Angela Bassett recently reflected on the moment she supported fellow Oscar nominee Austin Butler with a sweet gesture at the 2023 awards ceremony last month.
On Thursday, Bassett wrote a tribute to Butler, who was named to Time magazine’s 2023 list of the 100 most influential people. The “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” actor, who was seen at the ceremony holding Butler’s hand as his category was underway. she announced, said in the Time essay that she “intimately understood” what she was feeling at the time.
Butler was nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in “Elvis.” He lost the Oscar to Brendan Fraser, which he won for his performance in “The Whale”.
“I took her hand and held it slowly while the winner was announced,” she said. “Even though his name wasn’t called, Austin is no less of a winner.”
“It was time for Austin to say goodbye to Elvis as he began to embrace an infinite universe of possibilities as an actor,” he continued. “I can’t wait to see what he brings next.”
Elsewhere in his essay for Time, Bassett explained that he identified with Butler’s experience portraying an iconic figure in a biopic. “You walk away from that changed set forever,” she said.
In fact, one of Bassett’s most revered roles was her Oscar-nominated performance as Tina Turner in the 1993 film What’s Love Got to Do With It.
Many Bassett fans were disappointed that the actor did not win Best Actress at the 1994 Academy Awards.
Fans were dismayed again at this year’s show when she lost the Best Supporting Actress Oscar to Jamie Lee Curtis for her role in Everywhere, All at Once.
Bassett won acclaim for her portrayal of Queen Ramonda in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
