Though it doesn’t mean she isn’t happy for Jamie Lee Curtis–who won her first-ever Oscar for her performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once–the acting legend still said the loss stung at the time.
“I love applauding people. But in that moment, I have put in: put in the time, put in good work over time. I didn’t think that was a gift. I thought it was a given,” she explained.
The Best Supporting Actress trophy in 2023 marked her second Oscar nomination, nearly 30 years after her Best Actress nomination for her performance as Tina Turner in 1993’s What’s Love Got to Do with It. But, in 2024, she did receive an Honorary Oscar for her contributions to the film industry as a whole. While accepting the award, Bassett gave a special shoutout to “trailblazing” Black actresses who came before her, including Ruby Dee, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Rosalind Cash.
“They were my North Star, my guiding light, proof that while the road may not be without curves and bumps, there was a way to fulfill what I believed deep in my soul was my destiny,” she said. “It was standing on their strong, spiritually fortified shoulders that I often was sustained, and I thank them for every sacrifice, every doubt, every disappointment, every rejection, every triumph that I know they experienced along the way. Because had it not been for their resilience, continuing to fight through their fears and the uncertainty and their willingness as they fought for every role, I would not have had a representation of what was possible for me.”
“But this honor isn’t just for or about me,” she continued. “What I hope this moment means is that we are taking the necessary steps toward a future in which it is the norm, not the exception, to see and embrace one another’s full humanity, stories and perspectives.”
Elsewhere in her Town & Country interview, Bassett also reflected on her early days in the industry, explaining: “You’re just trying to find little pieces where you are, little moments of daylight to be able to do this. So no matter how small it was, it was just a joy and a blessing.”
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