‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back’ At 25: Angela Bassett & Kevin Sullivan On Taye Diggs’ Casting, Whoopi Goldberg’s Generosity & Film’s Lasting Impact — Tribeca

Valerie Complex
·5 min read
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Angela Bassett is a force of nature in Hollywood. Her talent, strength, and longevity in an industry known for its fleeting moments of fame speak to her relevance and influence. Her rise as a distinguished African American actress in Hollywood has had an impact on the entertainment industry and the representation of Black talent. Bassett’s breakthrough role came in 1993 when she played Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It. Her performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination. This performance was instrumental in breaking away from the tropes that plagued Black actresses in Hollywood, demonstrating that they could carry films of prestige.

In 1998, Angela Bassett brought the lead character of Stella Payne to life in the film adaptation of Terry McMillan’s novel How Stella Got Her Groove Back. In the first feature film from Kevin Sullivan, Bassett’s portrayal of a successful 40-year-old stockbroker who takes a well-deserved vacation in Jamaica, only to fall in love with a man half her age. The film touched on themes of self-discovery, love, and the societal pressures women face regarding age and relationships. Through her character, Bassett created a lasting impression of a woman reclaiming her life. Stella resonated with audiences globally, delivering multifaceted performances that challenged societal norms.

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At the SVA theater, Bassett and the director sat down for a Tribeca Festival Storytellers discussion moderated by Torell Shavone Taylor. to talk about the actress’ long career and the impact of How Stella Got Her Groove Back has on Black Women.

The conversation starts with how she connected to the character’s choice of freedom and the power in her defiance of expectations. Bassett responds, “Terry McMillan ushered in this moment, through her books about Black women full of assuredness and exists regardless of what society says. I fell madly in love with her voice, honesty, and insight. It’s exciting to be a part of her legacy.”

Reflecting on the vibrant energy brought to the set, Sullivan recounts his experience working with two-time Oscar winner Ruth Carter. “The film was my feature debut, and when I was putting the crew together, I didn’t know Ruth Carter was head and shoulders above rest. She has a strong point of view and you don’t get to be who Stella is without it.”

Starting with casting, they had to find Stella’s love interest Winston Shakespeare and the process of getting the perfect match was a bit unorthodox. Sullivan explains, “We saw actors from everywhere. Our casting director of France basically told me about this musical theater kid from Rent on Broadway, Taye Diggs. I flew to New York. and went to see the play to find out does that charisma translate to screen? Fortunately, he was really powerful on stage. Once he got the role, I asked that at the beginning and end of every rehearsal for five days, his assignment was to sing Angela a song.”

When on set, Sullivan wasn’t afraid of criticism and collaborative input from his cast, even in the most intimate of scenes of the movie. “It was a comfortable experience for me. We laughed a lot and had a great time. They didn’t have intimacy coordinators back then,” Bassett recollects.

When asked about working with Whoopi Goldberg, one of the most popular Black actresses at the time, Bassett reflects on this, “The camaraderie spilled over in scenes shared with Whoopi Goldberg. We had a beautiful camaraderie and sisterhood that developed in the making of the movie. I felt that for real because by the time she was such a dear and the chemistry just came alive.”

The Stella actress then speaks to Goldberg’s kindness as the actress was ready to step in to help when the production hit roadblocks. “I remember we were having to advocate for every worker on set because we were shooting out of the country,” she said. “We were receiving per diem and it wasn’t matching the needs of the crew and Whoopi would say give the people what they need, and mentioned that if they can’t get what they need, she will subsidize it for them. They ended up doing the right thing, but she was ready to step up. That’s a testament to her character as a person. It was a blessing to have her.”

The scenic Jamaican backdrop played an important role in the film, which also stars Regina King. Sullivan elaborates on the challenges they overcame, “It was fun. The process of getting to shoot in Jamaica was a bit of a task and had to do a bit of fighting with the studio. Anyway, it worked out for us. The infrastructure of Jamaica is challenging, but we had great people and we all just dug in and got in and came out on time and under budget.”

He adds, “In fact, I remember I read something in the New York Times back in the day about how tourism to Jamaica shot up because of the film.”

Addressing the issue of vulnerability in characters, the icon maintains, “Whenever I take on a character I am for as much totality of them, who they represent, and they are about struggles they’re going through so that the performance doesn’t come off as one-dimensional. We as Black women have been seen through the eyes of tropes. Being a hard-trained actress I am always looking for the humanity in these female characters to make them rich and multi-dimensional.”

As for her legacy, she expresses her gratitude and hope, “My intention is to create a part of projects that get people to tap into their feelings. That’s the job as far as I’m concerned. I hope that in the future, people will think of me as someone who gave them the audience because that’s the priority for me.”

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