Tina Turner Praises Angela Bassett 30 Years After ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’: “You’re Still Perfect”
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Arguably, Angela Bassett’s most iconic role is her portrayal of Tina Turner in the critically-acclaimed film, What’s Love Got To Do With It? 30 years later, Bassett is among the 2023 class of TIME 100 Most Influential People honorees, and Turner has penned a touching tribute to the Oscar-nominated actress.
“Someone’s going to play me in ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It?’ I was a little bit skeptical when work began on the 1993 film,” wrote the Queen of Rock, 83. “First of all, who are they going to find to sing, dance, and act like me? Then, I looked up, saw Angela, and immediately started to smile.”
More from VIBE.com
Michael B. Jordan Covers TIME's "100 Most Influential People" Issue
Rihanna Honors Spirit Of Chadwick Boseman With 2023 Oscars Performance
Social Media Reacts To Angela Bassett's 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Oscar Loss
She then spoke to the Black Panther star directly. “Angela, the first time we met, you didn’t look, sound, or move like me—that came later after you worked so hard to make it happen. But even then, I could see that the young woman standing before me had strength, determination, and big, big dreams, just like me,” Turner continued.
“‘She’s perfect,’ I said, and I was right,” wrote the “Proud Mary” phenom. “You never mimicked me. Instead, you reached deep into your soul, found your inner Tina, and showed her to the world. That’s your gift, becoming your character with conviction, truth, dignity, and grace, even when it’s painful, and takes everything you have and more. It’s not just acting, it’s being.”
Turner concluded, “Whether you’re Tina Turner or the Queen of Wakanda, we believe in you because you believe in yourself. You honor all the women you play, just as you honored me. And you’re still perfect.”
For this year’s TIME100 list, Beyoncé, Michael B. Jordan, Zoe Saldaña, Brittney Griner, Steve Lacy, Doja Cat, and Gina Prince-Bythewood have also been named as some of the most influential people.
