Oprah invites legendary actress Angela Bassett to The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures to discuss her recent, well-dese | dG1fQXpTRlJPakR6b00
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00:00Can we talk about waiting to exhale and that scene when
00:05Bernadine sets fire to her cheating husband's car?
00:09First of all, I'm sure that scene, I just looked at it
00:16recently, that that thing was choreographed.
00:18When you're going in...
00:19But it was hot.
00:20It was hot.
00:21It was warm.
00:22It was warm.
00:23In my face.
00:24I was thinking, Angela really, really brings up the anger
00:28of every woman who's ever been betrayed, who's ever felt
00:32like I believed in you, I trusted you, I gave to you,
00:36I was there for you.
00:38And everything that you're pulling from the closet
00:40and throwing in the pile represents that.
00:43Yeah, I went manic in that closet.
00:45You know, improvised.
00:46I was a background to your foreground.
00:49Where was that all coming from?
00:51What was that coming from?
00:52Oh, just righteous indignation, you know?
00:56Were you looking forward to doing that scene at the time
00:59or were you anxious about doing that scene?
01:02I think looking forward.
01:03Were you looking forward to doing it?
01:04Yeah.
01:05To get it all up and out.
01:06You know, I try to remain so calm in real life and, you know,
01:10that public face, but there are some things, you know,
01:13in life or in relationships, whatever, that anger us,
01:16you know, and they come up.
01:18So, really, those moments on film are ways for me
01:22to express that.
01:25Wow, it's fantastic.
01:26And was the flick of the cigarette,
01:28was that your idea or was that the director?
01:30I really felt like my mother in that.
01:32Oh, really?
01:33In that moment.
01:34You know, because she could be grand, you know,
01:38when she wanted to be.
01:39I mean, you know, we grew up in the projects, you know.
01:42She never made more than $11,000, you know,
01:45when she retired, but it wasn't about the circumstances
01:49and about she had everything that she needed
01:52and she had a sense of herself and a way of doing things.
01:55There's proper, correct, and grand.
01:57She thought highly.
01:58Think highly of yourself.
02:00That's what she imparted to me.
02:02Hold yourself to a higher standard.
02:04Exactly.
02:05There's nothing about you that's average.
02:06And your kids.
02:07So, yeah, when I did that flick of the head.
02:11That thing that's in you, that look behind your eye,
02:15the way you hold that, lift that chin.
02:17Oh, my God.
02:19Look at it.
02:20Oh, it's iconic forever.
02:22A couple seconds too long.
02:25Read my mind.
02:26Read my mind.
02:27Read my mind.
02:29Before I tell you.
02:30You might want to read my mind.
02:32Wow, wow, wow, wow.
02:34It's hard to believe now that it's been almost 25 years
02:37since Stella got her groove back.
02:39I hear that women still come up to you and say,
02:41I got my groove back.
02:43They do?
02:44What did that mean to you doing that film?
02:47You know, Terry McMillan's script, and I, of course,
02:51two of them, it was just everywhere.
02:55And, you know, women coming up through the industry,
02:59you know, it was said at 40, boom, it's done.
03:02It's done.
03:03You're a has-been.
03:04Sit down.
03:05Get back.
03:06Hush.
03:07Hush up, you know.
03:08It's all about what's coming next, what's new,
03:10what's young, what's hot, what's next.
03:13And for women to season women, to be sure of yourself,
03:19of who you are, of your standards,
03:23feeling free in your own beauty and intellect and sensuality,
03:28it meant a great deal because pretty much, like,
03:32the landscape would paint a picture as, you know,
03:36that's it at 40, and it's far from it.
03:39It's so much more satisfying.
03:41Well, we know now, 40, you're just getting started.
03:46You are just stepping into it.
03:48You are just stepping into it.
03:51And then around 44, it heats up.
03:53It's starting to get good, right?
03:55Exactly.
03:56Yes.