Angela Bassett’s Bookish Roles

In honor of her 60th birthday, we pay tribute to Angela Bassett’s bookish roles. In a career spanning four decades, Ms. Bassett has played a wide range of characters—and quite a few of them are based on books! Here is a complete (we think!) list, in chronological order. For these purposes, we have included plays (even two that I can’t find published versions of) and comics (of course). Thank you for your stunning work, Ms. Bassett, and Happy Birthday! 227 (one episode) based on play 227 by Christine Houston The Flash (one episode) based on the comics One Special Victory based on the book B-Ball by Ron Jones Malcolm X based on the book The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X What’s Love Got To Do With It based on the book I, Tina by Tina Turner and Kurt Loder Panther based on the book Panther: A Novel by Mario Van Peebles Waiting to Exhale based on the book Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan Contact based on the book Contact by Carl Sagan How Stella Got Her Groove Back based on the book How Stella Got Her Groove Back by Terry McMillan Boesman & Lena based on the play Boesman & Lena by Athol Fugard Ruby’s Bucket of Blood based on the play Ruby’s Bucket of Blood by Julie Hébert Meet the Robinsons based on the book A Day with Wilbur Robinson by William Joyce Meet the Browns based on the play Meet the Browns by Tyler Perry Green Lantern based on the comics Black Nativity based on the play Black Nativity by Langston Hughes White Bird in a Blizzard based on the book White Bird in a Blizzard by Laura Kasischke Curious George 3: Back to the Jungle based on the Curious George books by H.A. Rey Chi-Raq based on the play Lysistrata by Aristophanes Rainbow Six: Siege (video game) based on the book Rainbow Six by Tom Clancy The Snowy Day based on the book The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats Black Panther based on the comics

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What is your favorite of Angela Bassett’s bookish roles?