Angela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer
Tina TurnerTina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as
Betty ShabazzBetty Shabazz , born Betty Dean Sanders and also known as Betty X, was an American educator and civil rights advocate. She was the wife of Malcolm X....
in the films
Malcolm XMalcolm X is a 1992 biographical motion picture about the Muslim-American figure Malcolm X . It was co-written, co-produced, and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington as the titular character. It co-stars Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, Al Freeman, Jr., and Delroy Lindo...
and
PantherPanther is a 1995 film directed by Mario Van Peebles, from a screenplay adapted by his father, Melvin Van Peebles, based on his book. The film dramatizes the story of The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense...
,
Rosa ParksRosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....
in the
The Rosa Parks StoryThe Rosa Parks Story is a 2002 American television movie written by Paris Qualles and directed by Julie Dash. Angela Basset portrays Rosa Parks. It was broadcast by CBS on February 24, 2002.-Plot:...
,
Katherine JacksonKatherine Esther Jackson is the matriarch of the Jackson musical family.-Early life:...
in the
miniseriesA miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
The Jacksons: An American DreamThe Jacksons: An American Dream is a five-hour American miniseries broadcast in two halves on ABC and originally broadcast on November 15 through November 18, 1992...
and Voletta Wallace in the film
NotoriousNotorious is a 2009 American biographical film about the life of iconic hip hop star The Notorious B.I.G. who is played by Jamal Woolard. The film co-stars Angela Bassett as his mother Voletta Wallace, Derek Luke as Sean Combs, and Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur...
.
Early life
Bassett was born in
HarlemHarlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, the daughter of Betty Jane and Daniel Benjamin Bassett. After her parents' separation, she relocated to
St. PetersburgSt. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
, Florida, where she and her sister D'nette were raised by their social worker/civil servant mother. As her interest in entertainment developed, Angela and her sister would often put on shows, reading poems or performing popular music for their family. At
Boca Ciega High SchoolBoca Ciega High School is an American four-year public high school in Gulfport, Florida, south of the St. Petersburg city line, and is part of the Pinellas County Schools district...
, Bassett was a cheerleader and a member of the debate team, student government, drama club and choir.
Bassett attended
Yale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and received her B.A. degree in African-American studies in 1980. In 1983, she earned a
Master of Fine ArtsA Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
degree from the
Yale School of DramaThe Yale School of Drama is a graduate professional school of Yale University providing training in every discipline of the theatre: acting, design , directing, dramaturgy and dramatic criticism, playwriting, stage management, sound design, technical design and production, and theater...
. At Yale, Bassett met her future husband
Courtney B. VanceCourtney Bernard Vance is an American actor. He was formerly a regular on the NBC/USA television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver. He was also a series regular on the ABC series FlashForward. As of 2011, he appears on the TNT series The Closer as Chief...
, a 1986 graduate of the drama school. After graduation, Bassett worked as a receptionist for a beauty salon and as a photo researcher.
Bassett soon looked for acting work in the New York theater. One of her first New York performances came in 1985 when she appeared in
J. E. FranklinJ. E. Franklin is an American playwright, best known for her play, Black Girl, which was later made into a 1972 feature film.-Biography:She was born Jennie Elizabeth Franklin in Houston, Texas to Robert Franklin and Mathie Randle. Ms. Franklin has written several plays, but is best known for Black...
's Black Girl at
Second Stage TheatreSecond Stage Theatre is an award-winning contemporary Off-Broadway theater company.-Mission:The theatre's mission is to give new life to contemporary American plays and to produce the world premiers of new plays by both established and emerging playwrights...
. She appeared in two
August WilsonAugust Wilson was an American playwright whose work included a series of ten plays, The Pittsburgh Cycle, for which he received two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama...
plays at the
Yale Repertory TheatreThe Yale Repertory Theatre at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut was founded by Robert Brustein, dean of the Yale School of Drama in 1966, with the goal of facilitating a meaningful collaboration between theatre professionals and talented students. In the process it has become one of the...
under the direction of her long-time instructor
Lloyd RichardsLloyd George Richards was a Canadian-American theatre director, actor, and dean of the Yale School of Drama from 1979 to 1991, and Yale University professor emeritus.- Biography :...
. The Wilson plays featuring Bassett were
Ma Rainey's Black BottomMa Rainey's Black Bottom is a 1982 play - one of the ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle by August Wilson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American playwright - that chronicles the twentieth century African American experience...
