Angela Bassett Height, Weight, Age, Spouse, Family, Facts, Biography

May 2024 · 10 minute read
Angela Bassett Quick Info
Height5 ft 3½ in
Weight61 kg
Date of BirthAugust 16, 1958
Zodiac SignLeo
SpouseCourtney B. Vance

Angela Bassett is an American actress who is best known for her role as Tina Turner in the biographical movie What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993). She was also cast as Ramonda in the Marvel Studios film Black Panther (2018). She is also a social activist and is an Ambassador of UNICEF. She also had a recurring role in American Horror Story: Coven. She has over 500k followers on Twitter and more than 1.5 million followers on Instagram.

Born Name

Angela Evelyn Bassett

Nick Name

Angela

Sun Sign

Leo

Born Place

New York City, New York, United States

Residence

Los Angeles, California, United States

Nationality

American

Education

Angela studied at the Jordan Park Elementary School and later attended Disston Middle School in the 7th grade. Following that, she completed her 8th and 9th grade at Azalea Middle School.

For her high school, she became a student at Boca Ciega High School and was a straight ‘A’ and ‘B’ student for the most part of her school life. While there, she was actively involved in the choir, cheerleading, drama club, student prep program, and many other clubs.

She attended Yale University and graduated in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in African-American studies. She also earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama.

Occupation

Actress, Social Activist

Family

Manager

Angela is represented by the California-based William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.

Genre

Soundtrack

Instruments

Vocals

Labels

She is unsigned.

But her music for the movie Black Nativity was released under the music label of RCA Records.

Build

Slim

Height

5 ft 3½ in or 161.5 cm

Weight

61 kg or 134.5 lbs

Boyfriend / Spouse

Angela Bassett has dated –

  • Mark Jenkins – Angela dated artist Mark Jenkins for a fleeting duration but not much is known about their time together except that they split soon enough.
  • Courtney B. Vance (1997-Present) – The first time Angela met her future husband, actor Courtney B. Vance, was while they both were studying at Yale School of Drama. Vance is around 2 years younger to her so they didn’t attend the same classes. Nevertheless, they ran in the same collegiate circles and stayed friends for the longest time. They met again about 14 years later in Los Angeles and as they were both single at the time, they fell for each other and began dating. The two have jokingly admitted that their first date was ‘boring’ but sparks began to fly when they went on their second date at a golf course. After having dated for a while, the couple tied the knot in a beautiful wedding ceremony on October 12, 1997. While nearing 10 years of married life, the couple sought the help of a surrogate and became parents to twins – a daughter named Bronwyn Golden Vance and a son named Slater Josiah Vance on January 27, 2006, in California. They have set the couple’s goal in Hollywood for having completed more than 20 years of marriage.

    • Race / Ethnicity

    Black

    She is of African-American descent.

    Hair Color

    Black

    Eye Color

    Dark Brown

    Sexual Orientation

    Straight

    Distinctive Features

    Brand Endorsements

    Angela has endorsed the following brands –

    Religion

    Christianity

    Best Known For

    As a Singer

    In 2008, Angela performed 2 songs titled I love Rock-n-Roll and Hit Me With Your Best Shot during her stint on the medical drama ER.

    Angela also contributed to a few songs of the movie Black Nativity.

    First Film

    Angela made her theatrical film debut in 1986 as a TV reporter in the action-thriller film F/X.

    First TV Show

    She made her first TV show appearance in 1985 on the drama series Search For Tomorrow as Sarina McCulla.

    Personal Trainer

    Angela is known for being in top physical form despite her advancing age. In 2015, she started doing the TRX training under the guidance of fitness expert Rob Thompson of the ‘Get Fit By Rob’ fame. Her workout routine involved beginning with low cardio exercises like running half a mile, then lifting barbells and using a few machines.

    For her diet, she tries to eat healthy with some helpful tips from Rob. While working on set, she generally opts for chicken and broccoli or asparagus which combines a good lean protein with vegetables and salad. She also loves tuna sandwiches for which she uses P28 High Protein Bread. To it, she adds tuna fish with yogurt, Dijon mustard, some paprika, pepper, olives, and red ball pepper.

