Angela Bassett
By:Jennifer Moore
Biography
Born in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City on August 16, 1958, Angela Bassett is known for her many dramatic roles in films, television and on stage. Bassett was raised with her sister, D'nette, in St. Petersburg, Florida by her single mother, Betty, a social worker. On a high school trip, she became inspired to act after seeing a Kennedy Center production of the classic story Of Mice and Men, starring James Earl Jones.Encouraged by a teacher, Bassett went on to study at Yale on a scholarship, earning a B.A. in Afro-American Studies and an M.F.A. in drama.Angela Bassett's presence has been felt in theaters, stages, and television screens throughout the world.
She shared the stage with her husband Courtney B. Vance in a regional production of His Girl Friday in 2005. The pair also appeared together in the final season of the hit television drama ER from 2008 to 2009.
starred in 2006's Akeelah and the Bee with Keke Palmer and Laurence Fishburne. She plays the mother of an inner city spelling whiz who tries for a national championship.
Went on to play the mother of slain rapper Christopher "Biggie" Wallace in 2009's biopicNotorious. In 2011, she had several films, including the wedding comedyJump the Broom and comic book adaptation Green Lantern.
Quote
"Don't settle for average. Bring your best to the moment. Then, whether it fails or succeeds, at least you know you gave all you had. We need to live the best that's in us"