The American Horror Story franchise has been going strong since back in 2011 with the Murder House season that started it all, and that season is still my favorite out of all those that I've seen so far. Now, with creator Ryan Murphy revealing details about the long-awaited Season 13, the cast list has me convinced that I'm going to need to plan on tuning in after the end of the 2025 TV schedule. Not only are there many big names coming back, but one new cast member is going from Wicked to... well, something probably wicked in a different way!

Among those on the cast list (as revealed on Instagram on Halloween 2025) are several of the AHS cast members to appear in the most seasons. Brace yourself for some very familiar names, and check out who you can expect when American Horror Story comes back:

• Sarah Paulson
• Evan Peters
• Kathy Bates
• Jessica Lange
• Emma Roberts
• Angela Bassett
• Billie Lourd
• Gabourey Sidibe
• Leslie Grossman
• Ariana Grande

While there are a lot of names to be excited about, there's a reason why the comment section is largely full of fans freaking out about Jessica Lange. After starring in the first four seasons, Lange hasn't returned to AHS for more than a guest role since 2015. (There are also plenty of people excited about Ariana Grande, with the news breaking less than a month before the arrival of Wicked: For Good in the 2025 movie release schedule.)

There reveals came with "I'll Be Seeing You" by Vera Lynn playing, and I've found Vera Lynn songs to be fun when paired with horror ever since "We'll Meet Again" was effectively used in Stranger Things. There was some bad news to go with the thrills of the cast list, though, as the video confirmed that Season 13 will premiere on Halloween... in 2026. With AHS Season 12 wrapping back in April 2024, that will mean more than two full years without any new episodes. Take a look:

As noted, a lot of the fans commenting on the video are sharing their excitement about Jessica Lange and Ariana Grande, and one person caught the AHS: Coven reference of the iconic "Surprise, bitch, I bet you thought you'd seen the last of me." That line has been heavily memed since Billie Lourd dropped it in her role as Madison Montgomery in Season 3. Interestingly, both Kathy Bates and Angela Bassett are also currently starring on network TV shows, with CBS' Matlock for Bates and ABC's 9-1-1 for Bassett.

At least one person was celebrating that Kim Kardashian won't be part of the cast despite her doing well enough in Season 12 when she channeled sister Kourtney Kardashian. Ryan Murphy was impressed enough by the reality star's turn as a scripted actress that he cast her in All's Fair, which premieres with a stacked cast on Tuesday, November 4 for anybody with a Hulu subscription.

With AHS Season 13 not premiering for another year, fans might be in for a long wait until more details emerge beyond the cast list. That said, those actors are interesting enough that I may use the next year to catch up on the American Horror Stories seasons I've missed over the years. After all, even though AHS is an anthology, it pays to see the actors playing different roles time and again.

When John Singleton’s Boyz N The Hood hit theaters in the summer of 1992, there was a huge amount of controversy surrounding the movie, which today can be streamed with a Netflix subscription. Looking back, it's clear there was some inherent racism in the moment, but there was actually some real violence that occurred at a handful of showings. The news took that and ran with it, ratcheting up the rhetoric around the dangers of rap music, especially gangsta rap, which was already scaring the shit out of suburban America.

For me, a 16-year-old suburban kid, that was all I needed to hear to want to see the movie badly. What I expected, and what the movie is, are two totally different things.

The Media Breathlessly Reported On Violence At Screenings

In the great Netflix documentary about Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, The Defiant Ones, Iovine talks at one point about how scared Interscope Records was making suburban white folks. Between Dr. Dre’s The Chronic and Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral, Interscope was hammering two sides of the musical spectrum that were upending norms. In the midst of that came Boyz N the Hood.

It was easy for the local and national news to issue urgent dispatches about the fear of gang violence at the movie’s screenings. Black directors and Black voices in Hollywood were hardly the norm; we basically had Spike Lee, Mario Van Peebles, and not many others at the time, until Singleton came along with this masterpiece. The media, never ones to shy away from fear-mongering, played up the scattered examples of violence at the theaters showing Boyz N The Hood, and America – specifically white America – recoiled. I was all in.

