Angela Bassett on Her BLACK PANTHER Oscar Loss: "I Was Deserving" and "Thought It Was a Given"
Angela Bassett has never been one to shy away from speaking her mind, and in a recent interview with Town & Country, she got real about her 2023 Oscar loss for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The actress, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, lost to Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once), and her composed but visibly disappointed reaction went viral.
Bassett refected on her loss, saying: “I found it interesting. Interesting that I wouldn’t be allowed to be disappointed at an outcome where I thought I was deserving.”
Bassett’s performance as Queen Ramonda was praised by fans and critics, earning her wins at the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards. While the race remained unpredictable with Curtis securing the SAG Award and Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin) taking the BAFTA, many believed Bassett was the frontrunner.
“I love applauding people,” she continued. “But in that moment … No, I have put in: put in the time, put in good work over time. I didn’t think that was a gift. I thought it was a given.”
This wasn’t Bassett’s first-time being nominated for an Oscar. Back in 1994, she was up for Best Actress for her taking on the role of Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with It. She lost to Holly Hunter (The Piano).
When speaking to Oprah last year, Bassett admitted the loss stung. “I was gobsmacked! I was,” she said. “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.”
She added: “There are going to be these moments of disappointment that you’ll experience, but how do you handle yourself in the midst of them? We’re going to smile, we’re going to be gracious, we’re going to be kind, we’re going to party anyway.”
Her talent and legacy was ultimately recognized in 2024 when she was awarded an Honorary Oscar, which was earned with her body of work that she’s put into the craft over the decades.
Source: Town & Country magazine
