In a recent interview with Town & Country magazine, Angela Bassett shared her thoughts on her Oscar nomination for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, expressing that she felt she was “deserving” of the Best Supporting Actress award. Bassett, who earned the nomination in 2023, ultimately lost the Oscar to Jamie Lee Curtis for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Bassett’s composed reaction as Curtis’ name was called became a viral moment on social media.
“I found it interesting,” Bassett remarked, discussing the aftermath of the loss. “Interesting that I wouldn’t be allowed to be disappointed at an outcome where I thought I was deserving.”
While Bassett praised others for their achievements, she emphasized her own commitment to her craft. “I love applauding people, but in that moment… No, I have put in the time, put in good work over time. I didn’t think that was a gift. I thought it was a given.”
Bassett’s portrayal of Queen Ramonda in the Black Panther sequel earned widespread acclaim and made her the first actor nominated for an Oscar from a Marvel movie. Before the Oscars, she won Best Supporting Actress at both the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards. However, the competition remained fierce, with Curtis taking home the SAG Award and Kerry Condon claiming the BAFTA for The Banshees of Inisherin. Curtis eventually triumphed at the Oscars.
“I was gobsmacked! I was,” Bassett told Oprah about her Oscar loss. “I thought I handled it very well. That was my intention, to handle it very well. It was, of course, a supreme disappointment, and disappointment is human. So I thought, yes, I was disappointed and I handled it like a human being.”
Bassett added that maintaining grace through her loss was especially important for both herself and her children, who were in attendance. “There are going to be these moments of disappointment that you’ll experience, but how do you handle yourself in the midst of them?” she said. “We’re going to smile, we’re going to be gracious, we’re going to be kind, we’re going to party anyway.”
Before her Black Panther nomination, Bassett had only received one previous Oscar nomination—Best Actress in 1994 for her role as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It. That performance also earned her a Golden Globe, though she lost to Holly Hunter, who won for The Piano. Despite her 2023 loss, Bassett’s remarkable career was later honored when she received an Honorary Oscar in 2024.
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