Angela Bassett made Oscar history with her nomination for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - the first actor in a Marvel film ever to be nominated - and she dazzled audiences again in early 2024 when presented an honorary Oscar.

“I have considered acting my calling and not just my career. I do this work because I find it meaningful. And I hope in some way that it makes a difference and has an impact,” Bassett said. “To be recognized in this way for what I’m doing is truly wonderful. And I am beyond grateful.”

‍SPYSCAPE goes behind the scenes to reveal the movie secrets of the one-and-only Angela Bassett.

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Boyz N the Hood (1991)‍

Angela was trying to transition from being a TV actress to a film star when she got a call from John Singleton, a director who wanted to make a movie about gangsters from the projects. Basset was born in Harlem in 1958 and grew up in the projects, raised by a single mother in Florida, so her interest was piqued. “I was like, Boyz with a ‘z’? I still remember going down to Leimert Park, that neighborhood off of Crenshaw. You just didn’t go down to Crenshaw. It was like, you know, you take your life in your hands.” But she knew the Reva Styles character and how rare good roles were for African-American women. Bassett was all in.
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Malcolm X (1992)

Angela recalled Spike Lee’s determination to get funding to make Malcolm X the way he envisioned it: “We knew we were climbing a mountain and fighting lions, and we made it across that finish line. It’s something to be proud of.” While Basset didn’t get to meet Betty Shabazz, wife of Malcolm X, before filming she interviewed her daughter to ask about Betty’s personal qualities and took a lot away from the character: “Her fortitude, her strength, her dignity, her respect, love and support for family and her beloved mate. I hope in my own life to have those qualities and that strength."

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What’s Love Got to Do With It (1993)

Bassett’s break-out role as Tina Turner led to an Oscar nomination but she had to answer the cattle call like every other actress auditioning for What’s Love Got to Do with It. The producers had Turner’s CD and compared Bassett’s resemblance to Tina before allowing her to audition. Bassett’s secret? She embodies the character. "I want to honor them so I study them and I just sit and pray that their spirit comes for a visit.” It did. She worked 17 hours a day and had mini-breakdowns just before dance rehearsals. Then she’d think, “I don’t think I got this role because they want to see me fail miserably at it. I got it because they think I can do it. Okay, I’m ready.”.

Waiting to Exhale (1995)‍

It was rare for a movie to be led by four women in 1995 but the box office success of Waiting to Exhale opened the door to more. Bassett was initially slated as Savannah, a single journalist, but Bassett preferred Bernadine, a middle-aged mom who helped build her husband’s business only for him to leave her for his mistress. Her “fractured relationship with her husband, starting over and learning to invest in herself in every way, rediscovering who she is and what matters most to her, putting herself first. The idea was so badass.”

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How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)

It can be difficult for some actresses to get cast as they get older but Angela Bassett jumped into the role of a 40-something woman without any concerns. Bassett said she’d seen Lena Horne perform The Lady and Her Music onstage and knew older women could be ‘glorious and luminescent’. Bassett was more concerned about who would be cast as her love interest. “I didn't want him to look as young as my son,” she said, so Bassett insisted on having a say in the casting. Taye Diggs, in his first movie role, fit the bill perfectly.

Olympus Has Fallen (2013)

Heavily armed terrorists launch a daytime attack on the White House in Olympus Has Fallen and Angela Bassett is Lynne Jacobs, Director of the Secret Service. It was bold casting at a time when there had not yet been a female head of the Secret Service in real life.“That in itself is a brave new world,” Bassett said. She was thrilled when the film was so successful they made the sequel London Has Fallen (2016) and later Angel Has Fallen (2019).
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Survivor (2015)

Survivor wasn’t a favorite with critics but it’s hard to resist watching Bassett starring as Ambassador Gray alongside Pierce Brosnan in the British-American action spy thriller film. There are plot holes, cliches, and cookie-cutter storylines - but who cares? As The National put it, “Survivor is 96 minutes of rip-roaring action, with heavyweight actors managing to paper over some of the glaring plot holes with their performances. Watch without prejudice, and you'll enjoy it.”
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Close to the Enemy (2015)

Bassett was initially feeling out of her depth in the BBC’s thrilling series Close to the Enemy, set in the aftermath of WWII. Angela plays a jazz singer and thought she would be lip-synching but the series makers had other ideas. “What?” she almost shouted, recalling the moment she found out. “I don’t know the songs, I don’t know the tune, the lyrics…’ I was pretty mortified.” Still, she said, “It’s good to come out of your comfort zone.”‍

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Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) ‍

Mission: Impossible fans know Angela as Erika Sloane, Deputy Director of the CIA. She didn’t call Langley to study the character but did spend a lot of time thinking about her backstory. Bassett was thrilled to see Tom Cruise light up when she arrived on set. He ensured she had everything she needed - including two heaters to work in cold weather. "He's not playing,” she added. It was a mutual admiration society. "She just exudes intelligence and credibility,” Cruise said. “And that character, when she’s on screen, she’s a force.”
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‍Black Panther franchise (2016 - 2022)

Bassett is proud to play strong women. She’s a girl from humble beginnings but always had ambition - first to become a leading black actress and then she dreamed about playing a regal African Queen: "It's been very satisfying," she told reporters. She drew from the excellence and wisdom of her late co-star. "There were no excuses. All you had to do was think of Chadwick and that raised your game."