Angela Bassett

Angela Bassett Speaker Biography

Angela Bassett's talent and abilities as an actress and executive producer in both television and film have time and again earned the respect and acclaim from her peers and her fans to prove herself to be one of the industry’s premier leading ladies.

Alluring audiences with emotionally tinged performances has been the signature of Angela Bassett, who personifies a sense of dignity and pride whenever she appears on screen. Her talent and abilities as an actress and executive producer in both television and film have time and time again earned the respect and acclaim from her peers and fans, proving her to be one of the industry's premier leading ladies.

She is perhaps best known for her intense portrayal of Tina Turner in the biopic What's Love Got to Do with It, for which she earned a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama, an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture, and an Academy Award nomination for her powerful performance. She has also starred in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Waiting to Exhale, Malcolm X, and the television movie The Rosa Parks Story, among numerous others.

In 2011 Bassett starred opposite Samuel L. Jackson in the Broadway premiere of Katori Hall's Olivier Award-winning play "Mountaintop," a gripping reimagining of events the night before the assassination of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

She had a recurring role since 2013 on the FX horror series American Horror Story: Coven, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her performance as Voodoo queen Marie Laveau. She returned for Freak Show, Hotel and Roanoke, the anthology series' fourth, fifth and sixth seasons. She also made an appearance in Apocalypse, the show's eighth season.

In 2018 she appeared in Marvel's Black Panther. She portrayed Ramonda, mother of T'Challa and reigning queen of Wakanda. The film was a box office hit and received widespread critical acclaim. She also voiced the character Shatter in the 2018 Transformers movie Bumblebee.

Along with her husband, actor Courtney B. Vance, Angela Bassett co-wrote the book, Friends: A Love Story. The inspirational book is the real-life love story of Bassett and Vance, who were friends for many years before marrying. They have also formed Bassett/Vance Productions and their first venture, United States, marks Bassett's directorial debut; it is based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett.

Bassett currently stars as Athena Grant in the Fox action series 9-1-1 created by Ryan Murphy. The one-hour drama series follows the high risk scenarios encountered by first responders in the Los Angeles area.