The bestAngela Bassettmovies and TV shows feature everything from socially conscious prestige pictures to acclaimed biopics to superhero movies, where she even broke the glass ceiling at the Oscars. Bassett studied acting at Yale University, and after she graduated, she began looking for work in New York theater. After picking up some recognition inBoyz n the HoodandMalcolm X, she was able to catch on and start her work as a lead actress.
Bassett has found success at every step of her career. She has appeared in critically acclaimed biopics,playing historical characters like Rosa Parks and Tina Turner. She has been a major television star, with key roles in everything from9-1-1andE.R.to that Marvel animated seriesWhat If…?Bassett has also been a regular inAmerican Horror Storyand became the first Marvel Cinematic Universe actor ever to get an Oscar nomination for her role inBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Passion Fish
Cast
Passion Fish follows a former soap opera star who becomes a paraplegic after an accident. Released in 1992, the film explores her emotional and mental recovery as she forms an unexpected bond with her new nurse, who faces her own personal challenges.
Early in Angela Bassett’s career, the actress took on a role in the drama movie,Passion Fish. The film, directed by John Sayles,follows a former soap opera star who was involved in an accident, leaving her paraplegic. The nurse she hired to help is a woman who is also struggling with issues of her own. Mary McDonnell plays the actress, May-Alice Culhane, and Alfre Woodard plays the nurse, Chantelle Blades.
As for Bassett, she plays a smaller role in the film, but it showed a lot of promise and was a nice follow-up to earlier performances in movies likeBoyz n the HoodandMalcolm X. Overall, the movie has a perfect 100% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. It also received two Oscar nominations, one for McDonnell and one for John Sayles’s screenplay. At the Golden Globes, both Woodard and McDonnell also receive nominations.
9-1-1
9-1-1 is a television series that explores the intense experiences of police officers, paramedics, and firefighters. Premiered in 2018, it follows these emergency responders as they navigate high-pressure situations and attempt to balance their demanding work with personal challenges in their own lives.
Angela Bassett leadstheall-star cast in the procedural drama series9-1-1. This series, created by Ryan Murphy, focuses on Los Angeles’s first responders, including 9-1-1 dispatchers, police officers, paramedics, and firefighters, and shows how they save lives on a daily basis. Bassett plays Athena Grant-Nash, an LAPD patrol sergeant and the wife of Bobby Nash, the LAFD Station 118 captain.
While an ensemble series, Bassett remains one of the main stars and carries the load when it comes to the storyline.
9-1-1has lasted for eight seasonsand counting and survived Fox eliminating most of its scripted shows by moving to ABC. While an ensemble series, Bassett remains one of the main stars and carries the load when it comes to the storyline.9-1-1continues to draw high ratings, and it has received several awards nominations. Bassett herself won NAACP Image Awards in 2020, 2022, and 2023 for her performance.
Notorious
Notorious, released in 2009, chronicles the life of Christopher Wallace, known as The Notorious B.I.G. The film explores his transformation from a Brooklyn street hustler to a prominent and successful rapper, highlighting his journey to fame and his impact on redefining the American Dream.
In 2009, Angela Bassett joined The Notorious B.I.G. biopic,Notorious. The movie, directed by George Tillman Jr., tells the story of the life and death of The Notorious B.I.G., starting with his death in 1997 and flashing back to his childhood in Brooklyn, New York.Bassett stars in the film as Voletta Wallace, Christopher “Biggie Smalls” Wallace’s mother, and a woman who would not put up with his truancy and drug dealing while in school.
Bassett joins an impressive cast that also includes Derek Luke as Sean “Diddy” Combs and Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur. While the movie received mixed reviews, it was praised for focusing on Christopher Wallace as a person rather than flossing on his rap career. Voletta, who Bassett played in the movie, served as a producer for the film, giving the actress access to the person she was playing for questions and advice (viaXXL).
The Rosa Parks Story
The Rosa Parks Story is a biographical film highlighting the life of Rosa Parks, a seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama. The narrative focuses on events leading to her pivotal act of defiance in 1955, which ultimately sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a landmark event in the American Civil Rights Movement.
The Rosa Parks Storywas a 2002 television movie in whichAngela Bassett played Rosa Parks while Cicely Tyson played her mother. With these two women at the lead, it was no surprise that the film was so critically successful. The film was a biopic that focused on the life of Rosa Parks and how her actions influenced the civil rights movement when her arrest for sitting on a bus caused a boycott that lasted 381 days.
Bassett also won a Best Actress award at the Black Reel Awards.
The movie focuses both on the events that everyone knows about as well as Rosa Parks’ background and the horrific conditions in the racially segregated Alabama and the Deep South. The NAACP Image Awards presented the movie with its award for Best Television Movie, while Bassett herself won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special. Bassett also won a Best Actress award at the Black Reel Awards, with Cicely Tyson winning Best Supporting Actress.
How Stella Got Her Groove Back
How Stella Got Her Groove Back follows Stella Payne, a successful stockbroker, as she takes a vacation to Jamaica to unwind from her demanding career. While there, she meets a charismatic young man named Winston and begins to rediscover her passions and zest for life. Directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan, the film stars Angela Bassett and Taye Diggs, exploring themes of love, rejuvenation, and self-discovery.
One of the most popular Angela Bassett movie roles came with her romantic comedy turn in the 1998 filmHow Stella Got Her Groove Back.This film sees Bassett star as Stella Payne, a successful 40-year-old stockbrokerwho is a single parent raising her 11-year-old son. While she is financially successful, her family always looks down on her for not having a romantic relationship. This all changes when her son is at his dad’s for two weeks and she takes a Jamaican vacation.
