Cats the way for Halle's new role

IT WAS, in the words of one onlooker, "quite a purrrformance" when Halle Berry arrived for the US premiere of Catwoman yesterday.

The Academy Award winner plays a graphic designer named Patience Phillips in the movie, which has generated plenty of pre-release publicity thanks to a series of racy shots of a masked Berry in her black leather Catwoman costume.

Yesterday, the 35-year-old revealed she had developed an unusual pastime in the preparation for her role in the film – studying cats.

"I've had dogs my entire life . . . never a cat," she said.

"So being around cats and the psyche of cats, that was all new for me."

Berry told GQ magazine that wearing the skin-tight leather costume in the big-screen, comic-book adaptation had been a libera- ting experience.

"As Catwoman, it was very empowering putting on that suit every day and having no rules and being in touch with my sexuality, my strength; say what I wanted to say, do what I wanted to do."