Image Source: UAE News – UAE News
Angela Bassett, an actress, and producer is known for portraying righteous and regal characters on-screen, has tried to break down barriers for not only herself but all actresses trying to make their way in the industry with each character she has played. She spoke to InStyle Magazine about her characters and how they have helped her to reflect on her commitment to breaking down barriers.
Angela started by stating, "Thirty or forty years ago, when I started out, Black characters were weighted too heavily in the negative. I was always mindful of those images. What are you saying about me and who I represent as a woman of color? There's complexity to us. There's beauty to us. There's strength to us. There's compassion to us. There are so many wonderful things."
The actress who studied at Yale also shared how studying there for almost seven years has helped her to be a better artist because of the competition. Sharing an anecdote from Yale, Angela said, "I would literally stand in front of my mirror and give myself a good talking-to. I'd say, "How long do you want to be overwhelmed? Will 10 minutes serve? Fifteen? " And I would answer, "Yes, all right. Well, have your pity party, but then after that, wash your face, comb your hair, and go do what you need to do. " And I guess that was my way of therapizing myself in that moment. "
Further, Angela was asked about how she was able to navigate in that space as a woman and also a Black woman when the world was extremely challenging, to which the actress said that everyone has their own experience of trying to prove oneself and showcase their worth, but facing challenges as a woman and, most importantly, as a Black woman, is a journey and a constant battle in itself among dealing with the different challenges of life. Angela added, "It was incredibly powerful in building my self-esteem early on when I would get on those stages and receive the response that I wanted from the audiences and my peers."
When Angela was asked if the challenges she has faced have impacted or influenced the characters she has played on-screen, she said that one might never know the impact their work is having. Adding more, she said, "It's the women in my family who have influenced my roles. Growing up without every convenience and then seeing my mother, who persevered, and she still had grace. She would make a dollar out of 15 cents. She had resilience and threw herself into every detail, even if it was the way she took pride in setting a table." Angela said she learned to be a gracious, beautiful, warm, and easy-going woman with a smile and a laugh from the women in her life, including her aunt, who was an educator, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and their struggles in the early 1900s.
The actress was asked, "Do you have the career that you’ve always dreamed of having?" To which she replied, "It's so much more than I ever dreamed of. I mean, theatre is my first love. I love the stage. [My husband] Courtney [B. Vance] and I did one of playwright John Guare's plays years ago [His Girl Friday], and Guare said, "Angela, you're a theater animal. You command the stage and the audience." It was the highest compliment."
Angela’s character, Stella, from ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back’, was quite famous, and talking about that, she said, "I can't tell you how many times ladies have come up to me and said, "I got my groove back." They're embracing their sensuality and youth. In Hollywood, there was a time when people believed that once an actress turns 40, it's over. But no, those things that make us who we are — our sensuality, sexuality, compassion, and intelligence — that doesn't come to an end. It deepens and ripens, you know? It's all in the attitude."
The actress-producer shared that one of the most badass things that she has done is to be confident about her dreams and go for them without anyone providing any personal instruction or direction to her. She shared that she had to figure a lot of things out on her own and that she looks up to every single woman who dares to follow her dreams and heart because she believes that taking that first step towards the dream requires enormous courage and bravery.
Angela has worked with various immensely talented Black artists but two of them are no longer with us physically; Whitney Houston and Chadwick Boseman. Talking about the grief, she mentioned, "The loss can be overwhelming, but I try to remain grateful for the moments I've had with them and for the contribution that they've made to my life and culture. Instead of leaning into the loss, I lean into the blessing that their life was and will appear to be in spirit. When you're a person of faith, you know that we are much more than just flesh and blood. We're spirit, heart, and soul as well. And we trust that those things remain with us."
Last August, Angela Bassett received a salary raise of up to $450,000 an episode for her show ‘9-1-1’, which made her one of the highest-paid actresses in television, and she serves as executive producer on the show as well. Talking about this, the actress said that she has never been motivated solely by money or fame, but it is the joy of following her dreams, that has always pushed her to work hard. She added, "I want to work in roles that can change me and change the conversation. I want to work consistently. And I want to be paid fairly. It's about knowing your worth and standing on it. Being in positions and places where your worth is appreciated is a good thing. I'm glad that it can influence others. There is a bit of me that's from a generation where we don't talk openly about things like that. But I understand what generation this is today. "
The actress went on to appreciate Aisha Hinds, Marsha Warfield, Regina King, and Halle Berry for their tremendous work and said that she loves to support her sisters and cheer for them. In the end, she adds that one should always get stronger with their experience and be grateful for the opportunities they have.
Information Source: InStyle
