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, director, and executive producer in both television and film have garnered well-deserved respect and acclaim from peers and fans; proving her to be one of the industry’s premier leading ladies.
This Oscar® nominee and Golden Globe® winner recently received an Emmy® nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries for her work as “Marie Laveau” in the hit FX series American Horror Story: Coven.
Always expanding the many facets of her talents, Bassett made her directorial debut with Lifetime’s film Whitney; a biopic that chronicled the loving and tumultuous relationship between Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. The film premiered to stellar ratings and reviews, with 4.5 million viewers, becoming Lifetime’s most-watched telecast in over a year. She also directed National Geographic Channel’s innovative series Breakthrough, an anthology about leading scientists from across the globe and their cutting-edge, life-changing innovations and advancements. Other directors joining Bassett include Paul Giamatti, Peter Berg, Akiva Goldsman, Ron Howard, and Brett Ratner.
Bassett was seen in director James McTeigue’s Survivor opposite Pierce Brosnan, Emma Thompson and Milla Jovovich; and in Gregg Araki’s Whitebird In A Blizzard opposite Shailene Woodley. She returned to the musical genre in Fox Searchlight’s film Black Nativity opposite Forest Whitaker for director Kasi Lemmons; and received a SAG® Award Nomination for her work as “Coretta Scott King” in the Lifetime movie Betty and Coretta.
Perhaps best known for her intense portrayal of Tina Turner in the biopic What’s Love Got To Do With It opposite Laurence Fishburne, Bassett earned the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical, an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture, and an Academy Award nomination for her powerful performance.
