Spike Lee Teases “Bombshell” Colin Kaepernick Doc & Predicts Angela Bassett Oscar Win As He Accepts BFI Fellowship Award

Angelique Jackson Twenty-nine years ago, Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne were celebrating their Academy Award nominations for portraying Tina Turner and Ike Turner in 1993’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” This year, Bassett is nominated for the best supporting actress Oscar for her commanding performance as Queen Ramonda in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” and her longtime collaborator couldn’t be more thrilled. Calling in between interviews for “John Wick: Chapter 4,” Fishburne tells Variety, “It’s what’s in my heart that I’d like to talk about more than what’s on my mind. I’m just really, really happy about all of the accolades that have been coming Angela’s way for this performance.”

A man who couldn’t read or write until he was 18 is set to become Cambridge’s youngest black professor. Jason Arday made the major milestone after being diagnosed with autism and global delay, which left him unable to speak until he was 11. He broke through barriers and has since become a prominent figure in the black community.

Julia MacCary editor Will Smith was the surprise guest that set the room abuzz Wednesday night at the 14th annual African American Film Critics Assn. Awards at the Beverly Wilshire hotel. But Smith had tough competition in the emotional-speech department from fellow honorees that included Danielle Deadwyler, Viola Davis, Angela Bassett and Gina Prince-Bythewood. Deadwyler, who won lead actress honors for her tour de force role in “Till,” drew the crowd’s the attention to the world-changing impact of Mamie Till-Mobley, whose provocative decision to show pictures of her son’s brutalized corpse helped ignite the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and ’60s.

TIME Magazine has named their annual Women of the Year for 2023, and several famous faces made the list.

Some things change and some stay the same! Through the years, Angela Bassett has become known for her powerful acting skills and her toned physique.   

Peter Caranicas Deputy Editor Lawrence Pitkethly, who produced and directed multiple documentary series shown on PBS and other broadcasters, died Feb. 24 at Albany Medical Center near his home in Hudson, N.Y., of cardiopulmonary arrest linked to complications from Parkinson’s. He was 79. Pitkethly is best known for “American Cinema” (1995), a 10-part, $7 million series for PBS, BBC and Canal Plus covering U.S. filmmaking that he produced, co-wrote and co-directed. It examined film genres, the rise and fall of the studio system, the creation of stars and other aspects of American movies through interviews with Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Sydney Pollack, George Lucas, Quentin Tarantino, Spike Lee, Joel Coen and other major players. John Lithgow served as host; Matthew Modine, Kathleen Turner and Cliff Robertson narrated.

2023 SAG Awards on Sunday, but some fan-favorite shows and movies were shut out.The best actor in a film category was a tight race, but ultimately “Elvis” star Austin Butler lost to “The Whale” star Brendan Fraser.Fraser, 54, also scored an award at the Critics Choice Awards in January over Butler. The pair will duke it out again come March at the Oscars.However, the “Carrie Diaries” alum, 31, won the Golden Globe and BAFTA best actor awards earlier this year for his role as the King of Rock and Roll.“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” star Angela Bassett was also snubbed last night, despite earning a Golden Globe and being nominated for a BAFTA.

Taking it all in. Angela Bassett reached out to Ariana DeBose after the West Side Story star’s BAFTAs rap went viral.

A decades-long romance. Angela Bassett and husband Courtney B. Vance met as classmates at the Yale School of Drama in the 1980s, but the duo didn’t spark a romantic connection until years later.

Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, performed an original song at the ceremony earlier this week that name-checked various Best Actress nominees including Bassett, Cate Blanchett and Michelle Yeoh.“Angela Bassett did the thing, Viola Davis my Woman King, Blanchett Cate you’re a genius, Jamie Lee you are all of us,” sang the West Side Story star as she danced around the stage. After the performance was widely mocked online, DeBose deactivated her Twitter account and BAFTAs awards producer Nick Bullen described the criticism as “incredibly unfair.”Speaking to Variety at the NAACP Image Awards last night (February 25), Bassett said she checked up on DeBose after the incident and the criticism that followed.“I DM’d her last night.

Ariana DeBose's now-infamous rap performance at the 2023 BAFTA Awards has officially come full circle. During Saturday night's 54th NAACP Image Awards, the breakout star of DeBose's viral rap, Angela Bassett, proved she knows how to carry a joke while accepting her Entertainer of the Year award onstage.«I guess Angela Bassett did the thing,» she quipped to the audience's laugher.«I guess Angela Bassett did the thing» — Angela Bassett as she accepts her entertainer of the year award at the #NAACPImageAwardspic.twitter.com/mevSTcKhUSThe reference is to DeBose's opening for the 2023 BAFTA Awards, in which she performed «Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves» and «We Are Family,» and the infamous original rap where she shouted out the awards show's female nominees. “Angela Bassett did the thing, Viola Davis my 'Woman King,' Blanchett Cate you're a genius, Jamie Lee you are all of us,” sang DeBose. The camera panned to the women as they were name-dropped. Memes quickly made their rounds on social media among a wide range of responses, which seemingly led DeBose to deactivate her Twitter account. But on Instagram DeBose reacted graciously, commenting on a carousel of memes with, «Honestly I love this.»In a preview for an upcoming interview on BBC Radio 2's  posted on TikTok, the  star brushed away the criticism and focused on the love she's received.