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While there, she meets a sexy chef’s assistant on the island named Winston (Taye Diggs), and while he is 20 years younger than her, the two of them enjoy a passionate relationship while she is vacationing. The film follows the struggles of an older woman dating a younger man, but soon, she realizes that love trumps that stigma. Bassett won the NAACP Image Award for her performance and the movie won for Outstanding Motion Picture.
Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Mission: Impossible - Fallout: Released in 2018, the film continues the saga of Ethan Hunt as he grapples with the fallout of a mission gone awry. With the IMF’s integrity in question, Hunt and his team must navigate treachery within their ranks while facing a looming global threat.
Mission: Impossibleis one of those franchises that has actually gotten better as the series rolls on. The best movie in the series was the 2018 release,Mission: Impossible – Fallout, which saw Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt come into conflict with a rogue CIA agent named August Walker (Henry Cavill) and a terrorist named Solomon Lane (Sean Harris).
This was the movie that saw Alec Baldwin’s Alan Hunley die, andit introduced Angela Bassett as Erika Sloane, Hunley’s former assistant who became the director of the CIA.While Walker was a traitor, Sloane was not one of the villains and she took on his role with the IMF after his death. Bassett returns in the2025 release,Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,as the President of the United States.
Malcolm X
Malcolm X is a biographical film directed by Spike Lee, depicting the life of the influential African American leader and civil rights activist. Starring Denzel Washington in the titular role, the film chronicles Malcolm X’s journey from his troubled youth to his rise as a prominent figure in the Nation of Islam and his subsequent transformation after a pilgrimage to Mecca. The film captures the complexities and evolution of Malcolm X’s beliefs and activism.
In 1992, Spike Lee directed the biopic that followed the life, death, and legacy of Malcolm X. Denzel Washington plays Malcolm X whileAngela Bassett plays his wife, Betty Shabazz in the film. This movie follows Malcolm Little’s full life, from his days as a young child whose father was murdered by a chapter of the Black Legion to his time as a petty criminal as a young man. It then shows how he became Malcolm X and eventually his assassination.
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Unlike many actors in the film, Bassett has some first-hand help with her role, as the real Dr. Betty Shabazz served as a consultant on the film (viaThe New York Times). While widely praised,Malcolm Xonly received two Oscar nominations, one for Denzel Washington, but didn’t win any. Bassett and Washington both won the NAACP Image Awards for their performances. The Library of Congress also added the film to the National Film Registry in 2010 for preservation.
What’s Love Got to Do with It?
What’s Love Got to Do with It is a biographical drama film directed by Brian Gibson, revolving around the life of Tina Turner, portrayed by Angela Bassett. It follows her rise to stardom and tumultuous relationship with her husband Ike Turner, played by Laurence Fishburne. The film chronicles her journey from humble beginnings to becoming an iconic singer, capturing her resilience and empowerment in overcoming personal and professional challenges.
Angela Bassett received her first ever Oscar nomination in 1993for her portrayal of Tina Turner in the biopicWhat’s Love Got to Do With It?The movie was based on Tina Turner’s autobiography and followed the music sensation from her hard living conditions as a child to becoming one of the industry’s most beloved stars. It also doesn’t shy away from controversies, as Laurence Fishburne stars as her volatile husband, Ike Turner.
Bassett did take home the Golden Globes Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
Bassett received the Oscar nomination for Best Actress, while Fishburne was nominated for Best Actor, and while they both lost, this proved that both actors were ready to step into the big time. Bassett did take home the Golden Globes Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.
American Horror Story
American Horror Story is a Horror Anthology series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. The franchise has seen stars like Connie Britton, Jessica Lange, Denis O’Hare, Zachary Quinto, Evan Peters, and Dylan McDermott. Each season follows a new premise and spans an array of horror genres like witches, ghosts, serial killers, and more.
In 2013,Angela Bassett began her roles on the horror television seriesAmerican Horror Story. The first appearance came inCoven, where he played Marie Laveau in a story about a coven of witches in New Orleans who are descendants from Salem and their fight for survival. Most of the cast received Primetime Emmy nominations, with Kathy Bates and Jessica Lange taking home the two awards. Bassett also reprised the role of Marie Laveau in the 2018 release,Apocalypse.
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In between those two seasons, Bassett also appeared inFreak Show, where she played Desiree Dupree,Hotel, where she played Romona Royale, andRoanoke, where she played Lee Harris and Money Tumusiime. The only season that Bassett received a Primetime Emmy nomination other thanCovenwas forFreak Show, where Kathy Bates and Sarah Paulson also received nominations for the same series.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever explores the efforts of Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye, and the Dora Milaje as they strive to safeguard Wakanda from external threats following King T’Challa’s passing. Collaborating with allies like War Dog Nakia and Everett Ross, they seek to shape the nation’s future.
Bassett also returned to the role in 2022 withBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever, where she played the Queen mourning the death of her son, while also backing her daughter as she took on the role as the new Black Panther. In this sequel, Bassett became the first actor ever to receive an Oscar nomination for a movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This nomination came 25 years after her first nomination forWhat’s Love Got to Do with It?
While she lost the competition, the movie still received five nominations at the Oscars. This was two less than the first movie, which was also nominated for Best Picture in a movie whereAngela Bassettinitially took on the role of Ramonda, T’Challa’s mother and the Queen of Wakanda. She also voiced the role again in the Disney+ seriesWhat If…?In all, the twoBlack Panthermovies won four Oscars.
