“How Stella recoveredis known for its hot scenes with austere stockbroker Stella, played by Angela Bassett, and a young Jamaican boy half her age.and Tribeca Festival On Saturday, Bassett reflected on filming an intimate moment with Taye Diggs as his lover, explaining that the co-star’s only responsibility was “he had to live up to his fantasy of being a black woman.”
Bassett and director Kevin Sullivan were at a festival marking the 25th anniversary of a romance film based on a novel by Terry MacMillan.
The crowd applauded and cheered as Bassett entered the SVA Theater in a tangerine suit and feathered top, with one fan shouting, “I love you!” The conversation touched on co-stars including Diggs and Whoopi Goldberg, the importance of filming in Jamaica, and the legacy Bassett sought to leave behind.
Hosted by Trell Shabourne-Taylor, Bassett first praised McMillan for writing the script with Ron Bass, and praised the costume design of Ruth Carter, who worked closely with him on the Black Panther series.
Sullivan always chose Bassett to play Stella. He explained how the filmmakers cast Diggs as Winston Shakespeare, the 20-year-old bastard that Stella is involved with, after research was done around the world. Sullivan had seen Diggs perform in “Rent” on Broadway, but during rehearsals the director asked Diggs to sing a song to Bassett to ease the tension and strengthen the chemistry between the two.
“It was important to me to create a love scene from the female perspective,” added Sullivan. “It wasn’t Winston’s story. It was Stella’s story.”
This romantic comedy was Sullivan’s directorial debut and later swept the 1999 NAACP Image Awards for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress and Best Film. Bassett, who is known for playing strong women in her memorable roles in “What’s Love Got to Do It” and “Waiting to Exhale,” stands between her boldness and emotional vulnerability. She said she tried to find a balance between
“Whenever I play a character, I’m looking for the big picture of that character, who they represent, what they’re going through, what they’re going through,” Bassett said. Told. “It’s not one-sided. Throughout history, we black women have often been seen that way.”
Casting Whoopi Goldberg as Stella’s friend Delilah was a top priority. Bassett is a fan of the comedian, and she signed the deal after Sullivan visited her home to talk about her film. His favorite scene was when Delilah found out she had liver cancer and her friends jammed to Marvin Gaye songs in the hospital, laughing at her old memories and goofing around. to share.There was an unmistakable fact between the two friendship and sisterhood“In the scene where she died, I really felt that way at her funeral, because she was such a dear friend,” Bassett added.
Although the novel is set in Jamaica, the studio originally wanted to shoot in Mexico, where the staff and infrastructure were already in place. But Sullivan worried about losing cultural ties. Having set up a Jamaica-based staff and overcoming challenges such as poor infrastructure, Sullivan said the film was “finished on time and on budget.” Bassett added that visitors to the island have also increased as they try to find Winston Shakespeare for themselves.
Most recently, Bassett was nominated for an Oscar for playing the brave Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.She has also appeared as a first responder in the Fox TV series “9-1-1” When asked about the legacy she wants to leave behind, she said she feels honored to play a character who is bright, courageous, sensual, and a multifaceted representation of black women.
“I hope it sheds light on the human experience,” Bassett said.
