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Angela Bassett. Photo by David Shankbone.

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Angela Bassett

Angela Bassett commands attention from the moment she appears onscreen. She has portrayed some of history’s most iconic real-life women, but the world took notice when she took the stage as legendary performer Tina Turner in the 1993 film “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”

Angela Bassett commands the audience’s attention from the moment she steps onto the screen. She has portrayed some of history’s most iconic real-life women, but the world took notice when she took the stage in the 1993 film “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” as legendary performer Tina Turner.

One thing all of her characters have in common is that they are all strong. Bassett appears to bring her own strength and personality to the screen, having looked up to her late mother, Betty Jane Bassett, as a role model.

All the characters she has played have one thing in common: they are all strong. Bassett appears to bring the strength from her own life and personality to the screen, having looked to her late mother, Betty Jane Bassett, as a role model.

1. Angela played Tina Turna in her breakthrough role

Angela Bassett. Photo by iDominick.

Her first Academy Award nomination was for Best Actress for her role as Tina Turner in the 1993 biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It, alongside Laurence Fishburne as Ike Turner. Most critics believe Gayle was “robbed” of the Oscar, which went to Holly Hunter for Jane Campion’s The Piano.

Entertainment Weekly critic Leah Greenblatt included Bassett’s omission in the magazine’s ‘The Snub That Still Hurts series.’

While recognizing Hunter’s “ferocious, largely wordless performance” in The Piano, Greenblatt emphasized that it was impossible that Bassett only won a Golden Globe for her role in What’s Love Got to Do With It because Bassett completely burns down the screen as a woman fighting for her family, her artistry, her dignity, and, ultimately, her life.

2. Tina Turna did Angela’s make up

Makeup set. Photo by Beo88.

Bassett really took the world by storm in 1993, when she wowed audiences with her powerful performance as Tina Turner, Queen of Rock, in “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” From that “Proud Mary” performance to the iconic ’80s wig, Bassett embodied every aspect of Turner’s persona. Every gesture and fringe shimmy was flawless.

When it came to perfecting Turner’s iconic hair and makeup, they went straight to the source. Turner stepped in near the end of the shoot to ensure the look was perfect, according to Basset. Tina did her makeup and hair in one-quarter the time it took their stylist!

3. Basett has always been a smart cookie

Angela Bassett. Photo by Gage Skidmore.

Bassett’s mother made it clear throughout her life that both of her daughters would attend college. In an article for Oprah.com, the “Strange Days” star described her “aha moment.” Bassett, who had always been an excellent student who consistently received As and Bs, received her first C in seventh grade. Bassett wasn’t too concerned, but her mother thought the grade was completely unacceptable.

Her mother, a single parent raising her children, hadn’t taken high school seriously and desired more for her daughters.

Young Bassett attempted to persuade her mother that a C is average and there was nothing wrong with that, but  mother insisted that she didn’t have any average kids. Bassett realized that it wasn’t so much about the letter grade as it was about being proud of yourself and his work. “Consider more of yourself, hold yourself to a higher standard, and you’ll reach it,” she told Glamour in a 2022 interview.

4. She studied theatre at Yale University 

Bassett discovered her true calling after attending a school field trip to see a stage production of “Of Mice and Men” at The Kennedy Center. Bassett, then 15, was moved by James Earl Jones’ performance as Lennie and decided she wanted to be an actress.

She received a BA in African American studies from Yale University in 1980 and a Master of Fine Arts from the Yale School of Drama in 1983. (via Yale). Her alma mater bestowed an Honorary Doctorate on her in 2018, and she now holds three Yale degrees. Her aunt was concerned that Bassett would struggle to make a living as an actress and advised her not to “waste a Yale education on theatre.”

Young Bassett attempted to persuade her mother that a C is average and there was nothing wrong with that, but  mother insisted that she didn’t have any average kids. Bassett realized that it wasn’t so much about the letter grade as it was about being proud of yourself and his work.

