Short Biography

Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an American actress. She has become well-known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, perhaps most prominently as singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What`s Love Got to Do with It, as well as her portrayal of Michael Jackson`s mother Katherine in the miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream and Christopher (The Notorious B.I.G.) Wallace`s Mother Voletta Wallace in the Biopic Notorious. Bassett was born in Harlem and relocated to St. Petersburg, Florida as a child. She and her sister D`nette were raised by their social worker/civil servant mother, Betty. In 1985, Bassett made her first television appearance as a prostitute in the TV movie Doubletake (1985). However, she made her official film debut as a news reporter in F/X (1986). Bassett moved to Los Angeles and gained recognition in the films Boyz n the Hood (1991) and Malcolm X (1992). For her portrayal of Betty Shabazz, she earned an Image Award.

In 1992 Bassett played Katherine Jackson (Michael Jackson`s mother) in the Mini Series American Dream: The Jacksons. Later in 1992, Bassett won the role of Tina Turner in the feature film What`s Love Got to Do with It (1993). Bassett earned a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Turner. She was the first African-American to win the Best Actress Golden Globe for a musical or comedy. Bassett starred in three movies in 1995 that were released with varied reactions from critics; Vampire in Brooklyn, Strange Days, and Waiting to Exhale (where she worked with author Terry McMillan). In Strange Days, Bassett plays Lornette "Mace" Mason, a chauffeur and bodyguard. Bernadine Harris, Bassett`s character in Waiting to Exhale, was betrayed by her husband and in revenge she set fire to his entire wardrobe and vehicle, then sold what was left for one dollar. In 1998, Bassett starred in the film How Stella Got Her Groove Back, once again collaborating with McMillan. She played Stella, a 40-year-old professional woman who falls in love with a 20-year-old Jamaican man.

Bassett is a private person, often choosing not to discuss her personal life with the public. She attends LA`s West Angeles Church of God in Christ along with fellow actor Denzel Washington. Bassett told the Los Angeles Times: "Loving God is like my being black. I just am. [No one says] `You know what? I`m gonna be blacker today!` It`s my culture. It`s not something I put on or take off or show more. You just communicate that in the way you live your life." Bassett married actor Courtney B. Vance in 1997. In the summer of 2005, they starred together in a production of the play His Girl Friday at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The couple`s children, son Slater Josiah and daughter Bronwyn Golden, were born on January 27, 2006. During an interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show, the couple confirmed that the twins were born via a surrogate mother after several years of unsuccessful attempts at conceiving naturally. Bassett is an avid supporter of programs for the Arts, especially for youth. She annually attends events for children with diabetes and those in foster homes. She is an active Ambassador of UNICEF for the United States. Bassett is a big supporter of the Royal Theater Boys & Girls Club in her hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida.

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