(1984) and
Joe Turner's Come and GoneJoe Turner's Come and Gone is a play by American playwright, August Wilson, the second installment of his decade-by-decade chronicle of the African-American experience, The Pittsburgh Cycle...
(1986). In 2006, she had the opportunity to work on the Wilson canon again, starring in Fences alongside longtime collaborator
Laurence FishburneLaurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
at the
Pasadena PlayhouseThe Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engagements each year.-History:...
in California.
Television and film career
In 1985, Bassett made her first television appearance as a prostitute in the TV movie Doubletake. However, she made her official film debut as a news reporter in
F/XF/X is a 1986 American action-thriller film about Rollie Tyler , an expert in the art of special effects with a reputation built by his work on many low-budget hack-and-slash films such as I Dismember Mama...
(1986). Bassett moved to Los Angeles and gained recognition in the films
Boyz n the HoodBoyz n the Hood is a 1991 American hood film written and directed by John Singleton. Starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Angela Bassett and Regina King, the film depicts life in poor South Central Los Angeles, California and was filmed and released...
(1991) and
Malcolm XMalcolm X is a 1992 biographical motion picture about the Muslim-American figure Malcolm X . It was co-written, co-produced, and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington as the titular character. It co-stars Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, Al Freeman, Jr., and Delroy Lindo...
(1992). For her portrayal of
Betty ShabazzBetty Shabazz , born Betty Dean Sanders and also known as Betty X, was an American educator and civil rights advocate. She was the wife of Malcolm X....
, she earned an
Image AwardAn NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
.
In 1992, Bassett played
Katherine JacksonKatherine Esther Jackson is the matriarch of the Jackson musical family.-Early life:...
in the mini series
The Jacksons: An American DreamThe Jacksons: An American Dream is a five-hour American miniseries broadcast in two halves on ABC and originally broadcast on November 15 through November 18, 1992...
. Later that year, Bassett was cast as
Tina TurnerTina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
in the feature film What's Love Got to Do with It (1993). Bassett won a Golden Globe and earned an
Academy AwardPerformance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
nomination for her portrayal of Turner. She was the first African-American to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
Bassett starred in three movies in 1995, which were released with varied reactions from critics:
Vampire in BrooklynVampire in Brooklyn is a 1995 horror comedy film directed by Wes Craven, and starring Eddie Murphy and Angela Bassett. Allen Payne, Kadeem Hardison, John Witherspoon, Zakes Mokae, and Joanna Cassidy co-star. Eddie Murphy wrote the film's script, along with Vernon Lynch and older brother Charles Q....
,
Strange DaysStrange Days is a 1995 cyberpunk science fiction film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and produced and co-written by James Cameron and Jay Cocks, starring Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Michael Wincott and Vincent D'Onofrio. Despite positive reviews, the film was a...
, and
Waiting to ExhaleWaiting to Exhale is a 1995 romance film starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett, directed by Forest Whitaker. The movie was adapted from the 1992 novel of the same name by Terry McMillan. Loretta Devine, Lela Rochon, Dennis Haysbert, Michael Beach, Gregory Hines, Donald Faison and Mykelti...
(where she worked with author
Terry McMillanTerry McMillan is an American author. Her interest in books comes from working at a library when she was sixteen. She received her BA in journalism in 1986 at University of California, Berkeley. Her work is characterized by strong female protagonists.Her first book, Mama, was published in 1987...
). In Strange Days, Bassett plays Lornette "Mace" Mason, a chauffeur and bodyguard. In Vampire in Brooklyn, she plays Rita Veder, a tortured cop with a dark secret. Bassett's character in Waiting to Exhale, Bernadine Harris, was betrayed by her husband and in revenge she set fire to his entire wardrobe and vehicle, then sold what was left for one dollar.
In 1998, Bassett starred in the film
How Stella Got Her Groove BackHow Stella Got Her Groove Back is a 1998 romance film, directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan. The film stars Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg and Regina King. This film is an adaptation of Terry McMillan's bestselling novel by the same title...
, once again collaborating with McMillan. She played Stella, a 40-year-old American professional woman who falls in love with a 20-year-old Jamaican man. In 1999, Bassett starred in the dramatic film
Music of the HeartMusic of the Heart is a 1999 dramatic film. This film was produced by Craven-Maddalena Films and Miramax Films, and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution.The film stars Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn, Gloria Estefan, and Angela Bassett...
