Halle Berry thinks her hardships are often overlooked because of her appearance

Halle, 55, told the New York Times newspaper: "This is another battle I fought my whole life. That because I look a certain way that I've been spared any hardship. I've had loss and pain and a lot of hurt in my life. I've had abuse in my life.

"I get really frustrated when people think because I look a certain way that I haven't had any of those real-life experiences because I absolutely have."

Halle won the Oscar for Best Actress in 2002 for 'Monster's Ball'.

But after lifting the coveted award, Halle didn't receive the job opportunities she expected.

The Hollywood star previously shared: "It was surprising, because I thought they were going to just back up the truck and drop them off at my house, right?

"When you have a historic win like that, you think, 'Oh, this is going to fundamentally change.' It did fundamentally change me, but it didn't change my place in the business overnight. I still had to go back to work. I still had to try to fight to make a way out of no way."

Halle has also felt an economic pressure to take on certain roles at one stage in her career.

The acclaimed actress - who has kids Nahla, 13, and Maceo, seven -

explained: "It's like, okay, that's a film I can't say I'm totally in love with, but this isn't a hobby. It's how I take care of my children.

"But I try to keep that sense of wonder and stay curious. Because being a black woman, I haven't always had parts that I absolutely love."