In a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey for OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network), Angela Bassett was asked about her actions and reactions when she lost the 2023 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress to Jamie Lee Curtis.

Bassett and Curtis were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress that year, for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Everything Everywhere All At Once, respectively. Despite many people rooting for Bassett and her show stopping performance as Queen Ramonda, she ultimately lost to Curtis. 

Oprah reflected on that moment in the interview with Bassett. “We’re all in our pajamas, watching you on Oscar night … 30 years after you were nominated for What’s Love Got to Do with It, but didn’t win. So I just knew your name was going to be called and then when they didn’t, I was beside myself.” She also commented on Bassett’s reaction, which became a huge talking point online. “People are saying your disappointment showed, but I thought you handled it really well.”

Bassett responded honestly about the situation. “I thought I handled it very well, also. And that was my intention, to handle it very well. It was, of course, a supreme disappointment, and disappointment is human. So I thought, yes, I was disappointed, and I handled it like a human being.” She continued “There are going to be these moments of disappointment that they’re going to experience, but how do you handle yourself in the midst of them? So, we’re going to smile, we’re going to be gracious, we’re going to be kind, we’re going to party — anyway.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bassett received an honorary Academy Award at this past January’s Governor Awards. Winfrey discussed the speech that Bassett had given at that ceremony. “The speech that you gave will live on forever. I mean, the internet was going crazy.”

Bassett was honored.“I worked hard to get to this place, so I know it’s not a gift. I know that I earned it because I worked hard for it.”