Angela Bassett exuded regal energy at the 14th annual Governors Awards, where she won an honorary Oscar. I watched in adulation as she delivered her acceptance speech. Marveling at her majesty, I studied her compelling mannerisms as if I were gearing up for a movie role myself. (Her charisma is that contagious.) It’s an honor that’s long overdue. We rooted for Bassett when she was up for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars last year and felt the disappointment when her name wasn’t called that night. But all accolades aside, we’ve known and loved this sister’s work for decades, and it just keeps getting better — and better.
Angela Bassett in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Forget the camera. Never mind the crew. Watching Bassett on the big screen — or any screen for that matter — is like being a fly on the wall in a real-life scenario. At 65, she’s as beautiful and brilliant as ever, currently starring in drama television series 9-1-1. We can also look forward to seeing her in the upcoming Netflix fantasy film Damsel, which is slated to be released in March. Throughout her decades-long career, Bassett has been adamant about doing meaningful work — not just for self-gratification, but for the sake of telling our stories — authentically. Her portrayal of Black historical women and cultural icons is second to none, but we’ve enjoyed her depiction of the everyday Black woman equally.
Let’s revisit one of many Bassett classics, 1995’s Waiting to Exhale. We’ll always cherish this work for showcasing the realities of Black womanhood, as well as the intricacies of our love lives in a candid but classy way. I talk a great deal about this concept of having a “zest for life,” and although Bernadine’s divorce took her to hell and back, she found solace through friendship. It represents what Black sisterhood is all about, inspiring us to forge a sisterly circle of our own or nurture the bonds we already have.
Angela Bassett in Waiting to Exhale
Similar themes of love and female friendships made their way into 1998's How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Thanks to Bassett's gift of embodiment, she became a beacon of Black female empowerment. For once, our joy, our pain, our experiences and our perspectives were front and center, and this resonated with sisters in an unprecedented way. As ESSENCE magazine pointed out, Bassett’s spot-on depictions are testaments to the profundity of Black womanhood.
Bassett’s “real life” has also been quite exemplary, as she’s enjoyed 26 years of marriage with her husband Courtney B. Vance while raising their 18-year-old twins Bronwyn Golden Vance and Slater Josiah Vance. But perhaps, the effortless strength she oozes on screen stems from the pain she’s endured in her own life. From being separated from (and later reunited with) her mother after her parents divorced to struggling to find work as a young Black actress to experiencing infertility on her journey to motherhood, Bassett has been open about her hardships, which makes her highly relatable.