, once collaborating with the horror icon
Wes CravenWesley Earl "Wes" Craven is an American actor, film director, writer, producer, perhaps best known as the director of many horror films, particularly slasher films, including the famed A Nightmare on Elm Street and Wes Craven's New Nightmare, featuring the iconic Freddy Krueger character, the...
. In 2000, Bassett turned down the lead role in
Monster's BallMonster's Ball is a 2001 romantic drama film directed by Marc Forster, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, and Heath Ledger, and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos. It was produced by Lionsgate and Lee Daniels Entertainment....
due to the script's sexual content; the role earned
Halle BerryHalle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
the
Academy Award for Best ActressPerformance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
.
In 2003, she read from the WPA slave narratives in the HBO film
Unchained MemoriesUnchained Memories is a 2003 documentary films about the stories of former slaves interviewed during the 1930s as part of the Federal Writers' Project. This HBO film interpretation directed by Ed Bell and Thomas Lennon is a compilation of slave narratives, narrated by actors, emulating the...
. In the 1930s, about 100,000 former slaves were still living during the Great Depression, of which 2,300 were interviewed part of the Federal Writers' Project. The transcripts of the Slave Narratives collection of the Library of Congress is a record of slavery, bondage and misery.
Bassett joined the regular cast of the medical drama series
ERER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
for the show's final season (2008–2009). She portrayed
Dr. Catherine BanfieldCatherine "Cate" Banfield is a fictional character in the American medical drama ER, portrayed by Angela Bassett. She is an attending physician with a mysterious past with County General...
, an exacting Chief of the ER who was also working to recover from the death of a son and to bring another child into her family. Bassett's husband Courtney Vance played her television husband on ER as Russell Banfield.
In 2010, Bassett lent her voice to portray
First Lady Michelle ObamaMichelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
on an episode of
The SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
entitled "
Stealing First Base"Stealing First Base" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons twenty-first season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 21, 2010. In this episode, Bart falls in love with a girl named Nikki from a second fourth grade class, but when he kisses her, Nikki begins...
". Bassett was also cast in the superhero film
Green LanternGreen Lantern is a 2011 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The film stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett and Tim Robbins, with Martin Campbell directing a script by Greg Berlanti and comic book writers Michael Green and Marc...
, released in 2011, as notable
DC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
character
Amanda WallerDr. Amanda Blake Waller is a character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne...
.
In 2010, Deadline.com reported that Bassett would have a role in ABC's show, One Police Plaza.
In 2011, Bassett co-stared with
Samuel L. JacksonSamuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
in the play
The MountaintopThe Mountaintop is a play by American playwright Katori Hall. It is a fictional depiction of the Reverend Martin Luther King's last night on earth set entirely in Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel on the eve of his assassination on April 4, 1968.-Productions:...
a fictionalized depiction of the night before the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King (Jackson portrays MLK) while at the Lorraine Hotel. The critically acclaimed play by
Katori HallKatori Hall is an American playwright, journalist and actress from Memphis, Tennessee.Her play The Mountaintop, about Martin Luther King's last night before his assassination, premiered in London in 2009 to great critical acclaim. After a sell-out run at Theatre 503, the play transferred to the...
originally debuted in London's West End in 2009 and went on to win the Lawrence Olivier Award for Best New Play. The production opened on Broadway on October 13, 2011.
Personal life
Bassett married actor
Courtney B. VanceCourtney Bernard Vance is an American actor. He was formerly a regular on the NBC/USA television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver. He was also a series regular on the ABC series FlashForward. As of 2011, he appears on the TNT series The Closer as Chief...
in 1997. In the summer of 2005, they starred together in a production of the play
His Girl FridayHis Girl Friday is a 1940 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, an adaptation by Charles Lederer, Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur of the play The Front Page by Hecht and MacArthur...
at the
Guthrie TheaterThe Guthrie Theater is a center for theater performance, production, education, and professional training in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the result of the desire of Sir Tyrone Guthrie, Oliver Rea, and Peter Zeisler to create a resident acting company that would produce and perform the classics in...
in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The couple's children – son Slater Josiah and daughter Bronwyn Golden-- were born on January 27, 2006.
