Bassett’s Queen is a Class Act

Angela Bassett is an actress with great range. A face that has been present in the film industry for decades, she has also been acknowledged for being a great institution in herself. Setting the bar high for performances by actresses – regardless of race but undeniably evoking awe and inspiration among Black performers, Bassett has invested deeply in her craft, graduating from Yale School of Drama, nonetheless – and it has paid off yet again. This time with a historic nomination. For her performance as Queen Ramonda in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Angela Bassett made history by being the first performer from the Marvel universe to earn an Academy Award nomination. [ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type="show" ihc_mb_who="1,2,3,4" ihc_mb_template="1" ] To put this achievement in perspective, there are over 8,000 staple characters in the Marvel Comics catalogue. Seven hundred of these characters have been given life on the big screen through the Marvel Cinematic Universe, according to Esquire. While the cinematic universe is still to grow, no other performer before Bassett has delivered a performance deemed worthy of one of the coveted five spots that earn one the title of ‘Academy Award nominee’. As a peer-to-peer adjudicated process, this nod to Bassett’s Queen Ramonda is also testament to the breadth she exhibited in a film that some would consider to be nothing more than something from a genre geared towards entertainment and box office success. The cultural impact of “Black Panther ” was felt with the first instalment. Millions of people threw their support behind director Ryan Coogler’s imagination of the African superhero and the world he represented. For many people of colour, the introduction of Black Panther to the Marvel Cinematic Universe gave them an opportunity to not only see characters that look like them in the fantastical realm of superheroes, but it also provided a foundation for young generations to imagine themselves as they’d never done before. Taking the journey to the mythological land of Wakanda in 2018 garnered Domestic (American) Box Office profits of over USD700 million in total. The sequel raked in a massive USD181 million in its opening weekend in November 2022, proving that the public had been eagerly awaiting their next fix. Bassett’s Oscar nomination is well earned. As the grieving mother of a nation bereft of their leader, King T’Challa – played by the late Chadwick Boseman – Queen Ramonda moves from being wise counsel to her son to assuming the responsibilities of a diplomat, strategist, fighter and peacemaker. The role has already seen the actress take home statuettes at the Critic’s Choice Awards and the Golden Globes, and chatter places her as a frontrunner for getting the little golden man. Nominated alongside Bassett are Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu from the mind-bending “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” Kerry Condon from “The Banshees of Inisherin,” and Hong Chau from “The Whale. ” While this nomination comes in the category of supporting actress, it was Bassett’s portrayal of Tina Turner opposite Laurence Fishburne’s Ike Turner in “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” that first placed her in the running for an Oscar in 1994 in the Best Actress category. She didn’t win that night, much to the dismay of fans and some critics. She has, however, won the hearts of many a viewer in the performances that followed – including in 1995’s “Waiting to Exhale” alongside Loretta Divine and the late Whitney Houston, and recently taking a jab at comedy in Robin Thede’s HBO series, “A Black Lady Sketch Show” . Perhaps what Bassett’s journey back to the Academy Awards stage could teach many is that dedication to mastery is enough to make unthinkable shifts. Black Panther was nominated for Best Picture in 2019, setting the record as the first superhero film nominated for what is considered one of the most prestigious recognitions in the world of filmmaking. Bassett now carries the torch for the franchise and performers within the Marvel multiverse. Whichever way the decision lands at the ceremony billed for 13 March 2023, Angela Bassett can take home the knowledge that she has, yet again, shattered barriers and set standards for what is possible. Like Queen Ramonda, Bassett is a class act. [/ihc-hide-content]

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Bassett’s Queen is a Class Act

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