AHS Awards: Akira Kurosawa Film Award Tribute To Angela Bassett’s Groundbreaking Career
Taylor Hill
When you grow up as a Black woman in America, there are certain faces that remind you of film and television. Those faces serve as a representation of the Black community, and many times, these women are the only way Black women can see themselves on screen. One of those distinct faces is none other than Angela Bassett. Mrs. Bassett holds over 100 acting credits to her name and is one of the most distinguished female actors of this century.
Born in New York, but raised in Florida, Angela wasn’t sure what she was going to do with her life. It wasn’t until she was in high school and went to see the play, Of Mice and Men, that she knew she wanted to be an actress. She embarked on her journey to Yale University, getting her bachelor's in African American Studies and then continuing on to get her master's at the Yale School of Drama. Though it was no easy feat. Being the first in your family to complete both a Bachelor's and a Master's, many thought she would be wasting her Yale education on theatre, but much like children reaching for stars hoping to grasp them, Angela could nearly touch hers. When she graduated, she kept her head down and continued to work in New York. Taking odd jobs like a beauty salon receptionist and a photo researcher to support her acting dreams in the Big Apple, it was a slow start. She got a gig here and there, playing in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom at the Yale Repertory Theatre, and some smaller parts in television, like The Cosby Show. Eventually, she does what any rising star does at that time: she moves out west to California.
Her first culturally prominent role was in John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood, followed by her part in Malcom X, directed by Spike Lee, where she played alongside Denzel Washington as Dr. Betty Shabazz. She moved on to playing the nurturing and loving mother of the Jackson 5 in the TV miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream. Her critical acclaim rises when she portrays the tumultuous lifestyle of Tina Turner in 1993’s What’s Love Got to Do with It. It was from this role that she gained an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and a Golden Globe win for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy. Angela continued to choose roles that tested her acting abilities and showed off her range as well as versatility. From Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and Akeelah and the Bee to Olympus has Fallen, Chi-raq, and Mission Impossible–Fallout; she moved through screens one character at a time, until she finally was able to land her second Oscar nomination for her role as Queen Romonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. A role that left people in theaters across the globe emotional. Angela has that effect on people; she is able to draw an audience in and make them fall in love with not only a character, but a story.
The level of grace and poise demonstrated by Angela Bassett is a kind that little girls continue to look up to. She is a living legend in the film and television industry, and it is an honor to award her with the 2026 Akira Kurosawa Film Award. This award is to say thank you, not just for the number of roles she has portrayed, but for the cultural impact that she has on the Black community and the Film and Television industry. From the bottom of inspired hearts around the globe, thank you Angela Bassett.