Angela Evelyn Bassett (born August 16, 1958) is an Emmy and Academy Award-nominated, and Golden Globe winning American actor who is particularly known for biographical film roles portraying women in American culture.Born in The Bronx, and then relocated to St. Petersburg, Florida, as a child. Angela Bassett and her sister D'nette were raised by their social worker mother, Betty. Bassett spent most of her childhood in housing projects, but even at a young age she was an entertainer. She and her younger sister often put on shows, reading poems or performing popular music, for their mother and aunts. At Boca Ciega High School, Bassett was a member of the debate team, student government, drama club, choir, and was a cheerleader. Bassett attended Yale University and received her B.A. in African-American studies in 1980. In 1983, she earned a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the Yale School of Drama. At Yale Bassett met her future husband Courtney B. Vance, a 1986 graduate of the drama school. After graduation, Bassett worked as a receptionist for a beauty salon and as a photo researcher. She soon looked for acting work in New York theater. One of her first New York performances came in 1985 when she appeared in J.E. Franklin's Black Girl at Second Stage Theatre. She appeared in two August Wilson plays at the Yale Repertory Theatre under the direction of her long-time instructor Lloyd Richards. The Wilson plays featuring Bassett were Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (1984) and Joe Turner's Come and Gone (1986).