Angela Bassett wins big at the NAACP Image Awards. The actress took home three trophies for Outstanding Actress in a drama series for 9-1-1, Supporting Actress for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and the biggest award of the night, Entertainer of the Year.

much-publicized dust-up with Chris Rock occurred at the 94th Academy Awards.Angela Bassett was a triple winner, taking home Entertainer of the Year, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (a performance for which she’s also Oscar-nominated) and Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for “9-1-1.”ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” meanwhile, dominated the TV awards, taking home four trophies in all including Outstanding Comedy Series, Best Actress (Quinta Brunson), Supporting Actress (Janelle James) and Supporting Actor (Tyler James Williams). James bested Emmy-winning costar Sheryl Lee Ralph in the supporting category, giving her a boost as Emmy season approaches.Starz’s acclaimed “P-Valley” surprised by picking up a number of major awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, Nicco Annan for leading actor, and Loretta Devine for supporting actress.

Angela Bassett opened up about being told she “did the thing” by Ariana DeBose during a now-viral performance that opened the 2023 BAFTAs.

J. Kim Murphy Angela Bassett has simply done the thing once again. After being name-dropped by Ariana DeBose in a rap that opened the BAFTA Film Awards, the “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” star tells Variety that she reached out to DeBose in the aftermath to check in on her. “I DM’d her last night. I did. It was beautiful,” Bassett told Variety senior entertainment writer Angelique Jackson on the red carpet at the NAACP Image Awards on Saturday evening. “I just wanted to make sure she was okay because, you know, it’s a lot of attention. And she is A-Okay.”Angela Bassett DM'd Ariana DeBose. "I just wanted to make sure she was okay, because it's a lot of attention." https://t.co/JAcEviI0Qj pic.twitter.com/anzVhOZ0cc Bassett’s mention was one of the catchier lyrics in DeBose’s opener. DeBose, who won last year’s BAFTA and Academy Award for best supporting actress for her performance in “West Side Story,” kicked off the British Academy Film Awards on Feb. 19 with a rap that name-dropped several of the evening’s nominees, including directors honored in debut feature and women competing in both the lead actress and supporting actress categories. The production also featured renditions of “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves” and “We Are Family.”

Brendan Fraser and Angela Bassett were among the big winners at the 2023 Hollywood Critics Association’s HCA Film Awards!

BreAnna Bell The show continued on at the 54th Annual NAACP Image Awards despite an emergency flash flood warning and a torrential downpour effectively stopping the awards show red carpet. Attendees made the trip through the pouring rain to make the show, carefully treading through the rain-soaked pink carpet to find their seats at the L.A. Live Event Deck in Los Angeles, Calif. where they were treated to performances from gospel artist Tye Tribett and Too $hort as well as appearances from celebrities like Tichina Arnold, Katori Hall, the cast of Amazon Prime Video’s “Harlem,” and an impromptu wedding proposal. After Major gave the convocation, Tribett opened the show with his lively rendition of “Get Up,” which quickly pushed guests out of their seats and onto their feet to dance. The dinner’s host Bresha Webb announced her recent nuptials in her welcoming address and proceeded to poke fun at Ariana Debose with her own version of the Oscar winner’s now-viral BAFTA’s rap when honoring the night’s nominees.

Producers Guild Awards have revealed its presenters list for the 34th annual awards show, which will take place Saturday at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.Kate Hudson, Angela Bassett, Austin Butler, Brendan Fraser, Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michelle Williams, Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Ron Howard and Sandra Oh lead the notable star-studded list who will take the stage to present at the PGA Awards.Additionally, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Billy Eichner, Bob Odenkirk, Danielle Deadwyler, Dave Burd, Diego Luna, Eugenio Derbez, Hannah Einbinder, Hong Chau, Jay Ellis, Kerry Condon, Leslie Odom, Jr., Mo Amer, Monica Barbaro, Nicole Byer, Paul Dano, Robert Rodriguez, Sacha Baron Cohen, Sherry Lansing and Stephanie Hsu will also present throughout the evening.The PGA Awards honors producers, industry leaders and their producing teams to celebrate the art and craft of producing by honoring the producers behind the top films, TV shows and new media projects of the past year. Previously announced honorees at this year's ceremony include Tom Cruise (David O. Selznick Award); Mindy Kaling (Norman Lear Award); Warner Bros.

It looks like Ariana Debose has issued her first reaction to her viral 2023 BAFTAs performance.

So many stars attended the BAFTA Film Awards 2023 Nominees Party ahead of the annual awards show.