Angela Bassett's career has so far spanned more than three decades. She's acted in, directed, and produced feature films, documentaries, and TV series across a range of genres, with many of those undertakings reaping critical acclaim.
The Black Panther star is pretty widely considered one of the film and television industry's greatest talents. We could easily fill a full-length manuscript with her achievements and already know she's often on the receiving end of commendation, through awards and nominations as well as public praise.
Angela takes issue with one kind of compliment, though, and it's easy to understand why. In an interview with InStyle, she shared her thoughts on those who've said that she looks "so good for [her] age."
"Yeah, I think when we take care of ourselves, we do look good for our age, whatever age that is, you know?" she said.
Angela, who's 63, went on to reference her 1998 film, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, where she played a stockbroker reinventing her personal life with a younger man while on vacation.
Responding to a question about whether Stella could recover her "groove" in the same way now as she did 20 years ago, Angela replied, "Why not? I can't tell you how many times ladies have come up to me and said, 'I got my groove back.' They're embracing their sensuality and youth."
"In Hollywood, there was a time when people believed that once an actress turns 40, it's over," she continued. "But no, those things that make us who we are — our sensuality, sexuality, compassion, and intelligence — that doesn't come to an end. It deepens and ripens, you know? It's all in the attitude."
Other actors like Thandie Newton and Nicole Kidman have shared similar sentiments about receiving physical compliments alongside mentions of age, and generally experiencing ageism in Hollywood. Hopefully people are starting to listen.
