prada dress covered in sequins and appliqués. The gown featured a plunging V-neckline, complemented by a Rolex and diamond earrings.
Although she did not win in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category, the true star of the night was her ultra-short pixie cut.
Zendaya has been trimming her hair shorter in recent years, trying out mid-length styles, bobs, and bixies (a blend of the bob and pixie).
But this Emmy look marks the shortest she has ever worn publicly.
Her hairstylist Coree Moreno said, “For Zendaya, the inspiration is a classic pixie reimagined through a modern, editorial lens.” He added that the aim was a “feminine and refined” style with a hint of rebellion.
Before the debut, he hinted on “Live from E!: 2026 Emmys” that the cut was inspired by Halle Berry.
“She’s debuting a new haircut. It’s better tonight,” he said. “She cut it a little more, and we’re paying homage to another great African American, beautiful actress.”
In his Instagram Story, he shared an image of Berry wearing a similar hairstyle and wrote “The original” on it before tagging her.
Berry reposted Roach’s Story to her own and added a kissing-heart GIF. She later reshared a post he added to his Story from The Zoe Report, which was a collage of Zendaya’s look and Berry’s 2002 silver dress look at the premiere of “Die Another Day.”
The next day, on Sept. 15, she reshared a nine-second video of Zendaya at the Emmys and said, “murdered the night.”
In another reshared post comparing both women side by side, she added, “My girl.”
Fans commented on Zendaya’s look and Berry’s enthusiastic reaction. One person said, “She tryna book that biopic!!”
Another wrote, “That Halle Berry cut on Zendaya?? Oh she understood the assignment BAD.”
Social media users praised both women while celebrating Zendaya for appreciating those before her.
“THIS is how you pay homage. Halle is and will always be that girl,” read one comment. Another added, “She be walking on necks without trying.”
Halle Berry’s iconic pixie cut helped launch her acting career. She told InStyle that trimming her hair gave her confidence and helped her land her first role as Emily Franklin on the 1980s sitcom “Living Dolls.”
“When I got this haircut, I felt like my best self. I had no hair to hide behind,” Berry shared. “It was all me, take it or leave it, love it or hate it. It was who I was.”
She added, “I cut my hair short when I first became an actor and I finally got a job and I think that was because the directors and producers actually saw me. Before that, I had long hair like every other girl like me and I dared to cut it short.”
Berry continued wearing short hair through the 1990s and into the early 2000s, including when she became the first Black woman to win the Best Actress Oscar in 2002.
So Zendaya’s next role could redefine her entire career.
Berry previously praised Zendaya’s work in the 2021 Netflix film “Malcolm & Marie.” It follows a tense confrontation between a film director and his girlfriend on the night of his movie’s premiere.
She described Zendaya as “brave” and “wildly beautiful” in the film.
“But she’s not afraid not to be beautiful. I see her as an actress who will fight to be greater than her beauty. She’s not relying on it,” Berry told Variety.
Berry has long stated she wants to be recognized for qualities beyond beauty.
Zendaya & Halle Berry on screen together when… pic.twitter.com/luQePudmXr
— Steven (@StevenTnyc) September 14, 2026
