After winning the Golden Globe in January, Angela Bassett was widely favored to take home the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” but the trophy went to another beloved veteran actress, Jamie Lee Curtis for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” on Sunday.
The look of disappointment on Bassett’s face was plain to see in the reaction shot as Curtis’ name was read. “Angela Bassett’s reaction hurts me,” tweeted the Huffington Post’s Philip Lewis.
When Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors took the stage to present Best Cinematography, Jordan said, “We love you, Auntie.” It was a respectful reference to Jordan and Bassett’s roles in “Black Panther,” in which his villain Killmonger greeted Queen Ramonda with the far too casual, “Hey, Auntie.” Majors is also in the MCU: He plays Kang the Conqueror in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.”
Fans also expressed their frustration on social media that the two-time Oscar nominee was going home empty-handed again.
“MBJ and Jonathan Majors giving respect on stage to Angela Bassett will be the highlight of MY night. #Oscars#WakandaForever,” tweeted April Reign, who got the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag streaming in years past over the lack of diversity among the Oscar nominees.
“They know Angela Bassett got robbed,” tweeted @AustinPlanet.
Spencer Althouse of BuzzFeed wrote, “Angela Bassett’s reaction to Jamie Lee Curtis’ name being called…you can tell how much that Oscar would have meant to her. she is, was, and always will be incredible. I better see her on that stage SOON.”
