Angela Bassett’s royalty as an actress can hardly be denied by anyone in Hollywood. Being the most coveted black actor out there, the What’s Love Got to Do with It star has landed nominations for two Oscars and seven Primetime Emmy Awards, in her long list of achievements Having said that, the lady has been extremely picky as she exploded into movie stardom over decades.
Bassett, who is known for playing versatile roles from Tuna Turner, to reprising the ever-glorious Queen of Wakanda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, turned down Halle Berry’s Oscar-winning role in Monster’s Ball because she felt that the role of a prostitute is such a stereotype about black women and their sexuality.
For Angela Bassett, It’s All About Character, Darling!
Angela Bassett left her fans with mixed emotions after she died a glorious death in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. But again, the actress has been in the slay game since the 80s. Starring in movies, like, Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back, she has become a totem of empowered Black womanhood, especially in the 90s.
During an interview, Angela Basset revealed she turned down a “demeaning prostitute role” in the $45 million Monster’s Ball that landed Halley Berry an Oscar. As Bassett gracefully said, “It’s all about character, darling!” she further narrated:
”I wasn’t going to be a prostitute on film,” she says. (Not literally a prostitute — the character is a waitress who has an affair with her convict husband’s executioner.) ”I couldn’t do that because it’s such a stereotype about black women and sexuality.”
The film is forever. It’s about putting something out there you can be proud of 10 years later. I mean, Meryl Streep won Oscars without all that.”
Behind that diamond-sharp beauty and strength, lies a woman who has been extremely particular about picking up her character. Despite her stellar performances, the actress hasn’t received an Academy Award yet. Marvel star, Halle Berry, on the other hand, became the first black woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress for Monster’s Ball.
Angela Bassett’s Oscar Win Is Long Overdue!
Angela Bassett’s revelation about turning up an Oscar-winning role in Monster’s Ball did confuse a lot of people because Halley Berry didn’t exactly play a prostitute in the movie. But again, the movie did feature Die Another Day’s Bond Girl in explicit scenes.
While Bassett’s comments remain puzzling and debatable, the actress did make a point about winning an Oscar. During the same interview, when the actress was asked about how an “Oscar loss seems like a debt waiting to be paid,” she famously said:
“I would love to have an Oscar. But it has to be for something I can sleep with it at night.”
Bassett, now 64, did manage to get an Oscar nomination for her role as Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at the 95th Academy Awards, but that’s a painful loss she shared with another star, Austin Butler, who secured a nomination for Elvis. While Butler has a long way to go, it’s high time that Bassett takes that long-due win home.
What’s also true is that Monster’s Ball couldn’t have been the only Oscar-winning performance if Bassett would have kept an open mind towards the character. The actress has nothing to prove when it comes to playing strong characters on-screen. But again, she hasn’t given up hope yet neither has her fans.
Monster’s Ball is streaming on Hulu
Source: Insider
