Fans React To Angela Bassett's Face After Major Oscars Upset

Source: Kevin Winter / Getty

In the game of Oscars, there’s only one golden rule that’s remained true in the ceremony’s near century-long history: there can only be one winner.

Okay, that rule was kinda-sorta broken on six occasions on record, but the last time was a decade ago and it was for “Best Sound Editing.” We’re talking the acting categories here, which hasn’t seen a split decision since Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand shared the “Best Actress” trophy in 1969 for separate-yet-memorable roles.

While we can’t predict the future, for now, we’ll assume The Academy will continue its one-winner-per-category streak thus far. That’s why it was so rewarding to see veteran scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis take home “Best Supporting Actress” for a striking performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once, yet simultaneously heartbreaking to watch Angela Bassett be snubbed yet again, this time for her stage-stealing role as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Each of the nominated women was deserving in this year’s category, including Kerry Condon in The Banshee Of Inisherin and fellow Everything Everywhere All At Once star Stephanie Hsu. Many of us out there however felt a cultural-wide letdown at the thought of a decades-long “Oscars ousting” of Bassett as one of Hollywood’s most endearing actresses finally coming to an end, being crushed in an instant.

For Bassett herself, well, you could see the hurt written all over her face.

RELATED: Michael B. Jordan And Jonathan Majors Give Angela Bassett A Shoutout At The Oscars

So again, this isn’t to say that Jamie Lee Curtis didn’t deserve to win — she was showing out as that insane-in-every-dimension IRS agent Deirdre Beaubeirdre! However, as you might’ve read in our review of Wakanda Forever, Bassett was on a different level in her reprised role as Queen of Wakanda. The torch she carries for the majority of the film in wake of Chadwick Boseman’s unfortunate absence shows a strength in technique that’s only matched by the actual scenes where she has to authentically portray both a grieving mother and ruler of the most advanced Black society in the world. Not many actresses could do both and make it believable, but Bassett, as Ariana DeBose so virally said last month at the NAACP Awards, “did the thing.” Whatever it is, she did that!

Let us know what you think about Angela Bassett’s big Oscars upset — sore loser or rightfully sour? See what others on social media had to say below:

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1. It’s amazing how some people look at Angela Bassett in this picture and see “sore loser”. I look at the picture and see hurt and disappointment. And it’s ok to express that in the moment. #StopJudging

via @ReeInspired

2. Future generations will look back at 2023 like we look back at 1994 confused at how Angela Bassett didn't win the Oscar when she gave the better performance Holly Hunter took it in 1993 for The Piano Jamie Lee Curtis took it in 2023 for EEAAO I will always feel some type of way

via @NaeEve_

3. The look on Angela’s face :(

via @aftersunfilm

4. angela look so tea’d tf up UGH!

via @scorpioxting

5. 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. #AcademyAwards

via @SPisacreta

6. LEAVE ANGELA BASSETT ALONE!! All she did was look disappointed and she had the RIGHT to do that!! Y’all hate Black Women and I’m not standing for that!! #Oscar2023

via @IIstillcare

7. angela looks like she’s about to break down, they really did her dirty

via @CrystalBeSaying

8. And this is why I laugh at new age feminism it’s always around centering and catering towards white women and trying to humble black women in the process angela didn’t say anything all she did was look stop using dog whistle phrases toxic feminist use it’s so performative

via @barbz420

9. Please shut up. Angela Bassett has been snubbed for an Oscar decades, she’s not allowed to feel or look disappointed?

via @msolurin

10. all i have to say is that i know and understand that look well. everyone saying the oscar was for jamie lee as an overdue award….is forgetting angela bassett also has rarely been awarded for her work and it’s been long overdue. AND, she actually acted.

via @blackverucasalt