Angela Bassett is keeping it real about her 2023 Oscars experience. The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star, who made history as the first actor to earn an Academy Award nomination for a Marvel film, recently reflected on the moment she lost Best Supporting Actress to Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once).
In a new interview with Town & Country, Bassett didn’t shy away from expressing how she felt about the outcome.
“I found it interesting… interesting that I wouldn’t be allowed to be disappointed at an outcome where I thought I was deserving,” she said.
And she wasn’t wrong. Bassett’s performance as Queen Ramonda was a powerhouse, earning her multiple awards, including a Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award. Still, for Bassett, the nomination wasn’t about hoping for a lucky break—it was about recognition of her body of work.
“I love applauding people. But in that moment… No, 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 added.
The Best Supporting Actress lineup in 2023 also included Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin), Hong Chau (The Whale), and Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once). And while we love Jamie Lee Curtis, there’s no denying that if an Everything Everywhere… performance was going to take that Oscar, it should have been Stephanie Hsu, whose layered, emotional, and deeply resonant role as Joy/Jobu Tupaki left a lasting impact.
The moment Curtis’ name was called, social media exploded, with many pointing out Bassett’s reaction—one that wasn’t filled with the usual forced Hollywood smile but instead reflected a real, human response. And as Bassett later told Oprah, she was indeed “gobsmacked.”
“I thought I handled it very well. That was my intention, to handle it very well. It was, of course, a supreme disappointment, and disappointment is human,” she shared.
The Double Standard in Hollywood
Bassett’s reaction also highlights a longstanding double standard in Hollywood: who is allowed to express disappointment, and who is expected to simply “be grateful” for a nomination?
For decades, there has been an unspoken rule that certain actors are permitted to show frustration or disappointment when they don’t win, often with sympathy and understanding from the industry and audiences alike. However, when it comes to Black women, particularly those who have put in years of celebrated work, that same grace is rarely extended. Instead, there is an expectation to always be gracious, to smile even in moments of disappointment, and to accept losses without visible emotion.
This expectation reflects a deeper issue within Hollywood’s award culture—the notion that recognition itself should be enough. When a Black woman, especially one as accomplished as Angela Bassett, dares to assert that she was deserving of the award, it is often met with scrutiny rather than agreement. The implication is that she should simply be honored to have been included, rather than recognized as the rightful winner.
Angela Bassett has put in the work. She wasn’t just nominated for a career Oscar—her performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was powerful, deeply emotional, and widely celebrated. But when she voiced that she believed she was deserving, she was met with scrutiny instead of support.
A Legacy Cemented
While that particular Oscar win didn’t happen, the industry made sure to honor Bassett the following year. In 2024, she was presented with an Honorary Oscar, cementing her legacy. During her acceptance speech, she paid tribute to Black actresses who paved the way, 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.