Angela Bassett Reveals Lack of Roles After Playing Tina Turner

Angela Bassett recently revealed that landing her next acting project proved remarkably difficult even after her acclaimed, career-defining portrayal of Tina Turner in 1993’s What’s Love Got to Do with It. Speaking with Linsey Davis on ABC News’ All Access, the actress pulled back the curtain on a Hollywood era where opportunities for women of color were severely restricted, leaving a massive gap between critical acclaim and meaningful offers.

Navigating the Industry Ceiling After a Landmark Role

The 1993 biographical film catapulted Bassett into stardom, earning her a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for her performance as Turner. Yet, those prestigious honors did not translate into a steady pipeline of leading film parts. Instead, Bassett faced systemic barriers and the heavy weight of choosing her next career step carefully.

“Remember, it was during a period of time where, I guess, roles were few and far between for a woman of color — you know, of a certain hue,” Bassett told Davis during the ABC News Live Prime segment. Rather than rushing into any available project to capitalize on her momentum, she grappled with high-stakes questions about her professional trajectory. “Are you going to make a lateral move? Are you going to go upward? You know, what’s the trajectory after something like [that], after you’ve reached the ceiling?”

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Strategic Choices Amid Early Dry Spells

Bassett made it clear that her comments referred to the scarcity of fitting scripts rather than a complete absence of work. Despite the industry dry spells, she subsequently starred in 1995’s Waiting to Exhale and 1998’s How Stella Got Her Groove Back. These projects were important in her career, built upon her earlier breakout performances in 1991’s Boyz n the Hood and 1992’s Malcolm X following her graduation from the Yale School of Drama.

The honors she received for playing Turner raised her profile, but they ultimately collided with the narrow range of characters being written and cast for Black women during the early 1990s. The frustration lay squarely in the disconnect between receiving praise and confronting a limited marketplace.

A Transformed Digital Landscape and Modern Powerhouse Status

Reflecting on how the entertainment business has evolved, Bassett shared an optimistic perspective on the current landscape, noting that it has “improved tremendously” for Black actresses today. She pointed to the democratization of media production, emphasizing that modern digital accessibility allows artists to create. She noted, “You have a phone in your hand, you can make your own movie and content, and it can be very successful,” adding that circumstances have indeed shifted.

Today, Bassett commands a multi-platform presence. On television, she leads and executive produces the hit ABC procedural drama 9-1-1 as LAPD Patrol Sergeant Athena Grant. Her upcoming and recent projects feature an Academy Award-nominated turn portraying Queen Ramonda in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, taking on the role of Lady Bayford inside the 2024 Netflix fantasy action film Damsel, acting alongside Robert De Niro within the 2025 Netflix political thriller limited series Zero Day, and providing her voice to a giant eagle for the 2026 LAIKA animated dark fantasy feature Wildwood.