Angela Bassett reflects on her loss at the 95th Annual Academy Awards last year, and the viral response to her televised response. In a recent sit-down with Oprah Winfrey as part of OWN Spotlight series, the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star recalled the moment she lost the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
“I was stunned! I was. I thought I handled it really well, and that was my intention: to handle it really well,” Bassett told Winfrey. “It was of course a total disappointment, and disappointment is human, so yes, I was disappointed and I dealt with it like a human being.”
Bassett had been nominated for her performance as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverwhich is her second ever Oscar at the Oscars, following a 1993 nod for Best Actress for her portrayal of Tina Turner in What's Love Got To Do With It?.
While several MCU films have been nominated for – and won – several Oscars, including Black Panther making history by earning a Best Picture nomination and taking home three awards in 2019, Bassett's nomination the first time a Marvel film has been recognized for its acting.
Although Bassett had won the Globe and Critics' Choice Award that year, she ultimately lost the Oscar to Jamie Lee Curtis for her performance Everything everywhere at once – which swept across several major categories of the night.
Bassetts immediate reaction to hearing of Curtis' win went viral on social media. Users were divided, with some angry that Bassett didn't immediately show support for Curtis by clapping, while others defended the Lady actress's right to mourn her loss – especially considering it was her second.
Winfrey candidly said she didn't understand why Bassett's muted reaction to Curtis' victory went viral. “I didn't understand the whole 'Angela Bassett face,'” she said. 'I thought: wow, you can see that [you] I expected something different, but you were still as kind as a queen would be.”
“Absolutely. For myself and for my children, who were with me, yes,” Bassett replied. “I know a pastor who says, 'Technology is different, people are the same.' There are going to be moments of disappointment that they're going to experience. But how do you handle yourself in the middle of that? We're going to smile, we're going to be friendly, we're going to be kind. – we're going to have a party after all.”
After her 2023 loss, Bassett was named a recipient of an honorary prize for her career at the 2024 Governor's Awards.
During the ceremony, the screen icon's heartfelt speech addressed other Black actors, urging them to feel encouraged even in the face of doubt and disappointment.
“Take comfort in the knowledge that your performances have provided hope, a different perspective, and pure joy for others in a time of need,” Bassett said in her speech. “Never allow fear, frustration or disappointment to get in the way of the blessings that are divinely and rightly yours. Remember who you are and who our ancestors intended us to be. I proudly share this honor with women who are rising if they are.” who are told to stand back, who speak up when they are silenced, who remain resolute when told they have been defeated.”
When she spoke to ET on the event's red carpet next to her husband, Courtney B. Vanceand their 17-year-old twins — son Slater Josiah Vance and daughter Bronwyn Golden Vance – she said she had the people closest to her by her side during her big night.
“The people who like to be there, they are there, [and] they're holding me there,” Bassett said of her family and the cadre of close friends and stylists who accompanied them to the star-studded event. “You can't do it alone.”
The screen icon reflected her path to the coveted award, which many felt was long overdue.
“It's been decades, right? Decades and decades, rolls and rolls, and blessings upon blessings,” Bassett shared, adding that she always appreciated the love from her fans and champions along the way.
“[To the] fans who came to see and support the film – I felt the love,” Bassett shared. 'I get chills now, but I've felt the love all these years. I mean, they prayed, they worried, they wrote, they had my support.”
“So it's a very satisfying feeling to receive this,” she added. “I'm humiliated.”
The Academy Awards 2024, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, airs live from the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 10 at 4pm PT/7pm ET on ABC. Follow along on ETonline.com for complete Oscars coverage, including red carpet arrivals, the full list of winners and more.
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