Halle Berry Learned How to Skin Squirrels for Latest Movie Role

With an Academy Award and a bevy of acclaimed roles to her name, Halle Berry's dedication to her roles has been a constant throughout her career. The actress is starring in the upcoming psychological thriller Never Let Go, where she also serves as an executive producer.

In the movie, Berry and her twin sons live off-the-grid in a seemingly post-apocalyptic world as they rely on ropes to keep them connected at all times. The film's title comes from Berry's insistence that they constantly maintain these ties with each other.

As the sole provider for her family, Berry had to act as if she really was living in the woods with few resources to work with. As a result, she had to learn some real-life survival skills.

"There was no electricity, no lights, my character skinning squirrels, and they’re eating bugs and frogs — raw frogs — in the woods. It was a challenge," Berry recounted when speaking at Lionsgate's CinemaCon presentation on April 10, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

She added that she delved into "a little bit of method acting" to put herself in the role. That included handling a dead squirrel with her own hands.

"I had to really skin a squirrel," she said. "These things wildly challenged me to create some reality within this world that felt so foreign."

Ultimately, Berry was able to draw on her own experiences as a mother of two to get in character. "With this movie, it reminded me how I would protect my children with my life," she confessed. "We often say, 'I would take a bullet for my kids.' Would you take a knife for your kids?"

Never Let Go is in theaters Sept. 27.