Angela Bassett is standing by her now-viral reaction to losing the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress to Jamie Lee Curtis in 2023. In an interview with Town & Country published Thursday, the “lack Panthe star reflected on the moment, defending her “disappointed” facial expression despite facing criticism at the time. Two years later, Bassett explained her honest reaction and why she did not feel the need to apologise for it.
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Bassett defends her Oscar loss reaction, two years later
In her defence in reference to the Oscars incident, Bassett told Page Six, “I found it interesting.” She elaborated, “Interesting that I wouldn’t be allowed to be disappointed at an outcome where I thought I was deserving. I love applauding people. But in that moment…” The actor added, “I have put in: put in the time, put in good work over time. I didn’t think that was a gift. I thought it was a given.”
In 2023, she was nominated for the Oscars in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, Curtis won the Oscar category for her performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once which also marked her first Academy Award win ever.
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The controversial Basset’s Oscar reaction
As Curtis was announced the winner of the category, the camera panned to the other nominees who included Kerry Condon, Hong Chau and Stephanie Hsu in addition to Bassett. The 66-year-old, however, appeared visibly disappointed with the results.
In January 2024, Bassett was honoured with an honorary Academy Award for her remarkable contributions to the film industry. During her acceptance speech, the How Stella Got Her Groove Back actress took a moment to pay tribute to the pioneering Black actresses who paved the way for her, including Ruby Dee, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson, and Rosalind Cash.
She said, “It was standing on their strong, spiritually fortified shoulders that I often was sustained, and I thank them for every sacrifice, every doubt, every disappointment, every rejection, every triumph that I know they experienced along the way,” as reported by People magazine. She continued, “Because had it not been for their resilience, continuing to fight through their fears and the uncertainty and their willingness as they fought for every role, I would not have had a representation of what was possible for me.”
