'I took his hand and held it': Angela Bassett melts hearts as she reveals she comforted Austin Butler
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Angela Bassett revealed how she and Austin Butler shared a supporting moment at the 2023 Oscars. In a feature for TIME's 100 Most Influential People of 2023 published on Thursday, April 13, Bassett, 64, discussed her bond with 'Elvis' star Butler, 31, mentioning how they held hands at the 95th Academy Awards when the Best Actor trophy was given out.
At the 95th Academy Awards ceremony, Bassett and Butler were both unsuccessful in winning an Oscar, but a heartwarming video of the two holding hands went viral, as reported by People. Butler ultimately lost out on the award; Brendan Fraser, for his work in 'The Whale,' won the award for Best Actor.
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'No less a winner'
As she praised Butler's "brilliantly nuanced performance" in 'Elvis', Bassett said in the article, she was "fortunate" to have met Butler for the first time during the past award season. "I understood intimately what he felt when it was time to learn if he would climb those stairs to the stage," Bassett told TIME as the duo sat together at the Oscars ceremony in March. "So, I took his hand and held it softly as the winner was announced. Although his name wasn’t called, Austin is no less a winner."
Bassett continued, "The time had come for Austin to say goodbye to Elvis as he began to embrace an infinite universe of possibilities as an actor," in better reflection on his name not being called for the Oscar triumph. "I can’t wait to see what he brings us next," she added. As the Best Actor award was announced, television cameras unexpectedly caught Bassett and Butler holding hands, capturing their emotional moment during the Oscars.
The next film 'Dune: Part Two', in which Butler is slated to play the villain Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, will feature Butler's first major cinematic appearance following 'Elvis', as Bassett explained in the TIME article. For her portrayal of Tina Turner in the 1993 movie 'What's Love Got to Do with It', Bassett received an Oscar nomination. Bassett adds that she saw Butler's portrayal of Elvis Presley in 'Elvis' "with a deep appreciation for all the work" he put into his performance.
Angela Bassett was edged out by Jamie Lee Curtis
Bassett was on a high after defeating Jamie Lee Curtis ('Everything Everywhere All at Once') to win the Golden Globe for supporting actress for her work in 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' and receiving tremendous praise for it. Curtis, though, made a comeback at the SAG Awards and won her first Oscar at the 95th Academy Awards ceremony.
Bassett didn't seem overjoyed when Curtis was declared the winner and, as shown on ABC's broadcast, didn't appear to get up to applaud while sitting in the front row. While some Twitter users were sad Bassett didn't win, others were quite irked to watch the 'Black Panther' star sit through the acclaim for Curtis looking visibly upset.
