In an interview in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Official Movie Special,’ Angela Bassett shared her experiences as part of the ‘Black Panther’ film series and revealed why she didn’t even think about refusing the Queen Ramonda role.
Bassett, who has portrayed Ramonda in ‘Black Panther’ (2018), ‘Avengers: Endgame’ (2019), and ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ (2022), reflected on the importance of her role, saying:
“It was an offer that couldn’t be refused, an opportunity to see women who look like me in their resplendent glory. Those opportunities were few and far between. A role quite like this had never quite been seen before.”
Her Ramonda role, according to Bassett, not only resonated with her but also provided a visual representation of the often-told narratives of kings and queens in these cultures:
“I have always been interested in African American history and history in general. We’ve always been told, or we tell our kids, that you could be President or that we are descendants of kings and queens. Now, we have a moment where we can actually see that – it’s make-believe, but audiences have embraced this. Wakanda feels like it actually exists. It’s just been so compelling and meant so very much to so many.
Bassett’s experiences and the making of ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ are revealed in the special edition book, ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Official Movie Special,‘ which features interviews with the cast and crew as well.
Who is Queen Ramonda?
In ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,’ Bassett’s character, Queen Ramonda, is brought into a leadership role following the death of her son, T’Challa. Directed by Ryan Coogler and a sequel to the 2018 hit ‘Black Panther,’ the film explores the challenges faced by Wakanda’s leaders as they strive to protect their nation.
For the role, Bassett wore a silver, waist-length wig made from 120 pieces of hair hand-rolled into dreadlocks to bring authenticity to her character. Her portrayal of Ramonda also earned her another Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Looking ahead, Bassett continues her career with upcoming projects like ‘Damsel,’ ‘Wildwood,’ and appearances in TV series such as ‘9-1-1’ and ‘Zero Day.’ As for Wakanda, it’s announced that a previously unannounced animated series titled ‘Eyes of Wakanda’ is set to release this year.
