How Halle Berry Helped Co-Star Shamier Anderson Land a Role in ‘John Wick’ Franchise

Shamier Anderson attends The 2020 InStyle And Warner Bros. 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards Post-Party at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 05, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for InStyle)

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Canadian actor Shamier Anderson has Halle Berry to thank for a big break — in more ways than one. Not only did Berry cast Anderson, whose credits include Syfy’s Wynonna Earp and Apple TV+’s Invasion, in her directorial debut, Bruised, she also helped set him up with a role in John Wick: Chapter 4.

The latter film’s director, Chad Stahelski, served as an executive producer on Berry’s boxing film, and when Anderson, who is the brother of actor Stephan James, learned that, he asked Berry to put in a good word on his behalf because of her close ties to the franchise (she starred in 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, which Stahelski also directed).

“I got the job, and I finished filming a week ago,” Anderson enthused to THR during the Nov. 13 Bruised premiere. “I’m in John Wick with Keanu Reeves! Shout-out to Halle Berry for giving me the opportunity that led to that.”

This story first appeared in the Nov. 22 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.