Halle Berry has finally given an insight into why she exited Ryan Murphy’s new legal drama, which stars Kim Kardashian and Glenn Close.
Deadline revealed last December that Murphy would be writing, directing and executive producing Kardashian’s own scripted series, All’s Fair. Kardashian is set to play a successful Los Angeles divorce lawyer at an all-female law firm. Although Berry, Kardashian and Close were named as the stars and executive producers, Berry’s exact role in the series wasn’t made public.
However, Berry made headlines in July when it was revealed she had decided to exit the legal drama. And now she’s spoken publicly about her decision.
“You know, things happen for a reason. I would have loved to have been there with those ladies, and I know it’s gonna be great,” the critically acclaimed actor told ET at the premiere of her new Netflix comedy spy thriller, The Union. “[It’s] Ryan Murphy! I mean, you know, duh. But next time!”
Steve Granitz/Stephane Cardinale/FilmMagic/Corbis via Getty Images
Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for Berry for comment on Tuesday.
Berry exited the series a week after her casting was announced. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she had a scheduling conflict with another project.
Kardashian and Close will be joined by actors Sarah Paulson, Niecy Nash, Naomi Watts and Teyana Taylor. Nash and Watts will also serve as executive producers, per Deadline.
This is a return to television legal dramas for eight-time Oscar nominee Close, who starred in the series Damages as lawyer Patty Hewes, for which she won two Emmys and a Golden Globe.
This isn’t the first time that Kardashian has worked with Murphy, previously starring in his series American Horror Story: Delicate, with its first episode airing in 2023. This was her first scripted television role.
Paulson, Watts and Nash have also all worked with Murphy previously. Paulson starred in The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, Impeachment: American Crime Story and Ratched, just to name a few. Watts was cast in The Watcher and Feud: Capote vs The Swans and Nash had a role in Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and Scream Queens.
While Taylor hasn’t worked with Murphy before, she has been in high demand since starring in the 2023 film A Thousand and One.
The Hulu series has been described as “a high-end, glossy and sexy adult procedural” and at this stage, production is scheduled to begin in late 2024 with an early 2025 release date.
This is Murphy’s first show since leaving Netflix for 20th Television, which is owned by Disney.
All’s Fair would have been Berry’s first television role since she starred in the drama series Extant in 2015. Her next roles are with Mark Wahlberg in The Union and in the horror-thriller Never Let Go.
