ABSTRACT
Although her career has had its peaks and nadirs, Angela Bassett is arguably Hollywood’s most respected contemporary African-American actress. Although Halle Berry won the distinction of being the first black star to win the Academy Award for best actress, Bassett’s career has much more longevity and is much more distinguished and accomplished overall. Her career trajectory, image configuration, and views on acting offer a interesting study of the difficult position of the black actress in the overwhelmingly white milieu of Hollywood filmmaking.
