Born in New York City, and then relocated to St. Petersburg, Florida, as a child. Angela Bassett and her sister D'nette were raised by their social worker mother, Betty. Bassett spent most of her childhood in housing projects, but even at a young age she was an entertainer. Her and her younger sister often put on shows, reading poems or performing popular music, for their mother and aunts. At Boca Ciega High School, Bassett was a member of the debate team, student government, drama club, choir, and was a cheerleader.
Stressing the importance of an education by their mother, after graduating from high school, Bassett earned an academic scholarship to Yale University and received her B.A. in African-American studies there in 1980. In 1983, she earned a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the Yale School of Drama. It was at Yale that Bassett first met her future husband Courtney B. Vance, a 1986 graduate of the drama school. Right after college, Bassett worked as a receptionist for a beauty salon and as a photo researcher.
"This is my Calling"
Soon after graduating from Yale, Bassett began finding work on the New York stage. One of her first New York performances came in 1985 when she appeared in J.E. Franklin's Black Girl at Second Stage Theatre. She also appeared in two August Wilson plays at the Yale Repertory Theatre under the direction of her long-time instructor Lloyd Richards. The Wilson plays featuring Bassett were Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (1984) and Joe Turner's Come and Gone (1986). Both proved her immense talent on stage and her potential to venture off into television and film.
In 1985 she made her first appearance on television as a prostitute in the TV movie Doubletake (1985). However, she made her official film debut as a news reporter in F/X (1986). Bassett has said "I really believe that what I do as an actress is my God-given talent. This is my calling...not my career." After success on the stage and a small taste of film, Bassett packed her bags, moved to Los Angeles and gave herself only a year to attain her calling. Bassett soon gained recognition in the highly acclaimed, but controversial, films Boyz n the Hood (1991) and Malcolm X (1992). For her portrayal of Betty Shabazz in that film, Bassett earned an Image Award.
Later that year, she won the role of Tina Turner in the feature film What's Love Got to Do with It. Bassett went through a lengthy and intense audition and even broke her finger during a screen test of a violent scene, but she eventually won the role over actresses, Robin Givens and Halle Berry. To gain Turner's famous figure, Bassett went on a no-sugar diet and did weight-training 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. She also had to memorize numerous song lyrics and full dance routines to portray the singing legend during her performances.
All of Bassett's hard work paid off once the film was released in 1993. Bassett earned a Golden Globe and was nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Turner in What's Love Got to Do with It. As of 2006 Bassett is the only African-American to win the Best Actress Golden Globe for a Musical or Comedy. Bassett's costar in Whats Love, Laurence Fishburne, was also nominated for the Oscar that year and the two became the first and only African-American actors to be nominated in the Best Actor categories in the same year for the same film.
Angela Bassett starred in three movies in 1995 that were released with varied reactions from critics; Vampire in Brooklyn, Strange Days, and Waiting to Exhale (where she worked with author Terry McMillan). In Strange Days, Bassett plays Lornette "Mace" Mason who is regarded as the savior/heroine in the film often saving the male main character in gutsy, raw fist fights or fiery car chases. Bassett's Mace is also one of the few black female science-fiction characters in film. Bernadine, Bassett's character in Waiting to Exhale, was betrayed by her husband and in revenge she set fire to his entire wardrobe and vehicle, then she sold what was left for one dollar. Bassett's performance in the film was so popular that her scenes are often referenced to in novels and there are still social groups that gather to watch Waiting to Exhale.
It can be argued that Angela Bassett's first truly leading role , where the film solely depended on her star power and charisma, was in 1998's How Stella Got Her Groove Back where she once again collaborated with McMillan. She played Stella in the film about a 40 year old professional woman falling in love with a 20 year old Jamaican man. Bassett appears in nearly every scene in the film, showing off her toned figure in jogging suits or two-piece swim-suits , but more notably displaying her leading lady status. She unsurprisingly received rave reviews:
Colin Covert of the Minneapolis Tribune wrote, "The new science-fiction film, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, explores the romantic trials of a woman who lives in a galaxy far removed from our own. It's set on a planet where Angela Bassett cant find a date. As we know, on planet Earth, men would throw themselves at her feet until they formed a pile that would have to be removed by a backhoe."
Bassett made headlines when she stated that she was offered the role in Monster's Ball (for which Halle Berry won a history-making Oscar) but did not accept it because of its representation of African-American females.
Bassett hasn't had to audition for a film since 1993's What's Love Got to Do with It? although Bassett says that she wouldn't mind auditioning for a director to prove that she can do a role they aren't used to seeing her perform.
The Real Angela
Angela Bassett is a private person, often choosing not to discuss her personal life with the public. She is also a religious person who is of the Christian faith and attends LA's West Angeles Church of God in Christ along with fellow actor Denzel Washington. Bassett told the LA Times: "Loving God is like my being black. I just am. [No one says] 'You know what? I'm gonna be blacker today!' It's my culture. It's not something I put on or take off or show more. You just communicate that in the way you live your life."
She has been married to actor Courtney B. Vance since 1997. In the summer of 2005, they starred together in a production of the play His Girl Friday at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The couple's first children, son Slater Josiah and daughter Bronwyn Golden, were born on January 27, 2006. The children were carried by a surrogate mother after Bassett had a seven year battle with pregnancy.
Bassett is an avid supporter of progams for the Arts, especially for youth. She annually attends events for children with diabetes and in foster homes, and she is an active Ambassador of UNICEF. Bassett is a big supporter of the Royal Theater Boys & Girls Club in her hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida. The Club is one of the first all performing arts Boys & Girls Clubs in the country.
Kindergarten Cop (1990)File:Friendsalovestory.jpgThe couple co-authored the book "Friends: A Love Story" detailing their long relationship as friends before they married. Due: Valentines Day 2007
Laurence Fishburne has said "There's nothing better than working with Angela and we'll do anything to make it happen".
Angie and Larry were actually signed on to do two other projects together. One was a film back in the late 80s. It was an adaptation of the book "Dessa Rose" and was also to costar Natasha Richardson, Tony Todd, and Cicely Tyson, but the film was sorely budgeted and never released.
The other project was a broadway rendition of A Raisin in the Sun with Bassett and Fishburne playing the lead roles. But the stage play never developed past "negotiations" and instead the production went on to star P. Diddy and Phylicia Rashad in 2004.
Angela's ideal role would be to play "a Queen of something grand"
Angela named her twins Bronwyn (because "it's a strong, powerful name") and Slater (after her great-grandfather)
When asked about her controversial remarks about Halle Berry's role in Monster's Ball, Angela said she spoke with Halle and that "She was hurt, but not only did it hurt her, it hurt me. We talked it through." Bassett continues: "There are issues that I can’t reconcile myself with as an actress. As a black woman growing up in a country that has had a long history of racism, I'm sensitive to all the portrayals of us."
