Angela Bassett on the Emotional Upheaval Following Her Oscar Loss: “It Was An Absolute Letdown”
American actress Angela Bassett discussed the 95th Academy Awards defeat in a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey. After portraying Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Angela Bassett was nominated for Best Supporting Actress; however, Jamie Lee Curtis’s Everything Everywhere All at Once ended up winning. During the March 5 broadcast of Winfrey’s talk program OWN Spotlight, Bassett said, “I was gobsmacked.”
“It was a great disappointment, of course, and disappointment is a human emotion.”
Viewers noted a brief look of dissatisfaction on the star’s face as the victory was declared. On social media, there was considerable discussion about it despite the star’s composure. “I felt like I handled it very well,” she said. My objective was to manage it well.
“You’re going to have these moments of disappointment, but how do you deal with yourself when they happen?” She informed Winfrey. She went on, “We’re going to party regardless, we’re going to smile, be gracious, and be kind.”
Nearly thirty years after receiving her first Oscar nomination, Angela Bassett’s nomination for her depiction as Queen Ramonda was a significant achievement. Her portrayal of Tina Turner in the biographical film What’s Love Got to Do with It won her praise in 1993. But at the 1994 awards presentation, Holly Hunter, the actress from The Piano, defeated Angela Bassett to win the Best Actress Oscar.
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Bassett portrayed Queen Ramonda for the second time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She made history by becoming the first person to get an Academy Award nomination for a Marvel picture. She told Oprah that when she decided to take on the role in the first Black Panther film, she hadn’t even read the script.
Following the theatrical debut of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, audiences were persuaded that Angela Bassett’s interpretation of Queen Ramonda had produced the most memorable performance. Even yet, Angela Bassett found it difficult to decide whether to give her character a death sentence.
In an interview with IndieWire, she said that she had discussed this choice with the director, who had reassured her that the loss wouldn’t endure forever. There’s a chance Queen Ramonda may appear in later chapters. Even with this upbeat outlook, Bassett struggled in the first several months after the film’s premiere because she was deeply hurt by the passing of her character.
Many analysts had projected that Bassett would win an Oscar after she took home the Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award for Wakanda Forever. Others, on the other hand, predicted that the Everything Everywhere All at Once actress would win following Curtis’ victory at the SAG Awards.
In the meantime, in January 2024, Bassett received an Academy Award at the Governor’s Awards. During the event, she made a motivational message to encourage other black artists. She encouraged her fellow black performers to develop strength and confidence within themselves because their “contributions do matter,” regardless of what they may see, think, or feel.