    Angela Bassett Favorite Things

    Source – Wikipedia, Buzzfeed, Los Angeles Times, Us Magazine

    Angela Bassett Facts

  • Angela received her middle name from her aunt Evelyn. Furthermore, her surname originates from her paternal great-grandfather William Henry Bassett. Apparently, he took the name from his former oppressor whose children later became the founders of the place called Bassett in Virginia.
  • One of her earlier works included working as a photo researcher at U.S. News & World Report magazine. She also worked as a receptionist at a beauty salon after graduating from Yale.
  • Angela discovered her passion for acting at the age of 16 when her 11th-grade class trip visited Washington D.C in 1974. She watched actor James Earl Jones perform in a Kennedy Center production of the play Of Mice and Men and was so impressed that she decided to make acting her career of choice.
  • While studying at Boca Ciega High School, she achieved the feat of being the first African American student from the school to participate in Upward Bound – an academic and cultural enrichment program for underprivileged kids at the National Honor Society (NHS).
  • Angela was born on the same day as that of pop sensation Madonna – August 16, 1958.
  • On July 13, 2013, she was initiated as an honorary member of the college-educated women’s sorority group Delta Sigma Theta.
  • Angela has admitted to being a huge fan of The Jackson 5 during her formative years. She further added that she dreamt of marrying the member with the ‘cutest and roundest Afro’ from the musical family group. It was at this time that her interest in entertainment was developing as she and her sister would regularly put on shows performing popular songs and reading poetry for the family.
  • On March 20, 2008, she became one of the many actors to get her own star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star shines at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
  • Angela is one of the only 10 African-American actresses to be nominated for an Oscar in the Best Actress category since its inception in 1929. She was nominated for her role in What’s Love Got to Do with it in 1994.
  • Her path-breaking performance as Tina Turner in the 1993 biopic What’s Love Got to Do with it made into the list of Premiere Magazine’s List of 100 Greatest Film Performances of all time at the 95th spot.
  • As of July 2018, she is the only African-American recipient of the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for her portrayal of singer Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with it (1993).
  • She turned down the role of Leticia Musgrove in Monster’s Ball (2001) because she was not comfortable with the role’s requirement for nudity. The role was eventually played by Halle Berry who became the first African-American actress to win the Best Actress Oscar in its history.
  • Angela received an honorary doctoral degree from her alma-mater Yale University in fine arts in 2018.
  • Her 1995 film Strange Days had her saying the line “this is your life, right here, right now!”. Her voice (saying the line) was sampled by English musician Fatboy Slim for his hit single Right Here, Right Now in 1998.
  • In 2015, she voiced the first-ever female role of “Agent Six” for the video game Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege.
  • Urban dictionary has an entry in her name called the “Angela Bassett Moment”, which is an ode to a famous scene in the film Waiting To Exhale (1995). The entry describes a woman’s wrath at being cheated on by destroying her lover’s personal belongings, by usually setting things on fire as revenge.
  • She has teamed up with German doctor Barbara Sturm to launch a skincare line of products for people of color. The Dr. Barbara Sturm skincare collection includes cleansers, face creams, and hydraulic serums.
  • She marked her directorial debut in 2015 with Whitney, a television film about the life and struggles of American all-time best-selling artist Whitney Houston.
  • Not doing more theater work is her biggest regret.
  • She has a habit of procrastinating even more than young kids.
  • Angela’s art collection is her most prized possession.
  • She doesn’t like her neck.
  • Poverty is her greatest fear.
  • Her first job was as a teenager when she worked in a nursing home with senior citizens.
  • Angela doesn’t like malicious gossip.
  • 2 people she admires the most are former President Barack Obama and her late aunt Golden B. Wall.
  • She loves dancing.
  • At the age of 51, Angela had auditioned for a role in Katori Hall’s play The Mountaintop in which she was required to play the role of a 22-year-old woman. In 2011, she finally played the role.
  • Angela got to keep a souvenir from the Black Panther movie set which is the Wakanda beads.
  • She loves cooking.
  • Moroccan chicken and decadent chocolate torte are her favorite meals to cook.
  • She watched her diet closely but does not work out daily.
  • Jumpsuits give her the required go-to look.
  • To prepare for her role as LAPD patrol sergeant Athena Grant in TV series 9-1-1, Angela talked with a real black woman who was serving as a lieutenant in the Los Angeles Police Department.
  • She loves to spend her time near water such as at the beach or taking a swim, etc.
  • During the 2023 Golden Globe Awards, Angela won the award for “Best Supporting Actress” for her work in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. With this, she became the first actor to win the Golden Globe Award for a Marvel movie.
  • In February 2023, Angela won the award for “Best Supporting Actress” at the Hollywood Critics Association’s HCA Film Awards for her work in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
  • In March 2023, Angela was included in the annual “Women of the Year” list by TIME Magazine.
  • During the 2023 AAFCA Awards, Angela was honored with the “Best Supporting Actress” award.
  • In November 2023, Angela received an honorary Oscar during the Governors Awards.

    • Featured Image by The Heart Truth / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

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