THE ARTISTRY OF ANGELA BASSET

Angela Bassett has a regal air that sets her apart as an actor. With her graceful demeanour and poised confidence, she simply radiates it.

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In the opening scene of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, she is walking through the bustling streets of Wakanda, wearing a pristine white outfit fit for royalty. It’s hard not to feel a sense of anticipation, even if you’re not a dedicated Marvel fan.

From her breakthrough portrayal of Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It to her recent turn as the queen of Wakanda in Black Panther, Angela (64) brings a unique and irresistible charisma to every project she takes on.

Whenever her name is associated with a project, there’s an undeniable buzz because of her ability to bring characters to life. Over the years, she has built a reputation for truly embodying the spirit of each role she takes on.


Early days
Born in New York, Angela was sent to stay with her aunt in North Carolina when her parents, mom Betty, a social worker, and dad Daniel, a jazz musician, were struggling to make ends meet. After their divorce, Angela and her sister moved to Florida with their mother.

She did well at school and was accepted to the prestigious Yale University. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in African-American studies and a Masters in Drama, she pursued an acting career and, boy, did she make a name for herself!

Just after she’d graduated and set her sights on becoming a star, her boyfriend claimed that it was his influence and generosity that landed her an agent. However, Angela says of breaking into the industry: “If anyone tried to make me believe that it was because of them and not my own talent, effort and perseverance, I wasn’t going to accept that.”



With a start in Broadway theatre productions, she eventually made her way onto screens in 1985 with her debut in the TV movie Doubletake. She landed more small roles, including in Spenser: For Hire and The Cosby Show and the films Boyz n the Hood (1991) and Malcolm X (1992).

But it was her role in the 1993 movie, What’s Love Got to do With It, in which she starred as Tina Turner, that put her on the map.

“WE CONSTANTLY PUSH OURSELVES TO GO FURTHER, DO BETTER AND MEET INCREASINGLY HIGH STANDARDS”

Pioneering moves
That powerhouse performance earned her critical acclaim, a Golden Globe Award and a Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards. In fact, her portrayal of Turner was so convincing that the real-life music icon said:

“You reached deep into your soul, found your inner Tina, and showed her to the world. That’s your gift, becoming your character with conviction, truth, dignity and grace, even when it’s painful, and takes everything you have and more.

It’s not just acting; it’s being.” Angela went on to star in several films, playing strong female characters such as Bernadine Harris in Waiting to Exhale (1995) and the lead in How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998).

Her performances not only showcased her incredible acting range but also highlighted the importance of representation of black women in media. Throughout her career, Angela has continued to take on roles that have shattered stereotypes and pushed boundaries. In the 1995 sci-fi film Strange Days, she played Lornette ‘Mace’ Mason, a no-nonsense, tough-as-nails bodyguard who was unapologetically black and female.

In the 2009 film Notorious, she played Voletta Wallace, the mother of late rapper The Notorious B.I.G. Her performance was praised for its raw emotional depth and vulnerability. In the hit TV series American Horror Story (2013) she played the fierce and formidable Marie Laveau, a powerful voodoo queen.

In Olympus Has Fallen (2013) and London Has Fallen (2016) she played the director of the Secret Service, “a bold casting choice”, she said, as a female and African American. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she portrayed Ramonda, the mother of T’Challa (Black Panther), in Black Panther (2018). These roles have all cemented her status as a trailblazer in Hollywood.

She is very careful about the roles she takes on. In 2000, Angela declined the lead role in Monster’s Ball due to the sexual content of the script. Her replacement, Halle Berry, went on to win the Best Actress Oscar for her performance. Any regrets? “It’s about character, darling. I wasn’t going to be a prostitute on film.

I couldn’t do that because it’s such a stereotype about black women and sexuality,” Angela says. She also told The Guardian in 2009: “This is a career about images. It’s celluloid; they last for ever. I’m a black woman from America. My people were slaves in America, and even though we’re free on paper and in law, I’m not going to allow you to enslave me on film, in celluloid, for all to see.”

Passion and poise
Throughout her career, Angela has been nominated for numerous prestigious awards, including two Oscars and a Primetime Emmy and won several, including two Golden Globes, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an NAACP Image Award and a BET Award.

She was named one of 2023’s ‘100 Most Influential People in the World’ by Time magazine, in the ‘Titan’ category. This year was said to be ‘Angela’s Year’ when awards season hit. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, everyone was convinced Angela would take home her first Oscar.

The award ended up going to Jamie Lee Curtis for Everything Everywhere All at Once, a movie that dominated awards season. Fellow actors Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors showed their love and support for ‘Aunty Angie’ when they took to the stage shortly after the award was announced.

It was clear that disappointment had spread through the crowd. Nonetheless, being the elegant woman she is, Angela did not see this ‘snub’ as a loss. “Your hope is that when people see the film, they don’t see you – they see an artist’s journey through a different lens,” she says. “I really believe that what I do as an actress is my God-given talent.

This is my calling, not my career. I am content that the work that I’ve done is wonderful.” In June, it was announced that Angela would receive an honorary Oscar at this year’s Governor’s Awards, set to take place in Los Angeles in November.

The queen mother
Besides her successes on screen, she has received recognition for her valuable contributions to the arts and philanthropy. In 2018, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Yale University for her contributions to the arts and advocacy for social justice. “My heart is full! God blessed me real good.

Thank you, Yale, for this blessed honour!” she wrote in an Instagram post. She is deeply committed to various charitable organisations, such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the Lupus Foundation of America, and advocating for women’s health and social justice.

"IT'S ABOUT CHARACTER, DARLING. I WASN'T GOING TO BE A PROSTITUTE ON FILM. I COULDN'T DO THAT BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A STEREOTYPE ABOUT BLACK WOMEN AND SEXUALITY"

In addition, she is a spokesperson for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). “We all have a gift; we all have a passion – it’s just about finding it and going into it... being an asset to your family and community,” she explains.



In 1997 Angela married fellow actor Courtney B. Vance. “He understands just empirically everything that I go through,” she says. “He can really give me perspective, because it gets very heady and very busy, but he just keeps me very grounded about the important things – that life is good and we’re all just doing our best to support each other.”

The couple has two children, 17-year-old fraternal twins Slater and Bronwyn. Passionate about nurturing her children’s creativity, Angela urges her fans to have no fear. “Sometimes you want to skate along or just get by or fly under the radar, but sometimes you have to stand up and let your voice be heard and give it your best and give it your all,” she asserts.

“As a mother of young children, that’s something I tried to emphasise and highlight for them. I wanted my children to experience as much creativity as possible. That’s what sets your mind on fire.”


Fast facts with Angela

Go-To Style Items: If it's casual, jeans and a T-shirt. If it's formal, a dress or jumpsuit. Favourite Dishes: Moroccan chicken and chocolate torte.
Something You Regret: Not doing more theatre - no performance on stage is ever the same. Greatest Fear: Poverty.
Favourite Author: Zora Neale Hurston
Your Guilty Pleasure: Perfume. There's nothing like putting on a beautiful fragrance to complete your mood.
Favourite Pastimes: Dancing, cooking, spending time near water.
Biggest Dislikes: Malicious gossip and people who are self-centred.

Follow ANGELA
Facebook: Angela Bassett
Instagram: @im.angelabassett
Twitter: @ImAngelaBassett


Photographs: Gallo/Getty Images, Getty/Contour Ra_John Russo