Bassett is an avid supporter of programs for the Arts, especially for youth. She annually attends events for children with diabetes and those in foster homes. She is an active Ambassador of UNICEF for the United States. 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.
Bassett is represented by the Executive Speakers Bureau of
MemphisMemphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
.
Filmography and awards
Film
| Year |
Film |
Role |
Notes |
| 1986 |
F/X F/X is a 1986 American action-thriller film about Rollie Tyler , an expert in the art of special effects with a reputation built by his work on many low-budget hack-and-slash films such as I Dismember Mama...
|
TV Reporter |
|
| 1990 |
Kindergarten CopKindergarten Cop is a 1990 American comedy thriller film directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger stars as John Kimble, a tough police detective, who must go undercover as a kindergarten teacher to catch drug dealer Cullen Crisp , before Crisp can get to his...
|
Stewardess |
|
| 1991 |
Critters 4 Critters 4 is a 1992 science fiction comedy horror film starring Don Keith Opper, Terrence Mann, Angela Bassett and Brad Dourif. It was directed by Rupert Harvey and written by Harvey, Barry Opper, Joseph Lyle and David J. Schow. It is the fourth and seemingly final film in the Critters series...
|
Fran |
Released Straight-to-Video |
| 1991 |
Boyz n the Hood Boyz n the Hood is a 1991 American hood film written and directed by John Singleton. Starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Angela Bassett and Regina King, the film depicts life in poor South Central Los Angeles, California and was filmed and released...
|
Reva Devereaux |
|
| 1991 |
City of Hope City of Hope is an American drama film written and directed by John Sayles.The film features Vincent Spano, Stephen Mendillo and Chris Cooper....
|
Reesha |
|
| 1992 |
Passion Fish Passion Fish is a 1992 American film written and directed by John Sayles. The film stars Mary McDonnell, Alfre Woodard, Vondie Curtis-Hall, David Strathairn, Leo Burmester, and Angela Bassett....
|
Dawn/Rhonda |
|
| 1992 |
Innocent Blood Innocent Blood is a 1992 American horror-crime film directed by John Landis. The film stars Anne Parillaud as a vampire who finds herself against a blood-sucking legion of mobsters after biting a notorious crime boss played by Robert Loggia....
|
U.S. Attorney Sinclair |
|
| 1992 |
Malcolm X Malcolm X is a 1992 biographical motion picture about the Muslim-American figure Malcolm X . It was co-written, co-produced, and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington as the titular character. It co-stars Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, Al Freeman, Jr., and Delroy Lindo...
|
Betty Shabazz Betty Shabazz , born Betty Dean Sanders and also known as Betty X, was an American educator and civil rights advocate. She was the wife of Malcolm X....
|
|
| 1993 |
What's Love Got to Do with It |
Anna Mae Bullock/Tina TurnerTina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
|
|
| 1995 |
Vampire in Brooklyn Vampire in Brooklyn is a 1995 horror comedy film directed by Wes Craven, and starring Eddie Murphy and Angela Bassett. Allen Payne, Kadeem Hardison, John Witherspoon, Zakes Mokae, and Joanna Cassidy co-star. Eddie Murphy wrote the film's script, along with Vernon Lynch and older brother Charles Q....
|
Det. Rita Veder |
|
| 1995 |
Panther Panther is a 1995 film directed by Mario Van Peebles, from a screenplay adapted by his father, Melvin Van Peebles, based on his book. The film dramatizes the story of The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense...
|
Betty Shabazz Betty Shabazz , born Betty Dean Sanders and also known as Betty X, was an American educator and civil rights advocate. She was the wife of Malcolm X....
|
|
| 1995 |
Strange Days Strange Days is a 1995 cyberpunk science fiction film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and produced and co-written by James Cameron and Jay Cocks, starring Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Michael Wincott and Vincent D'Onofrio. Despite positive reviews, the film was a...
|
Lornette 'Mace' Mason |
|
| 1995 |
Waiting to ExhaleWaiting to Exhale is a 1995 romance film starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett, directed by Forest Whitaker. The movie was adapted from the 1992 novel of the same name by Terry McMillan. Loretta Devine, Lela Rochon, Dennis Haysbert, Michael Beach, Gregory Hines, Donald Faison and Mykelti...