I Expected An N.W.A. Song On The Big Screen, But That Isn’t What I Got

For me, well, I loved Dre’s earlier work with Ice Cube and company in N.W.A. I would blast that as I drove my own suburban neighborhood, feeling, well, defiant. When I heard about Boyz N the Hood, starring Ice Cube himself, I knew I had to see it. All the talk of gang violence at the theater made me believe even more that I was going to see one of Cube’s rap songs come to life on film.

Anyone who has seen the movie, which I think is one of the best movies of the ‘90s, knows it is not an N.W.A. song come to life. It doesn’t glamorize drug dealing or gang life (not that N.W.A. lyrics really do, either, but in my naive ears, they did). It speaks bluntly and honestly about “what’s goin’ on in the hood,” as Cube’s character Doughboy explains in the final scene. It’s a powerful statement about life in South Central L.A. and neighborhoods like it around the country, as well as the importance of being a strong father in the face of adversity.

It is an incredible movie, with powerful performances from Laurence Fishburne, Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and the rest of the cast, that includes actors like Regina King, Nia Long, Morris Chestnut, and Angela Bassett. It’s nothing like another movie about drug dealers of the era, New Jack City, which I also love. Boyz N the Hood has far more important things to say, even if the media ignored it in favor of more salacious news surrounding it.

9-1-1 will enter its ninth season this October on the 2025 TV schedule, and for the first time ever, the show will be down a member of the 118. Season 8 included the surprising death of Peter Krause’s Bobby Nash, who was exposed to a mutated virus during a call. The death brought a lot of anger, sadness, and frustration to the fandom, and many have been hoping that this wouldn’t be the end of Bobby. Angela Bassett is now responding to those fans, and that even includes her own sister.

Considering Bassett always thought she’d go first when it came to a major 9-1-1 death, she’s still mourning like the rest of us. But she previously explained that we need to “keep hope alive” for Bobby’s potential return. Despite Bobby’s death seeming to be final and Athena burying him in Minnesota with his late wife and kids, fans are not giving up on Krause's potential return. And Bassett can’t get away from it, as she told TODAY.com that even her sister is not very happy about what happened:

I love that Bassett’s sister is such a big fan and seems to be just as upset as everyone else. I would have loved to see her reaction to the death, assuming that Bassett didn’t spill the beans beforehand. But the fact that she has probably seen all the feedback from fans online and also has to deal with it in her own family is pretty funny. It just shows how wide the 9-1-1 fanbase is, and that the consensus is that Bobby’s death was one of the most heartbreaking TV deaths.

That being said, people are still refusing to believe that Bobby is even dead. Whether they’re in denial or believe some of the theories that he's not actually dead, people are not giving up the fight. Of course, a character coming back from the dead isn’t unusual, but for now, as filming continues on Season 9, Bassett just wants to keep her on-screen husband’s memory alive, as she explained:

Krause still appeared on 9-1-1 following Bobby’s death because Athena was imagining him until she had to truly say goodbye when she buried him in Minnesota next to his late wife and kids. So it’s possible he could come back in a dream or hallucination in Season 9, which would make sense. Since the funeral episode and season finale left fans thoroughly upset, it’s hard to imagine how the show will move forward following Bobby’s death in the new season, but I’m keeping an open mind.

The 118 still has to choose a new captain as well, but it will be hard to replace Bobby, no matter who it is. 9-1-1 is entering a new era, and there’s no telling what will go down. Fans will just have to tune in on Thursday, October 9, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

The general public was shocked yesterday when it was revealed that The Cosby Show actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner had died after a drowning incident. In the hours that passed plenty of fans took the time to acknowledge the late actor's talents, and what his work meant to them. And now celerities like Angela Bassett and more are posting their on tributes to Warner. Let's break it all down.

