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By Lauren Bray, edhat staff
Legendary actress and star of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Angela Bassett received the Montecito Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Thursday evening.
The event began in a crowded Arlington Theatre with Executive Director Roger Durling announcing his excitement for the opportunity to honor Bassett.
“She paved the way for newer generations to be able to see themselves represented on stage,” said Durling.
Bassett walked on stage to roaring applause from the crowd. She discussed her early career choices including the decision to leave behind a successful theatre career in New York City and move to Los Angeles. Once landing in California, she was able to grow her career by starring in films and television shows.
Angela Bassett (Photo: Fritz Olenberger)
The nearly two hour interview was broken up by clips of her work. The first were her roles in the groundbreaking films “Boyz n the Hood” and “Malcolm X.”
Bassett described her transformation into her onscreen characters. She discussed the costumes in “Malcom X” and how having those pieces provide a reference for how to play her character. She said she would sometimes act from the script and other times follow her own interpretations.
When a clip of Bassett in “Vampire in Brooklyn” was showns, she acknowledged her stunt double’s incredible performance, and how she unfortunately lost her life during the film.
In perhaps one of her best known films, “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” she detailed how powerful she felt while filming that role as she got to pick her on screen partner.
The final clip presented Basset’s latest work in “Black Panther” and “Wakanda Forever.” She broke down her powerful speeches from in the film as she drew upon her family for inspiration. Bassett said it has been a dream come true to be able to offer the representation she always longed for.
“She’s a woman protecting her own,” she said of her character Queen Ramonda.
Durling concluded the interview portion and brought out “Black Panther” writer/director Ryan Coogler to the stage to present Bassett with the 2023 Montecito Award.
Coogler spoke on the impact Bassett’s movies had on him throughout his life, thanking her for her work.
Bassett has recently wrapped production on the Netflix Originals feature film, “Damsel”, opposite Millie Bobby Brown.
The Montecito Award is named after one of the most beautiful and stylish areas in Santa Barbara. Past recipients include Penélope Cruz, Amanda Seyfried, Lupita Nyong’o, Melissa McCarthy, Saoirse Ronan, Isabelle Huppert, Sylvester Stallone, Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Daniel Day-Lewis, Geoffrey Rush, Julianne Moore, Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts and Javier Bardem.
The 38th Santa Barbara International Film Festival runs through February 18. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, and celebrity tributes, will be held throughout the city, including at the historic Arlington Theatre. Passes and tickets are on sale now at sbiff.org.