|
Bernadine 'Bernie' Harris |
|
| 1997 |
ContactContact is a 1997 American science fiction drama film adapted from the Carl Sagan novel of the same name and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Both Sagan and wife Ann Druyan wrote the story outline for the film adaptation of Contact....
|
Rachel Constantine |
|
| 1998 |
How Stella Got Her Groove Back How Stella Got Her Groove Back is a 1998 romance film, directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan. The film stars Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg and Regina King. This film is an adaptation of Terry McMillan's bestselling novel by the same title...
|
Stella |
|
| 1999 |
Our Friend, Martin Our Friend, Martin is a 1999 animated children's educational film about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the American civil rights movement. Two friends travel through time, meeting Dr. King at several points during his life...
|
Miles' Mom |
Voice role, released Straight-to-Video |
| 1999 |
Music of the Heart Music of the Heart is a 1999 dramatic film. This film was produced by Craven-Maddalena Films and Miramax Films, and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution.The film stars Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn, Gloria Estefan, and Angela Bassett...
|
Principal Janet Williams |
|
| 2000 |
Supernova |
Dr. Kaela Evers |
|
| 2000 |
Whispers: An Elephant's Tale |
Groove |
Voice Role |
| 2000 |
Boesman and Lena |
Lena |
|
| 2001 |
|
Diane |
|
| 2002 |
Sunshine State Sunshine State is a 2002 American comedy–drama film written and directed by John Sayles. The picture stars an ensemble cast that features Angela Bassett, Edie Falco, Jane Alexander, Alan King, Timothy Hutton, Mary Steenburgen, Bill Cobbs, and others. The movie was filmed on Amelia Island,...
|
Desiree Stokes Perry |
|
| 2003 |
Unchained Memories Unchained Memories is a 2003 documentary films about the stories of former slaves interviewed during the 1930s as part of the Federal Writers' Project. This HBO film interpretation directed by Ed Bell and Thomas Lennon is a compilation of slave narratives, narrated by actors, emulating the...
|
Reader |
|
| 2003 |
Masked and Anonymous Masked and Anonymous is a 2003 comedy-drama film directed by Larry Charles, who is better known for his writing on successful TV sitcoms, Seinfeld and Mad About You and for executive producing episodes of The Tick and Dilbert. The film was written by Larry Charles and Bob Dylan, the latter under...
|
Mistress |
|
| 2004 |
|
Dr. Elizabeth Chase |
|
| 2004 |
Mr. 3000 Mr. 3000 is a 2004 American sports comedy film starring Bernie Mac and Angela Bassett. The film's plot surrounds a retired Major League Baseball player who makes a comeback at age 47 in order to attain 3,000 hits.-Plot:...
|
Maureen 'Mo' Simmons |
|
| 2005 |
Mr. & Mrs. Smith Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a 2005 American romantic comedy action film directed by Doug Liman and written by Simon Kinberg. The original music score was composed by John Powell...
|
Mr. Smith's Boss |
Uncredited voice role |
| 2006 |
Akeelah and the Bee Akeelah and the Bee is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Doug Atchison. It tells the story of Akeelah Anderson, portrayed by Keke Palmer, an 11-year-old girl who participates in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, her mother, portrayed by Angela Bassett, schoolmates, and also her...
|
Tanya Anderson |
|
| 2007 |
Meet the RobinsonsMeet the Robinsons is a 2007 American computer-animated family film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures on March 30, 2007. The forty-seventh animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics, the film was released in both the United States and the...
|
Mildred |
Voice role |
| 2008 |
Gospel Hill Gospel Hill is a 2008 film directed and produced by Giancarlo Esposito, who also stars in the film. The film was released on February 10, 2009 on DVD in the United States after being at numerous film festivals.-Plot:...
|
Sarah Malcolm |
|
| 2008 |
Of Boys and Men |
Rieta Cole |
|
| 2008 |
Meet the BrownsMeet the Browns is a 2008 romantic comedy-drama film released by Lionsgate on March 21, 2008. The film was based on the play of the same name by Tyler Perry.-Plot:...
|
Brenda Brown |
|
| 2008 |
Nothing But the Truth Nothing but the Truth is a 2008 American drama film written and directed by Rod Lurie. According to comments made by Lurie in The Truth Hurts, a bonus feature on the DVD release, his inspiration for the screenplay was the case of journalist Judith Miller, who in July 2005 was jailed for contempt of...
