Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors took a moment during their presentation at the Oscars on Sunday night to show a little love to Angela Basset after she lost the best supporting actress award earlier in the evening.
“Hey Auntie,” Michael began, echoing his dialogue from 2018’s “Black Panther,” as his character Erik Killmonger slyly introduced himself to Angela’s Queen Ramonda.
Jonathan picked up from there, adding: “We love you.”
via Variety:
The kind words from Jordan and Majors came as the internet lamented Bassett’s loss — and the stoic look on her face when her name wasn’t called — by sharing the clip of her as Queen Ramonda, crying out, “Have I not given everything?” from the 2022 Marvel Studios film “Wakanda Forever.”
Bassett’s Oscar nomination was for her work in the “Black Panther” sequel, in which she portrays the ruler of the kingdom of Wakanda, the Afro-futuristic home of the Black Panther. “Wakanda Forever” was crafted following the death of franchise star Chadwick Boseman, with the cast and filmmaker Ryan Coogler channeling their own grief over their loss into a powerful tribute. Had Bassett won, she would’ve become the first actor starring in a Marvel Studios film to win an Oscar, continuing the “Black Panther” franchise’s strong legacy at the Academy Awards.
The acknowledgment from the Academy marked her second nod, the first coming 29 years ago in the best actress category for portraying Tina Turner in “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” This year, Bassett was nominated alongside “Everything Everywhere All at Once” actors Curtis and Stephanie Hsu, “The Banshees of Inisherin” star Kerry Condon and “The Whale” actor Hong Chau.
At certain points during this awards season cycle, Bassett had seemed like the frontrunner for the prize. She was honored with the Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice Award and a host of NAACP Image Awards, including Entertainer of the Year, despite those not being considered precursors for the Oscars prize. She was also nominated by the Screen Actors Guild (with the prize going to Curtis) and at BAFTA (where Condon won).
Bassett’s most celebrated credits include “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” “Akeelah and the Bee” (starring a young Keke Palmer and Laurence Fishburne) and her portrayal of a trio of historical figures — Betty Shabazz (in “Malcolm X”), Katherine Jackson (“The Jacksons: An American Drama”) and Rosa Parks (“The Rosa Parks Story”).
Watch the moment below.
Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors praise Angela Bassett after her Supporting Actress #Oscars loss: "Hi, auntie. We love you." https://t.co/ndiKiHfmID pic.twitter.com/5YwcBzWM1Q
— Variety (@Variety) March 13, 2023