While there's been debate about if The Cosby Show's legacy was tarnished after Bill Cosby's conviction, Malcolm-Jamal Warner's performance has received nothing but love. And the adoration is rolling in from celebrities now, who are acknowledging his talents and character. Case in point: Bassett's Instagram post which you can see below:

Warner kept busy as an actor until shortly before his death, including working with Bassett on 9-1-1 (which is streaming with a Hulu subscription). She posted about the "unimaginable grief" of losing not only a collaborator but a friend.

Tracee Ellis Ross also posted on Instagram, sharing her grief and love for Warner, with their relationship going back to Reed Between The Lines. Her post reads:

Despite Bill Cosby becoming synonymous with controversy in recent years, he also took the time to acknowledge Malcolm-Jamal Warner's death. In an interview with 6abc he shared his feelings, offering:

Of course, he wasn't the only star of The Cosby Show to post a tribute to his late co-star. Geoffrey Owens issued a statement to Deadline about the loss, which reads:

While The Cosby Show cast formed a chosen family, those sharing tributes are also acknowledging the late actor's blood family, an the grief they must be struggling with. Plus there's his generations of fans.

Sherri Shepherd also issued a statement regarding the death of Malcolm-Jamal Warner. She talked about their friendship and working relationship, offering:

Points were made. Former child stars can sometimes struggle in adulthood, but Shepherd maintains that Warner was a down to earth, good person. Between his character and talents, it's clear that the late actor is going to be very missed.

More information about Warner's death are still trickling out, but we here at CinemaBlend would like to echo these tributes and offer condolences to his loved ones.

Spoilers for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning are ahead! If you haven’t seen the 2025 movie schedule entry yet, you can catch it in theaters.

I’m always scared watching a Mission: Impossible stunt, because I know they’re done as practically as possible. However, nothing scared me more than the submarine sequence in The Final Reckoning. Honestly, it felt like it could have been a scene in an upcoming horror movie rather than a set piece in an M:I movie. That is one of the reasons why I love it, and the cast told CinemaBlend why they couldn’t get enough of this underwater moment either.

Let me set the scene: in the middle of Final Reckoning, Ethan Hunt has to dive down to a sunken submarine to retrieve a drive. He’s under literal and figurative pressure, he could die at any second, and the vessel starts spinning and sinking while he's in it. It’s terrifying and a miraculous piece of filmmaking. That, according to Hayley Atwell and Simon Pegg, is thanks to Tom Cruise’s commitment to stunts and various BTS pieces coming together to create one remarkable moment.

Hayley Atwell Broke Down How Tom Cruise’s Commitment To Stunts Impacts The Final Product

With each of the Mission: Impossible movies, it feels like Tom Cruise's commitment to pulling off unimaginable stunts is plastered on the screen. Hayley Atwell shared that idea with us, too, during an interview with CinemaBlend’s Jeff McCobb. When asked about the submarine scene specifically, she said:

The actress, who plays Grace in the film, then explained that all this is done in pursuit of the most "thrilling" moments possible, saying:

And thrill the audience he did. However, while Tom Cruise is obviously a massive reason why this sequence works, Simon Pegg revealed some other elements that helped make this moment as tense and suspenseful as it is.

Simon Pegg Explained How The Score And Revolving Set Increased The Intensity Of The Submarine Scene

While Simon Pegg said he was “dazed” and “couldn’t remember” the scene the first time he saw Final Reckoning, he had a totally different experience on his second watch. Taking in everything in the submarine sequence, the Benji actor explained that it was “immersive.” That had to do with everything from the camera work to the score and more, as the actor pointed out:

I also took note of the haunting and unique score used during this sequence, and it 100% helped build the tension and put you underwater as time started running out for Ethan.