|
Bonnie Benjamin |
|
| 2009 |
Notorious Notorious is a 2009 American biographical film about the life of iconic hip hop star The Notorious B.I.G. who is played by Jamal Woolard. The film co-stars Angela Bassett as his mother Voletta Wallace, Derek Luke as Sean Combs, and Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur...
|
Voletta Wallace |
|
| 2011 |
Jumping the Broom |
Mrs. Watson |
|
| 2011 |
Green Lantern Green Lantern is a 2011 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The film stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett and Tim Robbins, with Martin Campbell directing a script by Greg Berlanti and comic book writers Michael Green and Marc...
|
Amanda WallerDr. Amanda Blake Waller is a character published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986, and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne...
|
|
| 2012 |
This Means War This Means War is an upcoming 2012 action comedy film directed by McG, starring Tom Hardy, Chris Pine and Reese Witherspoon.-Plot:Two CIA agents go to war with one another after they discover they are dating the same woman .-Cast:* Reese Witherspoon as Lauren Scott* Chris Pine* Tom Hardy* Chelsea...
|
|
|
Television
| Year |
Film |
Role |
Notes |
| 1985 |
Doubletake |
Prostitute at Headquarters |
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
TV-MovieA television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
|
| 1985 |
Spenser: For HireSpenser: For Hire is a mystery television series based on Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels. The series, developed for TV by John Wilder, differs from the novels, mostly in its lesser degree of detail....
|
Joe's Daughter |
Episode: "The Choice" |
| 1985, 1988 |
|
Mrs. Mitchell
Paula |
Episode: "Mr. Quiet"
Episode: "Bookworm" |
| 1986 |
Liberty |
Linda Thornton |
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
TV-Movie |
| 1987 |
Ryan's HopeRyan's Hope is an American soap opera, revolving around 13 years of trials and tribulations within a large Irish American family in the Riverside district of New York City. It aired from July 7, 1975 to January 13, 1989 on ABC...
|
Leonie Peach |
|
| 1989 |
|
Bailey Webster |
Episodes: "The Master's Mirror" and "Never My Love" |
| 1989 |
Tour of Duty Tour of Duty is an American drama television series on CBS. It ran for three seasons from September 1987 to April 1990 as 58 one–hour episodes. The show was created by Steve Duncan and L. Travis Clark, and produced by Zev Braun....
|
Lt. Camilla Patterson |
Episodes: "Hard Stripe" and "The Volunteer" |
| 1989 |
227227 is an American situation comedy that originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, until May 6, 1990. The series starred Marla Gibbs as a sharp-tongued, inner-city resident gossip and housewife, Mary Jenkins...
|
Amy Burnett |
Episode: "A Pampered Tale" |
| 1989 |
Thirtysomething |
Kate Harriton |
Episode: "Legacy" |
| 1990 |
Family of Spies |
Bev Andress |
CBS TV-Movie |
| 1990 |
Alien Nation |
Renee Longstreet |
Episode: "Eyewitness News" |
| 1990 |
Challenger |
Cheryl McNair |
ABC TV-Movie |
| 1990 |
Equal Justice |
Janet Fields |
Episode: "Goodbye, Judge Green" |
| 1990 |
In the Best Interest of the Child |
Lori |
CBS TV-Movie |
| 1990 |
Perry Mason: In the Case of the Silenced Singer |
Carla Peters |
NBC TV-Movie |
| 1991 |
Line of Fire: The Morris Dees Story |
Pat |
NBC TV-Movie |
| 1991 |
|
Linda Lake |
Episode: "Beat the Clock" |
| 1991 |
Fire: Trapped on the 37th Floor |
Allison |
ABC TV-Movie |
| 1991 |
Stat |
Dr. Willie Burns |
Episode: "Ladyfinger" |
| 1991 |
|
Lt. Phoebe Jeter |
ABC TV-Movie |
| 1991 |
Locked Up: A Mother's Rage |
Willie |
TV-Movie |
| 1991 |
One Special Victory |
Lois |
NBC TV-Movie |
| 1992 |
Nightmare CafeNightmare Cafe is a short-lived American telefantasy program which aired on NBC for an abridged first season from January to April 1992. While the overall tone of the program was that of a mystical fantasy, it frequently incorporated elements of dark humor, horror, and even outright comedy. A total...
