The actress initially faced criticism for not standing up or clapping for Curtis when she won the Best Supporting Actress award.
Bassett, 64, was nominated in the category for her film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, while Curtis, 64, was nominated for Everything Everywhere All at Once.
When the winner was announced in the category, and to Angela’s disappointment, it was Jamie Lee Curtis, and not her – she couldn’t control her disappointment, and her face showed it all.
The actress looked heartbroken and sad compared to her fellow nominees, Kerry Condon, Hong Chau, and Stephanie Hsu, who all cherished Jamie despite losing to her
Following the announcement, Bassett’s reaction went viral on the internet, and many people exclaimed that she should have celebrated Jamie’s win and not acted like a ‘sore loser’ instead.
“Angela Bassett is a fantastic actress. A shame she didn’t continue performing tonight and applaud when Jamie Lee won. Everyone wants to win. However, most won’t. That’s life. And sore loser is never a good look,” one wrote.
“All you saying Angela Bassett should’ve won over Jamie lee… her reaction was poor sportsmanship,” a second wrote.
“Regardless of who won that Oscar … Angela Bassett could have clapped for the winner. To just sit there and not clap because you didn’t win,” a third said.
However, many fans of the actress rushed to defend her reaction and asserted that it was natural to react this way when she was hoping to win the award.
“Angela Bassett is allowed to be visibly disappointed that she didn’t win the Oscar,” one fan said.
“I actually appreciate that Angela didn’t put on a face for the sake of being a ‘good sport.’” Another wrote.
“Angela Bassett’s reaction to Jamie Lee Curtis’ name being called…you can tell how much that Oscar would have meant to her. she is, was, and always will be incredible. I better see her on that stage SOON,” a third defended.
“angela bassett played a grieving mother, stephanie hsu played a queer multidimensional daughter, and i still don’t know what the fuck jamie ass did in everything everywhere,” a fourth commented.
“I’m glad she didn’t fake a reaction to entertain idiots telling us how a Black woman should handle Hollywood once again throwing awards at White women. I like Jamie Lee Curtis but she didn’t outperform Angela Basset or Stephanie Hsu,” another wrote.
“Please shut up. Angela Bassett has been snubbed for an Oscar [for] decades, she’s not allowed to feel or look disappointed?” someone asked.
“Good for Angela Bassett not smiling nor clapping. Y’all expect Black women to not only be exceptional, but be happy for other [sic] who get accolades we deserve over and over,” said someone else.
What are your thoughts on Angela’s reaction? Let us know in the comments.
Alfred Hitchcock, never won an Oscar.
Elizabeth Taylor won two Oscars.
And people that have the privilege of voting, truly do sometimes leave it to their assistants. I know this to be a fact.
Many, many people have won because they were dying, or thought to be dying.
And like the original Oscars, given for a body of work, not just a single film, many Oscars are still awarded the same way. Though most don’t realize that’s exactly what they are doing.
Anyone that thinks these awards are based on the actual merit of the said nominated performance of just the one film, are deluding themselves.
I thought Angela was a Shoo-in when she got the Golden Globe. Thats how it used to work. She may have been in shock/disappointed at the same time and wondering when the “rules” changed and in her thoughts. Forgot to clap. Since when is it mandatory to clap? Jamie Lees own reaction was all the accolades she needed