Angela Bassett and Jamie Lee Curtis were up against each other in the best supporting actress (Picture: AFP/Backgrid)
We can all probably agree that Angela Bassett has always been the epitome of grace and class.
Over the course of her career, she’s barely put a foot wrong and has earned the respect of her peers and fans alike. It’s fair to say that so many of us thought it would finally be Angela’s year when she received a best supporting actress nomination at the Oscars for her powerful performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
It surely would have been a well-deserved and long overdue achievement for the woman who has been able to turn her talents to portraying strong characters like Tina Turner and Malcolm X’s wife on-screen, while also giving us feel-good capers such as rom-com When Stella Got Her Groove Back.
So, when she lost the Oscar to Jamie Lee Curtis and didn’t sugarcoat her feelings with a gracious loser face, it was almost as foreign as Ariana DeBose’s epic yet cheesy rap at the Baftas for our traditionally reserved British audiences.
There was something so alarmingly real about Angela’s forlorn facial expression – seemingly even on the verge of tears – that tugged at my heartstrings, especially knowing that typically she’d be expected to plaster on a fake smile and nod while clapping graciously.
But, why does she have to pretend that arguably the most disappointing moment of her career didn’t hurt?
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More importantly, what does it say about the state of our culture where people would prefer her to fake it rather than show genuine emotion?
Why should she mask over her upset just to make others more comfortable? After all, she was the one most uncomfortable in that moment.
It feels wholly unfair that Angela has been branded ‘unprofessional’ and a ‘sore loser’ when, in that moment, she was the realest one in the entire room.
It’s no secret that Hollywood is an industry full of fakery; fake air kisses, pretend joy at bumping into a peer whose job they might want and fake reactions of elation when someone else is announced as the winner.
When Angela failed to raise a smile at the Oscars, it doesn’t mean she wasn’t happy for Jamie’s win.
To me, it looked like a woman who momentarily checked out, forgot where she was and became completely consumed with her own thoughts; thoughts of disappointment, that she wouldn’t get to hug the coveted golden trophy and, perhaps, wondering how many more chances she’d get to win the award (although, let’s be real, this is Angela Bassett so the chances are very likely).
Angela couldn’t hide her disappointment after losing out the award (Picture: BBC, Backgrid)
She was nominated for her powerful performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Picture: Marvel)
It was a momentous night for Angela, whether she won the Oscar or not (Picture: Rex Features)
It’s clear that the idea of winning the Oscar after years of delivering solid performances meant a huge amount to Angela, and the magnitude of it might not have even hit her until she lost it.
The criticism she’s received since going viral on social media has been pretty unjust, especially when she’s not the first to refuse to play by Hollywood’s playbook, so to speak, when it comes to being a gracious loser.
Take Samuel L Jackson, for example. When he didn’t win the best actor Oscar gong in 1994 for his performance in Pulp Fiction, he let out a very clear ‘s**t’ when Martin Landau was announced as the winner.
Way before social media existed and she had the chance to go viral, Talia Shire gave a very visible peeved off facial expression when Faye Dunaway scooped best actress over her at the 1977 Oscars.
Heck, even Bill Murray refused to raise a smile when Sean Penn won best actor over him at the 2004 Oscars, turning his head with a brilliantly deadpan expression as everyone clapped around him.
Yes, these are A-list actors who make a living, millions even, from faking emotions, but they are also human.
And humans have honest reactions.
It may have taken Angela a minute to let the realisation that she lost the Oscar sink in. In my opinion, her face read like heartbreak more than bitterness.
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For all we know, she may have recovered, got herself together and congratulated Jamie later that evening. Even if she didn’t, despite her own upset, she may also have been genuinely happy for her fellow actress whose path she has likely crossed many times over the years.
In an industry that thrives off hiding what’s real, surely we should be applauding the one, rare moment, when the mask slips and we see that yes, these A-listers may have all the money and fame they could possibly dream of but, ultimately, they’re just like any one of us.
Whether that looks pretty or not.
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Amid the fakery of Hollywood, it was nice to see honest emotion from an A-lister.