|
Evelyn |
Episode: "Sanctuary for a Child" |
| 1992 |
|
Katherine Jackson Katherine Esther Jackson is the matriarch of the Jackson musical family.-Early life:...
|
ABC Miniseries A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
|
| 1995 |
Get Smart Get Smart is a short-lived American comedy television series that aired in 1995 on FOX. The series was a sequel to the original Get Smart television series that ran from 1965 to 1970. The series premiered on January 8, 1995 and ended its original run on February 19, 1995.-Overview:Maxwell Smart is...
|
Uncredited role as Runway Model |
Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2001 |
Ruby's Bucket of Blood |
Ruby Delacroix |
Showtime TV-Movie |
| 2002 |
|
Rosa ParksRosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....
|
CBS TV-Movie |
| 2003 |
Freedom: A History of Us |
Sheyann Webb Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Smallest Freedom Fighter" and co-author of the book, Selma, Lord, Selma. As a nine year old, Sheyann Webb-Christburg took part in the first attempted Selma to Montgomery march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965, known as Bloody Sunday.Sheyann was born on...
Melba PattilloMelba Pattillo Beals is a journalist and member of the Little Rock Nine, a group of African-American students who were the first to integrate Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas.-Desegregating Central High:...
|
PBS Miniseries
Episodes: "Marching to Freedom Land" and "Let Freedom Ring" |
| 2005 |
AliasAlias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
|
CIA Director Hayden Chase |
Episodes: "Authorized Personnel Only", "The Index", "The Descent" and "Search And Rescue" |
| 2006 |
Time Bomb Time Bomb is a 2006 television movie starring David Arquette, by CBS Television.- Plot :During a game of football in Washington, D.C., a terrorist issues a bomb threat to the Department of Homeland Security, stating that it is in a stadium. The family of an agent with the Department of Homeland...
|
Jill Greco |
CBS TV-Movie |
2008–
2009 |
ERER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
|
Dr. Cate BanfieldCatherine "Cate" Banfield is a fictional character in the American medical drama ER, portrayed by Angela Bassett. She is an attending physician with a mysterious past with County General...
|
|
| 2010 |
|
First Lady Michelle Obama |
Episode: Stealing First Base "Stealing First Base" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons twenty-first season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 21, 2010. In this episode, Bart falls in love with a girl named Nikki from a second fourth grade class, but when he kisses her, Nikki begins...
(voice) |
Awards and nominations
| Year |
Award |
Category |
Result |
For |
| 1994 |
Academy Award |
Best Actress |
Nominated |
What's Love Got to Do with It |
| 1994 |
Golden Globe |
Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy |
Won |
What's Love Got to Do with It |
| 1995 |
NAACP Image Awards |
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture |
Won |
What's Love Got to Do with It |
| 1995 |
NAACP Image Awards |
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture |
Won |
Malcolm X Malcolm X is a 1992 biographical motion picture about the Muslim-American figure Malcolm X . It was co-written, co-produced, and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Denzel Washington as the titular character. It co-stars Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, Al Freeman, Jr., and Delroy Lindo...
|
| 1995 |
NAACP Image Awards |
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture |
Won |
Waiting to ExhaleWaiting to Exhale is a 1995 romance film starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett, directed by Forest Whitaker. The movie was adapted from the 1992 novel of the same name by Terry McMillan. Loretta Devine, Lela Rochon, Dennis Haysbert, Michael Beach, Gregory Hines, Donald Faison and Mykelti...
|
| 1996 |
Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
|
Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series |
Nominated |
Storytime |
| 1996 |
Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Award First presented in 1977, Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards are presented to honor women in communications and media. The awards include the Crystal Award, the Lucy Award, the Dorothy Arzner Directors Award, the MaxMara Face of the Future Award, and the Kodak Vision Award...
|
Crystal Award for outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry. |
Recipient |
|
| 1996 |
Saturn Award The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
|
Best Actress |
Won |
Strange Days Strange Days is a 1995 cyberpunk science fiction film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and produced and co-written by James Cameron and Jay Cocks, starring Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Michael Wincott and Vincent D'Onofrio. Despite positive reviews, the film was a...
|
| 1998 |
NAACP Image Awards |
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture |
Nominated |
ContactContact is a 1997 American science fiction drama film adapted from the Carl Sagan novel of the same name and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Both Sagan and wife Ann Druyan wrote the story outline for the film adaptation of Contact....
