Angela Bassett has shared her delight over receiving her honorary Oscar, 30 years after she was first nominated.
In June, it was announced that the Malcom X star, 65, would receive the statue alongside comedy legend Mel Brooks and ET film editor Carol Littleton at the Governor’s Awards, which were originally scheduled for November but due to the strikes were moved to January 2024.
She received her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her portrayal of Tina Turner in 1993’s What’s Love Got to Do With It?
Bassett then earned her second earlier this year for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
That nomination cemented her into the history books as she became the first actor from a Marvel Studios film and the first woman from a superhero movie to receive an acting recognition.
Now ahead of the ceremony, she told The Standard: “I'm looking forward to being honoured with the honorary Oscar.
“It's something that actors dream of, you know, whether it's the Tony or the Oscar or the Emmy, all those big awards.
"So, this indeed is a big one. And I'm thrilled.”
Bassett has long been touted as one of Hollywood's greatest unsung actresses when it comes to the Oscars.
In March, many were annoyed when she lost out on the Best Supporting Actress Oscar to Everything Everywhere All at Once performer Jamie Lee Curtis.
So, when asked if it’s “about time” she received an Academy Award, she warmly smiled: “That's what a lot of people say.”
Bassett spoke to us as she marked her involvement in the 2024 Pirelli Calendar, shot by Prince Gyasi. The Mission Impossible star is one of 12 famous faces involved in the project, including American poet Amanda Gorman as well as supermodel Naomi Campbell and British actor Idris Elba.
Speaking at the gala event held at Magazine London, she spoke about how the calendar is a celebration of “black excellence” from the worlds of fashion, film, art and sport.
She shared: “I’m very pleased to be counted among them highlighting black excellence.
“And I think it's a worthy a worthwhile celebration because black people as we know have been at the forefront of music and of style for many, many, many years so it's so apropos.”
