Janet Jackson Reveals She Almost Played Halle Berry’s X-Men Role but Had to Tour Instead

Janet Jackson almost took Hollywood by storm.

via: Hot97

On Friday (April 26) the Grammy-winning singer stopped by The Drew Barrymore Show where she revealed she was this close to being the weather goddess herself, Storm, in Marvel’s X-Men movies.

Inquiring about a late 1990s photo of Jackson clad in all-black attire, including a leather trench coat, hosts Drew Barrymore and Ross Matthews asked if she was nearly cast in the cult classic The Matrix (1999). In response, the 57-year-old stated, “I can’t remember the film, but Halle Berry played Storm.”

To which Barrymore exclaimed “X-Men?!”

“I couldn’t accept the part,” added Jackson, “because I was just embarking on the Janet tour. But, I think that’s what you’re confusing it [the photo] with.”

When asked whether she’d be open to reprising her acting career, Jackson swiftly replied, “Yes,” stating that she would “still like to do an action film.”

“As a matter of fact, my father wanted me to. So, I promised him I would at one point,” she continued.

While Janet Jackson hasn’t secured her dream role yet, she’s been praised for memorable performances in films such as Poetic Justice (1993), For Colored Girls (2010), and the big-screen adaptation of Tyler Perry’s stage play Why Did I Get Married and its sequel in 2007 and 2010, respectively.

More recently, Jackson starred in the 2019 title, Jack Boyz, alongside Eve, and Kat Williams.

Set in a present-day urban environment, the project follows an ambitious crew of stick-up men led by the meticulous Salim. When one member violates a key principle, jeopardizing both the team’s reputation and his own lover’s safety, Salim faces a critical decision: preserve his livelihood or prove the value of his discipline and harmony.

I remember hearing Janet was up for the role of Ororo in X-Men, as well as Trinity in The Matrix, although in the Drew Barrymore interview she denied she was up for the latter.

However just like she couldn't remember the name of the movie, I also think she's confusing her tours. The Janet tour kicked off on November 24, 1993 – April 22, 1995, and X-Men was released on July 14, 2000.

She could have been in the process of working on the All For You album and tour which kicked off in 2001, or the Velvet Rope tour which ran from April 16, 1998 – January 30, 1999.