Pegg also noted that the submarine was rolling, and recalled the “insane gimbal” they used on set to capture it. He said there were “torpedoes falling everywhere,” and when he went back to watch it a second time, he was blown away. His daughter was, too, it seems, as the actor recalled:

Angela Bassett shared a similar sentiment. She explained that watching the submarine sequence upped the stakes for the entire film, including her character’s storyline. The actress adored that intensity and how it “ups the stress level,” saying:

I also love that. I was watching the submarine scene like Pegg’s daughter, with wide eyes and my hands on my face, I loved every tense second. It was a remarkable moment and feat of filmmaking, and it’s one of the many reasons why reviews of Final Reckoning have been solid.

Honestly, this whole underwater sequence is one of the biggest and best highlights of this film. I loved it, the cast did too, and I can guarantee, it’s worth seeing it all unfold on the big screen.

9-1-1 Season 8 has completed its run on the 2025 TV schedule, but fans are still in mourning. It’s been just over a month since the first responder drama surprisingly killed off Peter Krause’s beloved Captain Bobby Nash, and it’s still hard to believe. With the series returning for Season 9 later this year, the 118 is going to look a little different. Just like the fans, Angela Bassett is still mourning her on-screen beau, however, she’s also keeping the hope alive as we enter this new chapter.

When Bobby was killed off in Season 8, Episode 15, it came as a shock since up until then, 9-1-1 hadn’t killed off any main characters. Of course, each character has come extremely close to dying, but they always wound up fine, albeit with some scars and trauma. Bassett has even admitted she thought she’d go first rather than her on-screen husband.

She also admitted to People that she is still mourning the loss of Bobby, and I am right there with her:

Bobby’s death came when he was exposed to a mutated virus that got to Chimney as well, but they only had one vial of the cure, so Bobby opted not to tell the team until Chimney got it and everyone was out of the lab. Bobby had one final, tearful goodbye with Athena, and it was as emotional as ever. Being Athena, she threw herself into work as she continued to grieve in the final episodes of Season 8, and was even still seeing Bobby up until his funeral.

That being said, Bassett is actually remaining hopeful that that won’t be the last time Bobby is seen. The actress shared an idea for how Krause's character could still return, and I need it more than anything. It may not be permanent, but it’s certainly better than nothing, especially following the lackluster finale:

Bobby coming back in Athena’s dream makes the most sense, but fans are holding on to hope that he returns in a different way. Many believe that his death is not real due to how shocking it was. It wouldn’t be the first time that a show had faked a death, especially after fans caused quite an uproar, so I'm not 100% ruling it out. But at the very least, Bobby appearing in dreams or hallucinations seems like a realistic and logical way to bring him back. Considering Bobby and Athena have been put through a lot over the years, it's the least the writers could do.

At this point, it’s hard to tell what will happen when 9-1-1 returns for Season 9 later this year. But one thing is for sure: the show will never be the same without Peter Krause, even if he does pop up for a brief appearance here and there. However, as Bassett said, we do need to keep hope alive no matter what.

For now, though, all episodes of Season 8 are streaming with a Hulu subscription if anyone needs a Bobby Nash fix.

Spoiler alert! This story contains a big spoiler for 9-1-1’s April 17 episode “Lab Rats,” so if you’re not caught up, be sure to stream the episode with your Hulu subscription.

I feel like it’s going to take some time before 9-1-1 fans are truly over the major character death we witnessed in the latest episode to air on the 2025 TV schedule. Despite the characters of Ryan Murphy’s creation regularly finding themselves in harrowing situations, nobody foresaw original cast member Peter Krause’s Bobby being the one killed off. In fact, Angela Bassett said when the call came to inform her, she thought Athena was about to die.

The devastating loss of the 118 fire captain came at the conclusion of the series’ two-part “Contagion” event. Angela Bassett confirmed to THR that showrunner Tim Minear gave her and Peter Krause a heads-up that Athena was losing her husband Bobby Nash, and the news came as quite a shock, as she said:

Given all of the challenges Athena has been through in the past couple of seasons alone — the Season 7 cruise ship crisis, both Athena and Bobby nearly dying in a house fire and this season’s plane crisis, for example — it’s not hard to imagine why Angela Bassett would be concerned about Athena Grant-Nash.

