Angela Bassett

Golden Globe-winning actress Angela Bassett is often associated with her notable roles as African-American cultural figures like Rosa Parks, Betty Shabazz, and Tina Turner, all of whom she portrayed on the big and small screens to critical acclaim. But when she was not ably filling the shoes of such important, multi-dimensional female icons in films like "What's Love Got to Do With It" (1992) and "Malcolm X" (1992), Bassett created equally compelling portraits of independent modern women audiences could relate to in "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" (1998) and "Meet the Browns" (2008). Bassett's stage training and open, expressive face - not to mention her sheer beauty - made her one of Hollywood's most versatile African-American actresses, admired by the black community to the tune of nearly a dozen NAACP Image Award nominations, and a universal appeal that saw her navigate between film and television and comedy and drama seemingly without effort, leaving a lasting impact with the powerful, purposeful women she left behind on screen. Aging gracefully, Bassett began doing character work in films ranging from romantic comedy "This Means War" (2012) to action thriller "Olympus Has Fallen" (2013) and its sequel "London Has Fallen" (2016) to Marvel blockbuster "Black Panther" (2018) while delivering scares in the anthology series "American Horror Story" (FX, 2011- ).