Angela Bassett "deserved" an Oscar and she should have been "allowed to be disappointed" when she lost to Jamie Lee Curtis.
The 66-year-old film star was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category at the 2023 Academy Awards for her role in Marvel movie 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' but the gong went to Jamie for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' and Angela's disappointed reaction to her loss went viral - but she's adamant she had a right to be upset when she failed to win the coveted prize.
She told Town + Country magazine: "I found it interesting [the reaction]. Interesting that I wouldn’t be allowed to be disappointed at an outcome where I thought I was deserving.
"I love applauding people. But in that moment ... "
She went on to add: "No, I have put in: put in the time, put in good work over time. I didn’t think that was a gift. I thought it was a given."
Angela - who was previously nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her role as Tina Turner in 1994 biopic 'What's Love Got to Do with It' was handed an Academy Honorary Award in 2024 and admitted she felt "humbled" by the recognition.
After collecting her gong, Angela said: "It's been decades, right? Decades and decades, roles and roles, and blessings upon blessings.
"To the fans who've gone to see the movie and support it - I felt the love. I'm getting chills now, but I felt the love all these years. I mean, they have prayed, they have fussed, they have written, they have had my back. So it feels really satisfying to receive this. I'm humbled."
The Emmy Award-winning star - who has teenage twins Bronwyn and Slater with her husband Courtney B. Vance - also thanked her family for their constant support.
She told 'Entertainment Tonight': "The people who love being there, they're there, [and] they're there holding me up. You can't do it alone."