However, even after Tim Minear told her Athena was safe, the Emmy-winning actress didn’t suspect she was losing her on-screen spouse. She continued:

That’s certainly also true of Kenneth Choi, aka Chimney, who described “sobbing uncontrollably” after watching Bobby’s death — despite having been there when it was filmed. I’m sure this is hard for both the actors and their characters to comprehend (not to mention the viewers), and it will be really interesting to see how Athena copes, as well as everyone who depended on him at the 118.

I think this should serve as a warning to fans, though, that no one is safe.

At the beginning of Season 8 — following the plane emergency that had Athena piloting the craft after a mid-air collision — Tim Minear let us get comfortable regarding Athena and Bobby’s fates, saying, “I think for Bobby and Athena, they can breathe a sigh of relief for a moment,” and turning our focus toward what Eddie (Ryan Guzman) was facing.

That sigh of relief is officially over, so we’ll all take a week or two to come to terms with this loss before checking back in on Athena when 9-1-1 returns at 8 p.m. ET Thursday, May 1, on ABC.

Minor spoilers ahead for Doctor Odyssey’s March 13 episode. The series is available to stream with a Hulu subscription if you’re not caught up.

Since resuming its premiere season, Doctor Odyssey’s medical team has saved the cruise ship from sharks, killer whales, a power outage that stranded them and currents trying to drive them into a reef, but don’t think the Ryan Murphy series is taking its foot off the gas now. Following the hilariously titled “Shark Attack! Part 2: Orcas!,” Doctor Odyssey will next cross over with its predecessor on the 2025 TV schedule, 9-1-1, and it turns out one cast member didn’t get as much time with guest star Angela Bassett as he’d have liked.

Joshua Jackson, Don Johnson and Sean Teale opened up about what it was like to have Angela Bassett guest star on Doctor Odyssey in the episode that’s scheduled to air March 20. Teale, who plays Tristan Silva, couldn’t reveal much about the plot of “Casino Week,” but wherever his story takes him, it apparently didn’t allow too much interaction between Tristan and Athena Grant. Teale told Collider:

At least it sounds like the actor got to reconnect with Angela Bassett off camera. Sean Teale didn’t say what the project was that they’d done together, but they do share a credit on the 2015 movie Survivor, so perhaps this is their 10-year reunion?

Either way, Joshua Jackson — who channels his inner Pacey as Dr. Max Bankman — and Don Johnson (aka Capt. Massey) raved over getting to work with the two-time Oscar nominee, with Jackson saying he was happy to follow Angela Bassett’s lead. Johnson, meanwhile, called her “the real deal.” Neither had much sympathy for Sean Teale, though, as they roasted him for missing out. The actors' conversation continued:

• Teale: Tristan, to some degree, is handling a series of other crises whilst our heroes are handling her. Sadly, it was not as much time with Angela as I would like.
• Jackson: That was by design.
• Johnson: She asked for that.

I love this kind of ribbing between the Doctor Odyssey stars, because you’d hope the set of such a sensational show with often-unrealistic medical emergencies would be pretty fun. I’m going to assume that Angela Bassett did not actually request to be kept away from Sean Teale, so it’s funny to me that Don Johnson and Joshua Jackson are kicking him while he’s down.

Maybe Joshua Jackson is throwing a few jabs on behalf of Max, after the March 13 episode suggested that things might be heating up between Tristan and Avery Morgan (Phillipa Soo), while Max has seemingly been saying all the wrong things since she told them of her pregnancy.

We’ll see how it all plays out soon enough, with the 9-1-1 airing at 8 p.m. ET Thursday, March 20, on ABC before Angela Bassett’s crossover on Doctor Odyssey at 9 p.m. ET.

