Angela Bassett has defended her “disappointment” about losing the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress back in 2023.
The 66-year-old actor was nominated for her role as the Queen of Wakanda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
She lost out to Jamie Lee Curtis, who was nominated for Everything Everywhere All At Once. Bassett’s unfiltered, unhappy reaction to the loss quickly went viral on social media.
In a new interview, she said that when she later told Oprah Winfrey she was “gobsmacked” by this loss, the reaction to that remark was “interesting” to see.
“Interesting that I wouldn’t be allowed to be disappointed at an outcome where I thought I was deserving,” she told Town & Country.
“I love applauding people. But in that moment…,” she explained. “No, 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.”
Although she didn’t take home the Oscar in 2023, she did receive an honorary Oscar in 2024, which paid tribute to all of her achievements in the entertainment industry.
While accepting the honor at the 14th Governors Awards, she gave a shout-out to other Black industry stars, such as Jennifer Hudson, Ariana DeBose, Viola Davis, and Octavia Spencer.
“To my fellow Black actresses, fill your hearts with courage and strength, because regardless of what you may think or see or feel, your contributions do matter,” the Strange Days star said during the acceptance speech.
“Take comfort knowing that your performances have given hope, offered different perspective and, for others, just pure joy in a time of need. Never allow fear, frustration or disappointment to get in the way of blessings that are divinely and deservedly yours.”
She addressed her viral Oscars reaction in March last year while speaking to Winfrey for OWN Spotlight.
“‘Angela Bassett face’ became all over the internet,” Winfrey said. “People were saying your disappointment showed, but I thought you handled it very well.”
Bassett agreed, stating: “I thought I handled it very well, also. And that was my intention, to handle it very well. It was, of course, a supreme disappointment, and disappointment is human.
“So I thought, yes, I was disappointed, and I handled it like a human being.”
