Angela Bassett is reflecting on her loss at the 95th annual Academy Awards last year, and the viral response to her televised reaction. In a recent sit-down with Oprah Winfrey as part of the OWN Spotlight series, the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star recalled the moment she lost the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
"I was gobsmacked! I was. I thought I handled it very well, and that was my intention: to handle it very well," Bassett told Winfrey. "It was, of course, a supreme disappointment, and disappointment is human, so yes, I was disappointed, and I handled it like a human being."
Bassett had been nominated for her performance as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which marks her second-ever at the Oscars, following a nod in 1993 for Best Actress for her portrayal of Tina Turner in What's Love Got to Do With It.
While several MCU films have been nominated for -- and won -- various Oscars, including Black Panther making history by earning a Best Picture nomination and taking home three awards in 2019, Bassett's nomination was the first time a Marvel film has been recognized for acting.
Although Bassett had won the Globe Globe and Critics' Choice Award that year, she ultimately lost the Oscar to Jamie Lee Curtis for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once -- which swept several major categories of the night.
Bassett's immediate reaction to hearing Curtis' win went viral on social media. Users were divided: some were upset that Bassett didn't immediately show support for Curtis by applauding, while others defended the Damsel actress' right to mourn her loss -- especially considering that it was her second one.
Winfrey candidly shared that she didn't understand why Bassett's muted reaction to Curtis' win went viral. "I didn't get the whole 'Angela Bassett face,'" she said. "I thought, wow, you can see that [you] expected another thing, but you were still as gracious as a queen would be."
"Absolutely. For myself and for my children, who were there with me, yes," Bassett responded. "I know a pastor who says 'Technology is different -- people are the same.' There are going to be these moments of disappointment that they are going to experience. But how do you handle yourself in the midst of them? We're going to smile, we're going to be gracious, we're going to be kind -- we got a party anyway."
After her 2023 loss, Bassett was named a recipient of an Honorary Award for her career at the 2024 Governor’s Awards.
At the ceremony, the screen icon's heartfelt speech addressed other Black actors, urging them to feel encouraged even in the face of doubt and disappointment.
"Take comfort knowing that your performances have given hope, offered a different perspective, and for others, just pure joy in a time of need," Bassett said in her speech. "Never allow fear, frustration, or disappointment to get in the way of the blessings that are divinely and deservedly yours. Remember who you are and who our ancestors intended us to be. I proudly share this honor with women who stand up when they are told to stand back, who speak up when they are silenced, who remain determined when they are told they are defeated."
When she spoke with ET on the event's red carpet alongside her husband, Courtney B. Vance, and their 17-year-old twins -- son Slater Josiah Vance and daughter Bronwyn Golden Vance -- she opened up about having those closest to her by her side during her big night.
"The people who love being there, they're there, [and] they're there holding me up," Bassett said of her family and the cadre of close friends and stylists who accompanied them to the star-studded event. "You can't do it alone."
The screen icon reflected on her road to the coveted award, which many would say is long overdue.
"It's been decades, right? Decades and decades, roles and roles, and blessings upon blessings," Bassett shared, adding that she always appreciated the love from her fans and champions along the way.
"[To the] fans who've gone to see the movie and support it -- I felt the love," Bassett shared. "I'm getting chills now, but I felt the love all these years. I mean, they have prayed, they have fussed, they have written, they have had my back."
"So it feels really satisfying to receive this," she added. "I'm humbled."
The 2024 Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, airs live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 10, at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET on ABC. Follow along at ETonline.com for full Oscars coverage, including red carpet arrivals, the complete winners list and more.
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