Angela Bassett

Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) 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 Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and Panther, Rosa Parks in the The Rosa Parks Story, Katherine Jackson in the miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream and Voletta Wallace in the film Notorious.

Personal life

Bassett is a private person, often choosing not to discuss her personal life with the public. She attends LA's West Angeles Church of God in Christ, along with fellow actor Denzel Washington. Bassett told the Los Angeles Times: "Loving God is like me 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."

Bassett married actor Courtney B. Vance in 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. Trying for seven years since 2000, Bassett suffered two miscarriages. The couple's children -- son Slater Josiah and daughter Bronwyn Golden-- were born on January 27, 2006 in California via surrogate.

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.

Early life

Bassett was born in Harlem, the daughter of Betty Jane and Daniel Benjamin Bassett. After her parents' separation, she relocated to St. Petersburg, 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 School, Bassett was a cheerleader and a member of the debate team, student government, drama club and choir.

Bassett attended Yale University and received her B.A. degree in African-American studies in 1980. In 1983, she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama. At Yale, Bassett met her future husband Courtney B. Vance, 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. Franklin's Black Girl at Second Stage Theatre. She 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). In 2006, she had the opportunity to work on the Wilson canon again, starring in Fences alongside longtime collaborator Laurence Fishburne at the Pasadena Playhouse in California.

Bassett is represented by the Executive Speakers Bureau of Memphis, Tennessee and receives over $50,000 per appearance.

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/X (1986). Bassett moved to Los Angeles and gained recognition in the films Boyz n the Hood (1991) and Malcolm X (1992). For her portrayal of Betty Shabazz, she earned an Image Award.

In 1992, Bassett played Katherine Jackson in the mini series The Jacksons: An American Dream. Later that year, Bassett was cast as Tina Turner in the feature film What's Love Got to Do with It (1993). Bassett won a Golden Globe and earned an Academy Award 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 Brooklyn, Strange Days, and Waiting to Exhale (where she worked with author Terry McMillan). 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 Back, 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 2000, Bassett turned down the lead role in Monster's Ball due to the script's sexual content; the role earned Halle Berry the Academy Award for Best Actress.

In 2003, she read from the WPA slave narratives in the HBO film Unchained Memories. 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 ER for the show's final season (2008–2009). She portrayed Dr. Catherine Banfield, 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, Basset lent her voice to portray First Lady Michelle Obama on an episode of The Simpsons entitled "Stealing First Base". Bassett was also cast in the superhero film Green Lantern, to be released in 2011, as notable DC Comics character Amanda Waller.

In 2010, Deadline.com reported that Bassett would have a role in ABC's show, One Police Plaza.

Filmography and awards

Year Film Role Notes

1986 F/X TV Reporter

1990 Kindergarten Cop Stewardess

1991 Critters 4 Fran Released Straight-to-Video

1991 Boyz n the Hood Reva Devereaux

1991 City of Hope Reesha

1992 Passion Fish Dawn/Rhonda

1992 Innocent Blood U.S. Attorney Sinclair

1992 Malcolm X Betty Shabazz

1993 What's Love Got to Do with It Anna Mae Bullock/Tina Turner Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role

1995 Vampire in Brooklyn Det. Rita Veder

1995 Panther Betty Shabazz

1995 Strange Days Lornette 'Mace' Mason

1995 Waiting to Exhale Bernadine 'Bernie' Harris

1997 Contact Rachel Constantine

1998 How Stella Got Her Groove Back Stella

1999 Our Friend, Martin Miles' Mom Voice role, released Straight-to-Video

1999 Music of the Heart Principal Janet Williams

2000 Supernova Dr. Kaela Evers

2000 Whispers: An Elephant's Tale Groove Voice Role

2000 Boesman and Lena Lena

2001 The Score Diane

2002 Sunshine State Desiree Stokes Perry

2003 Unchained Memories Reader

2003 Masked and Anonymous Mistress

2004 The Lazarus Child Dr. Elizabeth Chase

2004 Mr. 3000 Maureen 'Mo' Simmons

2005 Mr. & Mrs. Smith Mr. Smith's Boss Uncredited voice role

2006 Akeelah and the Bee Tanya Anderson

2007 Meet the Robinsons Mildred Voice role

2008 Gospel Hill Sarah Malcolm

2008 Of Boys and Men Rieta Cole

2008 Meet the Browns Brenda Brown

2008 Nothing But the Truth Bonnie Benjamin

2009 Notorious Voletta Wallace

2011 Jumping the Broom Mrs. Watson

2011 Green Lantern Amanda Waller
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