ANGELA BASSETT

Angela Evelyn Bassett was born in New York on Aug. 16, 1958, but she was raised in early years by her aunt in Winston-Salem, N.C. Her mother then moved her and her sister to St. Petersburg, Fla., where the siblings often performed for their family.

In high school, Bassett was a cheerleader and also participated in debate, drama and choir. A National Honor Society member, she attended Yale University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in African-American studies, then a Master of Fine Arts degree in drama.

After a period of odd jobs, Bassett began working on New York stages and also appeared in August Wilson plays at the Yale Repertory Theater. She later received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Yale.

Bassett made her movie debut in “F/X,” following that with “Kindergarten Cop,” “Boyz n the Hood” and “Malcolm X.”

On television, she made early appearances on “227” and “A Man Called Hawk,” and she starred as family matriarch Katherine Jackson in the miniseries “The Jacksons: An American Dream.”

Bassett’s true breakthrough role was Tina Turner in the movie “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” She earned an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award for the performance.

After turning down “Monster’s Ball,” Bassett made such films as “Supernova,” “Boesman and Lena,” “The Score,” “Gospel Hill,” “Akeelah and the Bee,” “Notorious,” “Olympus Has Fallen,” “London Has Fallen,” “Black Panther,” “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” and “Avengers: Endgame,” and the TV movies “The Rosa Parks Story” and “Betty and Coretta.”

Since 2018, Bassett has played Sgt. Athena Nash-Grant on the Fox drama series “9-1-1,” which resumes its fifth season Monday, March 21.