Halle Berry is looking forward to getting back to work, because she feels her new role as a mother will wash away the sex symbol status and gain her more chances landing Oscar-winning roles.

Having already won an Academy award for her role in Monster’s Ball, the actress is hoping being a new mother to two-month old Nahla Ariela will open the door to more adventurous movie offers.

She says: "I feel having a baby will open up a whole new world for me. I think I'll actually find better roles, because I've gotten past being the ingenue and sex symbol."

But studio bosses will have to get used to a harder-to-come-by Berry - she plans to take much longer gaps between jobs, so she can be a proper mother.

The 41-year-old adds: "I'm definitely going to work less. I used to put so much pressure on myself to succeed that it often made me very unhappy in my personal life. I felt on the verge of burning out three or four years ago."

Check out Halle's smokin' hot post-pregnancy body here.