Award-winning actress Angela Bassett never fails to impress, whether she’s on the screen, on the red carpet or giving motivational speeches. That’s why theGrio is highlighting her life and talent. Here’s everything you need to know about the star, who celebrates a birthday this week.
Early life
Angela Bassett was born on Aug. 16, 1958, in New York City. Her parents, Betty Jane and David Bassett, separated when Angela was young, but not before they had Angela’s little sister, D’nette. Until she was almost 5, Angela was raised by her aunt, then her mother took her home with her to Florida, where she lived with her mother and sister. A few years later, she and other Black children in St. Petersburg were part of integration efforts that saw them bused to schools farther from home.
Bassett knew the importance of a good education and was the first Black student from her high school to earn admission into the National Honor Society. While she studied hard in high school, she also became interested in acting after seeing John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men.”
After high school, she attended Yale University, where she majored in African-American studies, graduating in 1980. She went on to get a master’s from Yale School of Drama. While she was attending Yale, she met Courtney B. Vance, the actor who would later become her husband.
Bassett made her Broadway debut in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” With a later performance in “The Mountaintop,” she earned a Tony Award nomination.
The iconic filmography of Angela Bassett
Bassett’s on-screen career started with small roles on television, including on “The Cosby Show.” She made her film debut with a small part in “F/X,” but it wasn’t until the early ’90s that she started to break out. Her powerful role in “Boyz n the Hood” garnered her attention, and she rose to prominence playing opposite Denzel Washington in…
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