Angela Bassett
Born August 16, 1958. Bassett's first realization that she wanted to become an actress was at performance, Of Mice and Men, starring James Earl Jones at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Bassett decided at that moment she would pursue acting as a career.
Bassett tackled acting so, that by time she graduated from high school she was well-versed enough to go to Yale University where she would pursue and graduate with a B.A. degree in Drama as well as her Master's degree.
While at Yale, Bassett would study under the accomplished director Lloyd Richards and established herself as an incredibly powerful stage actress starring in two Tony Award winning August Wilson plays, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Joe Turner's Come and Gone.
Despite her success on stage, Bassett's greatest struggle would come when she tried to break into acting in films. Hollywood was all to swift to cast her as a hooker, or best friend to her white counterparts, as in the film "Doubletakes," where she plays a hooker. Bassett's hard work finally paid off though, with her breakthrough performance in John Singleton's "Boyz N' the Hood."
Bassett has since portrayed Betty Shabazz in Malcolm X opposite Denzel Washington, and brought to life two Terry McMillan films, Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back.
Today, Bassett continues to garner rave reviews for her performances, and is considered one ofÊ Hollywood’s Finest. Bassett is an outspoken advocate for Cancer and AIDS research, and is in high demand as a speaker.