Angela Bassett, who’s now playing a cop in 9-1-1, lays down her laws for Us. Read on to learn 25 things about the actress.
1. Although I love and live in Los Angeles, New York City, which happens to be my birthplace, is my favorite U.S. city. The Broadway shows, the melting pot of people, the shopping. Its heart never stops beating.
2. I’m blessed to work quite a lot. One of the things I love the most about what I do is getting to see the world.
3. My biggest regret is not doing more theater. No performance is ever the same.
4. I procrastinate more than I’d like. The characters I tend to play are women who don’t hesitate for even a moment.
5. My all-time favorite writer is Zora Neale Hurston.
6. My most prized possession is my art collection. I feel like it represents all of the people and places that have helped shape me as a woman.
7. One of my favorite indulgences is fragrances! There’s nothing like putting on a beautiful fragrance to complete your mood.
8. We all have parts we do not find attractive. For me, I don’t like my neck.
9. My greatest fear is poverty.
10. My first job ever was working with the elderly in a nursing home as a teenager.
11. My biggest dislikes are malicious gossip and people who are self-centered.
12. The two people I most admire are former President Barack Obama and my incredible, resilient late aunt Golden B. Wall.
13. I love, love, love to dance.
14. I had to audition for the role in Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop because I was going to portray a 22-year-old woman. I was 51 at the time.
15. I am fortunate to have one keepsake from the Black Panther set: the Wakanda beads.
16. Unlike a lot of my characters, I don’t feel “badass” all the time. I have insecurity.
17. I love to cook! My favorite meals to prepare are Moroccan chicken and decadent chocolate torte.
18. Most days, you’ll find me dressed casually in my favorite yoga pants or jeans and a T-shirt.
19. I do not work out every day. But I always pay very close attention to what I eat.
20. The moment I knew I wanted to act was at an Of Mice and Men performance.
21. Jumpsuits are a go-to look for me. They’re easy and still give you that “wow” factor.
22. My greatest wish is that I could play the piano or guitar.
23. As I prepared to take on Athena in 9-1-1, a lot of my research involved talking to a real Los Angeles Police Department lieutenant, a black woman who’s been on the police force for more than 20 years. I learned so much from our time together.
24. I absolutely love being a mom [with husband Courtney B. Vance, 58] to our twins, Bronwyn and Slater.
25. I love spending time near water, being at the beach, taking a swim. There is something so spiritual about looking out into it.
Catch Bassett in 9-1-1, Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.
