Top 30 Angela Bassett Quotes (2025 Update)

1. “Don’t settle for average. Bring your best to the moment. Then, whether it fails or succeeds, at least you know you gave all you had. We need to live the best that’s in us.”

— Angela Bassett

Featured in: Inspirational Quotes for Women, Self-Worth Quotes, Fulfillment Quotes, Inspirational Quotes for Students, Quotes About Giving

2. “Memories are meant to fade, Lenny. They’re designed that way for a reason.”

— Angela Bassett

3. “When you ask the best questions of yourself and others, you invite the best answers.”

— Angela Bassett

4. “I can give you the King’s English and then I can take it to the street, but do both or do one and don’t do one knowing only the street. That’s going to hold you back because what comes out is going to impress people, and it will impress them negatively.”

— Angela Bassett

5. “It’s more than just saying lines and turning the light on. You have to drive the story – there’s a technical aspect.”

— Angela Bassett

Featured in: Quotes About Stories

6. “I remembered that throughout my growing up and education and pursuing my dreams and desires, going into acting, and, of course, getting through Yale University and on and on and on, that being average, being mediocre was not an option that you should be proud of.”

— Angela Bassett

7. “I’m the type of individual that I enjoy watching any different cultural lives, and I see the common humanity even though the hair textures are different or the skin tones are varied.”

— Angela Bassett

8. “I guess I’m breaking out a little of what’s comfortable and easy.”

— Angela Bassett

9. “Acting is my calling, not my career.”

— Angela Bassett

10. “I am content that the work that I’ve done is wonderful.”

— Angela Bassett

11. “I look in the eyes and I see the heart. As long as it’s a human story. I would like to turn on my television and see African American, Hispanic, Asian as well as Caucasian. And I think there are probably more people like me.”

— Angela Bassett

12. “The first time I acted was in high school in Florida, and when I heard that applause I felt so alive and felt that electricity go up my spine.”

— Angela Bassett

13. “Maybe if you’re younger you have more energy – but that’s a big maybe. Because at this stage of life, I have more patience, understanding, wisdom, resources – and a husband. I didn’t get him until I was 39. But I got a good one.”

— Angela Bassett

14. “Drink a bunch of water and get facials regularly. I take care of my skin.”

— Angela Bassett

15. “Theater’s my first love. I love it. It excites me. It feeds me.”

— Angela Bassett

Featured in: Firsts Quotes

16. “I really believe that what I do as an actress is my God-given talent. This is my calling, not my career.”

— Angela Bassett

17. “My mom was always pretty supportive. She saw me do plays and she’d always act out the parts I did. My aunt, who played a big part in my life, was a little bit more reserved, because if they don’t see you on TV every week they think you must be starving.”

— Angela Bassett

18. “I love vegan choices, raw food choices, and I’ll eat whatever I have to in order to get into whatever shape I need to get into for any one particular role.”

— Angela Bassett

19. “I hope I just continue to be passionate about the roles and to always endeavor to bring clarity and honesty to the table and different ideas.”

— Angela Bassett

20. “This is a career about images. It’s celluloid; they last for ever. I’m a black woman from America. My people were slaves in America, and even though we’re free on paper and in law, I’m not going to allow you to enslave me on film, in celluloid, for all to see.”

— Angela Bassett

21. “My mom was always pretty supportive. She saw me do plays and she’d always act out the parts I did.”

— Angela Bassett

22. “I deal in a very artistic way of what interests me and marks my passion, and I try to – whether its good or not – am in love with acting and the stage and characters and the ability to reach and to touch people, so that’s where, I guess, that’s where my heart will reside, by and large.”

— Angela Bassett

23. “The world has white people and black people in it. Even in Harlem.”

— Angela Bassett

24. “I think if you’re able to do over the course of your career 20, 30, 50 very wonderful rich characters, you’d rather have that than an Oscar.”

— Angela Bassett

25. “The three things I said when I came out of school were I want to work consistently, I want to do good work and I want to be paid fairly, and that’s happened. But I didn’t become an actress for the money. I do it for other reasons.”

— Angela Bassett

26. “As an actor, you’re used to putting on characters, taking them off, becoming someone else, doing your research, and working on that.”

— Angela Bassett

27. “I like the nice guys. I like when they show the stories, the human element behind it all.”

— Angela Bassett

Featured in: Quotes About Stories

28. “Of course you want to do all the research that you can, but it’s impossible to take a life and the boundaries of an hour and a half, so there is hope there will be understanding about that also.”

— Angela Bassett

29. “I’m thinking about directing, but I know it’s a lot of work and I appreciate what directors do and I would like to be good at it. The opportunity has presented itself four to five times, and I usually said no because of the script.”

— Angela Bassett

30. “People confuse the person and the part.”

— Angela Bassett

31. “I don’t really like horror shows, horror movies, or any of that. I’m really a lightweight, in terms of that.”

— Angela Bassett