The anticipation was building over the weekend as the Oscars took over, and eyes were on Angela Bassett. Despite having a career that spawned several blockbuster hits, the acclaimed actress has yet to receive an Academy Award honor. Her inclusion in the Black Panther franchise has earned her more praise, and her supporters hoped that this year, she would take home the gold. However, Bassett lost out on Best Supporting Actress to Jamie Lee Curtis for Everybody Everywhere All At Once. The Waiting to Exhale icon’s reaction took over timelines as screenshots of a disappointed look were shared far and wide.
As the internet is in the thick of eating Bassett’s loss, many noted that two actors made sure to pay homage. This would have been Bassett’s first Oscar had she won, and she was clearly ready for her big moment. Creed III stars Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors appeared on the Oscars stage to present the award for Best Cinematography after Bassett’s loss. Their ties with Bassett ran deep, so they took a moment to acknowledge her in front of her Hollywood peers.
Angela Bassett Honored By Jordan & Majors
Before they even looked at the teleprompter, Jordan and Majors focused on Bassett. “Hey, Auntie,” said Jordan, who co-starred in the Black Panther franchise with the actress. Those two words were the same that his character, Erik Killmonger, uttered to Queen Ramonda, portrayed by Bassett. “We love you,” said Majors, who co-starred in Lovecraft Country with Bassett’s husband, Courtney B. Vance. Additionally, both Majors and Bassett graduated from the Yale School of Drama.
Her Best Supporting Actress nominations this year marked the second nod for Angela Bassett. It was 29 years ago that she received her first nomination for What’s Love Got To Do With It, the Tina Turner biopic that has gone down in film history. Yet, Jamie Lee Curtis’s win marked the first in her career. Curtis has been active in the industry for the entirety of her life, but her on-screen debut was in 1978’s Halloween. Both of Curtis’s parents are Hollywood royalty; her father, Tony Curtis, was an Oscar winner with a career that spanned six decades. Her mother, Janet Leigh, is most remembered as the lead role in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller, Psycho.
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