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Angela Bassett Gets Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
By
Mar 21, 2008, 07:47

Academy Award nominated actress Angela Bassett was honored with the 2,358th Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yesterday.
Bassett, 49, was joined by husband Courtney B. Vance, their children and guests, actors Forest Whitaker, Laurence Fishburne and Rick Fox.  Fox is her co-star in Tyler Perry's "Meet the Browns," which opens today.

Fishburne, starred alongside Bassett in "What's Love Got to Do With It," highlighted her persistence saying "You get a lot of no's in this business and you have to have that desire and determination which is what Angela has.
Whitaker called Bassett was "a powerful artist, a beautiful person, a mother, a wife, a friend who illuminates my life."

Bassett spoke, recalling her move from NY to L.A. in 1988, "I meant to stay six months but I stayed. Today my cup runneth over! I am crying now, I cried yesterday and the day before. ... This day is so, so special to me."

Angela Bassett has made a career out of alluring audiences with emotionally tinged performances that capture a sense of dignity and pride whenever she appears on screen.   Her talent and abilities as an actress and executive producer in both television and film have time and again earned her the respect and acclaim from her peers and her fans, earning her place as one of the industry’s premier leading ladies.

She is perhaps best known for her intense portrayal of Tina Turner in the biopic “What’s Love Got To Do With It”, Bassett earned  an Academy Award nomination for her powerful performance, and received the Golden Globe for “Best Actress in a Drama” as well as the NAACP Image Award for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture".

Bassett recently starred opposite Laurence Fishburne in the critically-acclaimed Lionsgate film "Akeelah and the Bee" and  received rave reviews for her work with Fishburne in August Wilson’s classic play "Fences "at the prestigious Pasadena Playhouse.  Her next starring role on the big screen will be in Tyler Perry’s "Meet the Browns", with Rick Fox opening nationwide on March 21, 2008. She has also just completed work on Giancarlo Esposito’s "Gospel Hill and Nothing But the Truth," starring alongside Kate Beckinsale and David Schwimmer.

In February, 2007, Angela showed yet another side of her artistry  with the release of her best-selling book "FRIENDS: A Love Story ", that she co-wrote with her husband, actor Courtney B. Vance.  The inspirational tome is the real-life love story of Bassett and Vance, who were friends for many years before marrying.

Bassett has  received a total of nine NAACP Image Awards for her performances in "How Stella Got Her Groove Back"; opposite Whoopi Goldberg and Taye Diggs; her supporting roles in "The Score "opposite Robert DeNiro, Edward Norton and Marlon Brando; " Music of the Heart " starring with Meryl Streep; " Malcolm X" starring opposite Denzel Washington; as well as for her leading role in the television movie “Ruby’s Bucket of Blood.”   In addition, she received NAACP Image Award nominations for her work in the sci-fi blockbuster "Contact" starring opposite Jodie Foster and  for "Boesman and Lena" with Danny Glover. Bassett also received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for her performance in “Ruby’s Bucket of Blood.” and Emmy nominations for her work in the television movie "The Rosa Parks Story” and for the “Uncle Jed’s Barbershop” episode of PBS’ Storytime.

A Yale School of Drama graduate, Bassett has made her mark as both a dramatic actress and a master of subtle comedy, creating memorable roles in film and television. She staked her claim with a recurring role in the hit television drama series “Alias,” , flexed her comedy chops in the movie "Mr. 3000" with Bernie Mac,  and made an indelible mark on audiences with her work in John Sayles’ "Sunshine State" with Edie Falco; Terry McMillan’s "Waiting to Exhale" co-starring Whitney Houston,; James Cameron’s futuristic "Strange Days" with Ralph Fiennes; "Vampire in Brooklyn” starring opposite Eddie Murphy; and "Supernova" "with James Spader.  She was recently heard in theaters across the country voicing the character of  "Mildred" in Disney’s animated smash hit ""Meet the Robinsons," based on the successful children’s book of the same name by William Joyce.

Early in her career, Bassett  made the successful transition from stage to the silver screen when she appeared in the pivotal role as the ambitious single mother who sends her son to live with his father in John Singleton’s  “Boyz N the Hood." She received critical raves for her touching performance as Katherine Jackson in the ABC mini-series “The Jacksons: An American Dream,” and overwhelming recognition for her narration of the PBS miniseries, “Africans in America.”
 



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