LOS ANGELES — Moments after the credits started rolling at the premiere of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," Angela Bassett's son, Slater, leaned over and whispered in his mom's ear: "Oscar." Months later, Bassett laughs at the memory because her immediate response, at least in her head, was "Aaaaaw, you're my son. You're supposed to say nice things to your mom. But thank you, darling!"
Ever since the January announcement that Bassett had earned an Oscar nomination for reprising the role of Queen Ramonda and, in the process, becoming the first actor to win academy recognition for a Marvel movie, Slater has reminded her more than once about that evening.
"At the time, the Oscars were the furthest thing in my mind," Bassett tells me. It's a Saturday, and we're seated in a booth in a noisy breakfast spot not far from her La Cañada Flintridge home, a cozy spot where Bassett stands out because she's wearing a stylish pantsuit and has ordered only tea, forsaking the bulging breakfast plates that the wait staff carries by our booth. Also: She's Angela Bassett! No matter the setting, her magnificence doesn't exactly blend into the background.