|
| 1999 |
NAACP Image Awards |
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture |
Won |
How Stella Got Her Groove Back How Stella Got Her Groove Back is a 1998 romance film, directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan. The film stars Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg and Regina King. This film is an adaptation of Terry McMillan's bestselling novel by the same title...
|
| 2000 |
Black Reel Award |
Best Supporting Actress in a Theatrical Film |
Nominated |
Music of the Heart Music of the Heart is a 1999 dramatic film. This film was produced by Craven-Maddalena Films and Miramax Films, and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution.The film stars Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn, Gloria Estefan, and Angela Bassett...
|
| 2000 |
NAACP Image Awards |
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture |
Won |
Music of the Heart |
| 2001 |
Black Reel Award |
Best Actress in a Theatrical Film |
Nominated |
Boseman and Lena |
| 2001 |
NAACP Image Awards |
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture |
Nominated |
Boseman and Lena |
| 2002 |
Black Reel Award |
Best Actress in a Network or Cable Film |
Won |
Ruby's Bucket of Blood |
| 2002 |
NAACP Image Awards |
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special |
Won |
Ruby's Bucket of Blood |
| 2002 |
NAACP Image Awards |
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture |
Won |
|
| 2002 |
Screen Actors Guild Award |
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries |
Nominated |
Ruby's Bucket of Blood |
| 2003 |
Black Reel Award |
Best Actress in a Theatrical Film |
Won |
Sunshine State Sunshine State is a 2002 American comedy–drama film written and directed by John Sayles. The picture stars an ensemble cast that features Angela Bassett, Edie Falco, Jane Alexander, Alan King, Timothy Hutton, Mary Steenburgen, Bill Cobbs, and others. The movie was filmed on Amelia Island,...
|
| 2003 |
Black Reel Award |
Best Actress in a Network or Cable Film |
Won |
|
| 2002 |
Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
|
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Mini-Series or Television Movie |
Nominated |
|
| 2003 |
Daytime Emmy Award |
Outstanding Children's Special |
Nominated (shared nomination) |
Our America For the OWN documentary television series, see Our America with Lisa Ling Our America is an award-winning movie based on the book Our America: Life And Death On The South Side Of Chicago....
|
| 2003 |
Image Award |
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture |
Won |
Sunshine State |
| 2003 |
NAACP Image Awards |
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture |
Won |
Sunshine State |
| 2003 |
NAACP Image Awards |
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special |
Won |
|
| 2005 |
Black Reel Award |
Best Actress, Musical or Comedy |
Nominated |
Mr. 3000 Mr. 3000 is a 2004 American sports comedy film starring Bernie Mac and Angela Bassett. The film's plot surrounds a retired Major League Baseball player who makes a comeback at age 47 in order to attain 3,000 hits.-Plot:...
|
| 2005 |
BET Award |
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Theatrical Film |
Nominated |
Mr. 3000 |
| 2005 |
NAACP Image Awards |
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture |
Nominated |
Mr. 3000 |
| 2006 |
Black Movie Award |
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role |
Won |
Akeelah and the Bee Akeelah and the Bee is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Doug Atchison. It tells the story of Akeelah Anderson, portrayed by Keke Palmer, an 11-year-old girl who participates in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, her mother, portrayed by Angela Bassett, schoolmates, and also her...
|
| 2007 |
Black Reel Award |
Best Supporting Actress |
Nominated |
Akeelah and the Bee |
| 2007 |
NAACP Image Awards |
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture |
Nominated |
Akeelah and the Bee |
| 2009 |
NAACP Image Awards |
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture |
Nominated |
Meet the BrownsMeet the Browns is a 2008 romantic comedy-drama film released by Lionsgate on March 21, 2008. The film was based on the play of the same name by Tyler Perry.-Plot:...
|
| 2007 |
NAACP Image Awards |
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series |
Won |
ERER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
|
| 2010 |
Black Reel Award |
As a member of the Best Ensemble |
Nominated |
Notorious Notorious is a 2009 American biographical film about the life of iconic hip hop star The Notorious B.I.G. who is played by Jamal Woolard. The film co-stars Angela Bassett as his mother Voletta Wallace, Derek Luke as Sean Combs, and Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur...
|
In to addition to her awards and nominations for individual performances, Bassett was awarded a star on the
Hollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
in 2008.
External links