7 Oscar-Worthy Moments From Angela Bassett Starting With That Emotional Speech In "Wakanda Forever"
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I just watched Wakanda Forever and during Ramonda's speech she says, "I am Queen of the most powerful nation in the world and my entire family is gone. Have I not given everything?"
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My sentiments exactly. This woman, Angela Bassett, has given everything in her performances, and in my humble opinion, she's owed a couple of Oscars.
Based on these 7 scenes alone, Angela Bassett deserves an Oscar. In short, give Angela her flowers or I will burn this place down. JK. 😊
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1.Wakanda Forever
Just minutes into the sequel I was shook by Angela Bassett's ENTRANCE as Queen of Wakanda. Her entrance alone deserves an Oscar. No seriously, she somehow floated across the frame in her elegant look, balancing both grief and power at the council meeting. Then later she says, "I am Queen of the most powerful nation in the world and my entire family is gone. Have I not given everything?" Like, wow! From a royal family still mourning the loss of a great king, Ramonda was forced to take such a position to protect her family, and that difficulty rests heavily on Angela's voice in one of Marvel's most emotional scenes to date.
2.Waiting to Exhale
Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Loretta Devine, and Lela Rochon as besties? Whew, what a time. How befitting it was that she was called Bernie in this role because I felt the flames when she BURNED every stitch her cheating husband owned. The monologue carries us through the wife's lament of supporting and prioritizing her husband's dreams over her own. We can feel the rage as she snatches his suits from the racks, throws them into his car, sets them on fire, watches them burn, and then tops it off with a cigarette in hand. And when she walks away from the flames, I scream "OSCAR" every time because it's due!
3.What's Love Got to Do with It
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And the Oscar goes to THOSE ARMS!!!! One thing I felt while watching Angela Bassett's performance as Tina Turner was commitment. There are so many iconic scenes in this film starting with the chilling musical number, "Proud Mary," to the hotel scene where she's running through traffic to escape Ike Turner. Can you imagine the physical demand in shaking ya tail feather like the Queen Of Rock and Roll? Imagine what it takes to embody the mannerisms of Tina Turner and perform at a mirroring level of prestige. Angela Bassett came close to the Oscar (nominated for Best Actress), but I won't be satisfied until she takes it home!
4.The Jacksons: An American Dream
Technically this movie would not have been eligible for an Oscar nomination, but the sentiment still rings true. Here, Angela Bassett plays Katherine Jackson, mother of Michael Jackson, and during this scene she overhears a conversation Joseph is having with another woman. Angela's tears have a specific tone and texture here (I know you know what I mean), and their own characterization, communicating the broken trust. When you hear her laugh a bit in the beginning then finally slap Joseph across the face, the spot-on delivery in: "I don't want you, I don't want you . . . I don't want you no more," as she backs away from him is an outstanding range of emotion.
5.How Stella Got Her Groove Back
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40 where?????? There's not a specific scene in particular but just the notion that Black don't crack is Oscar-worthy to me! When Stella lets herself go and be loved, that controlling career woman melts before our eyes in Angela's portrayal. Her limbs are more loose, her eyes more dreamy, her physical interactions reach a slower pace, and her body language becomes more... *ready to risk it all.* The magic between Angela Bassett and Taye Diggs is unforgettable and 20+ years later, we're still talking about their chemistry on screen after watching the characters navigate new and seemingly controversial territory.
6.The Rosa Parks Story
We all knew what was coming during this historical scene in The Rosa Parks Story. The scene calls for strong emotional delivery and Angela Bassett did not disappoint in portraying the refusal to give up her seat. With little action, not even an ounce of resistance during the arrest, Angela managed to portray that intensity solely in her face. And when you can say a lot with very few lines, it shows your strength as an actor. One of Angela's greatest strengths is her ability to speak with the positioning of her body. In this scene, her body spoke of frustration, injustice, bravery, oppression, violence, anger, etc., and she only uttered a single word.
7.Malcolm X
This assassination scene is another scene of very few words, but it's one of the most explosive scenes in a Spike Lee Joint! Through the chaos, there is still a grand focus on Angela Bassett (who plays Betty Shabazz, wife of Malcolm X) after she watches her husband get murdered. It's utterly terrifying to watch this woman command the room while so much commotion is filling the scene. And to provide viewers with a still moment of despair and deeply felt pain while bullets are spraying in the background is just extraordinary acting!
One thing about Angela Bassett, she can deliver a Queen of Wakanda, a historical figure, a musical icon, a bitter wife, and she can give you a VAMPIRE! It's called range, now bow down!
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Angela Bassett has received a Golden Globe Award, SAG Award, several NAACP Image Awards and Emmys, but I won't be satisfied until she takes home the Oscar!
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What are some of your favorite Angela Bassett scenes?
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