After absolutely crushing her performance in her standout role as Queen Ramonda in last year’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Angela Bassett made Marvel history and took home a Golden Globe for her supporting role in the film, marking the first time an MCU actor has taken home one of Hollywood’s highest honors.
Now with an Academy Award nomination to her name for her performance, Bassett continues to rake in accolades, with TIME Magazine dubbing her one of the publication’s Women of the Year. She is flanked by fellow actresses and Academy Award nominee Cate Blanchett (Tár), as well as fellow Golden Globe winner Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary).
Bassett’s TIME profile celebrates all of the accomplishments Bassett has achieved in her decades-spanning career, both as an actor and a woman. She recalled landing an agent not long after finishing grad school, only for the man she was dating at the time to attempt to diminish her achievement by claiming credit for the first big stepping stone of any young actor:
“I refused to buy into what was underneath that. If anyone tried to make me believe that it was because of them and not my own talent, effort, perseverance, I wasn’t going to accept that.”
Bassett went on to share how her experience playing a wide range of roles throughout her career, including a grieving mother in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, helped her find a greater appreciation for self-care, especially when so much is heaped on the shoulders of women:
“Women are called upon to be wives, sisters, friends, mothers, community leaders, activists, and we have it in our core to be these things. But it’s important to give to yourself first, and then you have more to share with the world.”
Angela Bassett’s award season sweep continues, with the Academy-award nominated actor recently taking home the honor of Entertainer of the Year at the 2023 NAACP Awards. All eyes are now on the Oscars.