ANGELA BASSETT BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Angela Bassett was born on August 16th, 1958 in New York City, New York with the middle name Evelyn, born to Betty Jane and Daniel Benjamin Bassett.  Her parents divorced and her single mother, Betty raised her in St. Petersburg, Florida and after graduating from Boca Ciega High School she earned a scholarship to study drama at Yale.  She also earned her B.A. in African-American studies in 1980 followed by a Masters of Fine Arts degree in 1983.
 
Bassett then began finding work in New York as a stage actress appearing in such productions as, "Black Girl", "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" and "Joe Turner's Come and Gone".  
 
Soon she broke into the entertainment industry appearing on the films, "F/X" (1986) followed by roles on the  television series as, "The Cosby Show" (1985-1988) and "Ryan's Hope" (1987).
 
She first gained major recognition in Hollywood when she was cast in the film, "What's Love Got to Do With It" (1993), a role for which she earned a Golden Globe for Best Actress along with an Oscar nomination for Best Actress which is a biopic based loosly on the life of singer Tina Turner and co-starring Laurence Fishburne.
 
Other film roles she has added to her resume over the course of her career include, "Panther" (1995) featuring Joe Don Baker, Chris Rock and Bobby Brown among many others, "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" (1998) starring with Whoopi Goldberg, "Music of the Heart" (1999) starring Meryl Streep, Gloria Estefan, Cloris Leachman and Aidan Quinn, "Supernova" (2000) also starring James Spader, Lou Diamond Phillips and Robert Forster and "The Score" (2001) starring alongside Robert De Niro, Edward Norton and Marlon Brando in his final film role.
 
Along with her film work she has appeared on such television shows and mini-series as, "The Jacksons: An American Dream" (1992), "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge" (1999) and "The Rosa Parks Story" (2002) for which she earned an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Rosa Parks.
 
She has also appeared on the television series, "ER", "Heart Beat", "227", "Alien Nation", "Equal Justice", "The Flash", "Nightmare Café" and "Alias".
 
More recently, Bassett has done voice over work for the television series, 'The Simpsons" and appeared on the film, "The Green Lantern" (2011).  Currently in production are the films, "This Means War" (2012), "Olympus Has Fallen" (2014) and "Black Nativity" (2013). 
 
Angela Bassett has married only once to Courtney Vance who she wed in 1997 and together they have two twin boys through a surrogate and remain married today.  In her spare time she is involved with such causes as attending event for children who suffer from diabetes as well as being an active Ambassador of UNICEF and a supporter of the Boys and Girls Club.  In 2008, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 
 
 
Filmography

2013   Black Nativity

2014   Olympus Has Fallen
 
2012   Rogue 

2012   This Means War

2012   Independent Lens 
 
2011   Green Lantern 

2011   Jumping the Broom

2011   Identity
 
2010   The Simpsons

2008-2009  ER 

2009   Notorious 
 
2008   Nothing But the Truth

2008   Meet the Browns

2008   Of Boys and Men 
 
2008   Gospel Hill

2007   Meet the Robinsons 

2006   Time Bomb
 
2006   Akeelah and the Bee 

2005   Mr. & Mrs. Smith

2005   Alias
 
2005   The Lazarus Child

2004   Mr 3000 

2003   Masked and Anonymous
 
2003   Freedom: A History of Us

2002   Sunshine State

2002   The Rosa Parks Story
 
2001   Ruby's Bucket of Blood

2001   The Score

2000   Boesman and Lena 
 
2000   Whispers: An Elephant's Tale

2000   Supernova 

1999   Music of the Heart
 
1999   Our Friend, Martin

1998   How Stella Got Her Groove Back

1997   Contact
 
1995   Waiting to Exhale

1995   Strange Days

1995   Panther
 
1995   Vampire in Brooklyn 

1993   What's Love Got to Do with It 

1992   Malcolm X 
 
1992   The Jacksons: An American Dream 

1992   Innocent Blood

1992   Passion Fish
 
1992   Critters 4 

1992   Nightmare Cafe

1991   One Special Victory
 
1991   Locked Up: A Mother's Rage 

1991   City of Hope 

1991   The Heroes of Desert Storm
 
1991   Boyz n the Hood

1991   Stat 

1991   Fire: Trapped on the 37th Floor 
 
1991   The Flash

1991   Line of Fire: The Morris Dees Story

1990   Kindergarten Cop 
 
1990   Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer 

1990   In the Best Interest of the Child 
 
1990   Equal Justice 

1990   Challenger 

1990   Alien Nation
 
1990   Family of Spies

1989   thirtysomething 

1989   227 
 
1989   Tour of Duty 

1989   A Man Called Hawk

1989   Heartbeat 
 
1988   Doubletake 

1985-1988  The Cosby Show

1987   Ryan's Hope
 
1986   Liberty

1986   F/X 

1985   Spenser: For Hire