5. She met her husband at Yale

Bassett met Courtney B. Vance in 1980 while both were students at Yale Drama School. Vance, who was getting his BA from Harvard at the time, had a lovely girlfriend. She was also in a relationship at the time, so the two went their separate ways until fate brought them back together in Los Angeles 14 years later.

Their first date was forgettable. She thought Vance was really nice, but he was “kind of boring.” Fortunately, they had a second date, which involved golf and was far more successful.

6. She became her own publicist early in her career

Bassett decided to relocate to Los Angeles in 1988 after landing several minor roles in television shows such as “Spenser: For Hire” and “Search for Tomorrow.” It’s not easy for a young actor to wait for the role that will launch their career. Especially during appointment times when there is no TV and no internet. Being so far away from family can also be stressful for everyone involved.

Because she didn’t have a publicist at the time, the Golden Globe winner had to get creative when telling people she was going to be on TV. She would write the TV show, network, time, and date on thick stock paper and mail it to loved ones.

7. Bassett is a producer and director

Angela Bassett has produced and directed TV shows and films in addition to giving outstanding performances on screen. Whitney, a biographical film, was her directorial debut in 2015. She directed an episode of the TV docuseries Breakthrough the same year. Bassett has also directed episodes of American Horror Story: Roanoke and American Horror Story: Cult.

Ruby’s Bucket of Blood, a 2001 TV film, was Bassett’s first credited film as a producer. The Rosa Parks Story, a television film, was executive produced by Bassett. She also served as an executive producer on 29 episodes of 9-1-1. Bassett has been the executive producer of the TV show 9-1-1: Lone Star since its debut in 2020.

8. Bassett has played leading women in the Civil Rights Movement 

Angela Bassett. Photo by Kingkongphoto.

Bassett has successfully portrayed some of history’s most notorious women on film. She could be dubbed the “Queen of Biopics” because she was the mother of musical icon Tina Turner, the King of Pop, and Biggie Smalls. The film legend has also had the privilege of telling the stories of three different Black history icons.

She portrayed Dr. Betty Shabazz, a human rights activist and Malcolm X’s wife, in not one, but two films: Spike Lee’s 1992 biopic “Malcolm X,” and Mario Van Peeble’s 1995 dramatization of The Black Panther Party, “Panther.”

Bassett vanished into the role of Rosa Parks, the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement,” in “The Rosa Parks Story” in 2002. Bassett met the real-life Parks and described her as a “quiet activist” who was “restrained,” but one should not mistake her kindness for weakness.

Then, in 2013, she portrayed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s wife, Coretta Scott King, in the television film “Betty & Coretta.” Bassett, who co-starred with Mary J. Blige as Dr. Betty Shabazz, told the story of a friendship born from tragedy.

9. Her production company promotes diversity

Bassett and her Emmy-winning husband are working behind the scenes to bring even more compelling stories to light after conquering so many stories on screen. Bassett Vance Productions was founded by the couple with the goal of finding and developing diverse stories with a strong emphasis on BIPOC voices in front of and behind the camera.

The four-part docuseries “One Thousand Years of Slavery,” one of their productions, investigates the truth about slavery around the world. The production was created in collaboration with The Smithsonian Channel.

Bassett Vance Productions signed a deal with MTV Entertainment in 2020, with their first joint project being a scripted limited series based on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The series tells the story of Tulsa’s wealthiest Black community, Greenwood, and the racism that led to its demise.

10. Marie Laveau was her favourite role 

Angela Bassett. Photo by Gage Skidmore.

In the 1800s, Laveau was a true New Orleans Voodoo priestess. Some accounts of her history refer to her as an “evil occultist,” but the Black New Orleans community remembers her as a herbalist and healer who held spiritual ceremonies every Sunday in New Orleans’ Congo Square.

Because oppressed Blacks were not allowed to congregate in public at the time, this act is significant. Knowing this, Bassett was determined to present the historical figure with great care.