In honor of Black History Month, I’ve got to say that Akeelah and the Bee is one of my favorite movies to watch during this time. Not only is it one of Keke Palmer’s best movies, but it delivers a powerful message way beyond simply winning a spelling bee. I need to talk about the Black-cast family movie’s important message about the community playing a huge role in Akeelah’s success.

I Love Seeing Akeelah's Neighborhood Come Together To Support Her

It’s easy to assume that winning a spelling bee is all about studying and memorizing hard words, their definitions, and their language of origin. But because Akeelah was representing her low-income neighborhood, the pressure was riding on her to win. While initially letting that get to her, she used the power of “50,000 coaches” to help her achieve victory.

I loved seeing residents from all corners of her neighborhood come together to help this 11-year-old girl win the National Spelling Bee. It’s incredibly inspirational to see that just when you feel at your lowest, there are always helping hands when you take a closer look at your environment.

It was even delightful in the scene where Akeelah saw news footage of a child saying they felt inspired to try out for their school’s spelling bee because of her. Whether her coaches were personal friends, family, or even complete strangers from her neighborhood, they dedicated their time to helping her study and watched her in the televised Bee from their homes.

Dr. Larabee Is the Tough-But-Loyal Mentor We All Wish We Had

Laurence Fishburne’s Oscarworthy performance as Dr. Larabee was truly memorable. While he may have been hardened and stiff on the outside, this fictional teacher made a real impact on Akeelah. The English professor never sugarcoated anything to his spelling bee student, motivating her the way he would for his college students instead of a little girl.

If she was disrespectful, he showed tough love by declining to help. But if he noticed anything that was holding her back from unleashing her full potential, Dr. Larabee would step in and help, whether it was teaching her to jump rope to keep time or introducing her to powerful essays.

My favorite scene between Dr. Larabee and Akeelah was when she spoke to her mentor about the way she coped with her father’s passing so he could cope with his daughter’s. It was a moment that showed a student can become a teacher, too.

It Took All Kinds Of People To Help Akeelah Win

Like Akeelah admitted to Dr. Larabee at the end, “We did it.” After all, she didn’t win on her own; it took all kinds of people in her community practicing words with her and letting her know they had her back. Her father first got her into words, her mother, whose Oscar-worthy performance is given by Angela Bassett, introduced the concept of “50,000 coaches,” and her spelling bee opponent and friend, Xavier, taught her about the importance of Latin classes to study the origin of words.

Unlikely people in Akeelah’s life, like her brother’s shady friend Derrick T., and even her rival, Dylan Chu, provided their assistance either by helping her with hard words or teaching her the importance of a fair competition. It proves that it really does take a village to make it possible to get far in the spelling bee. Akeelah may have been the one on stage, but the heart of her community got her there.

Just When Akeelah Felt Like Falling, Her Peers Picked Her Back Up

There was a ton of pressure for Akeelah Anderson to succeed, because she was representing her community. Fortunately, the middle-schooler had plenty of people in her life to pick her up when she needed it. Though Akeelah reminded Dr. Larabee of his late daughter, he still managed to be the voice of reason to her when she felt it was impossible to beat her experienced rival, Dylan. It was a powerful scene that proved we all need a Dr. Larabee to pick us up no matter what.

Akeelah’s best friend, Georgia, was still a cheerleader for her despite being jealous of her new spelling bee friends. She also received help from her older sister, Kiana, who witnessed a contestant cheating during the contest, and her older brother, Devon, who reminded her to compete in memory of their father.

And we can’t forget Akeelah’s mother, who encouraged her to compete when she was ready to quit. Each person in her life made sure to pick her up when she was doubting herself and it’s through their encouragement she kept going.

The most memorable quality of Akeelah and the Bee was how the strength of community and love can help one person accomplish enormous feats. The whole family will love this movie, especially during Black History Month, as it beautifully celebrates the idea that the steadfast support of those who believe in us can make us do incredible things. The drama is available for rent on digital streaming platforms.

Since joining the ABC lineup last year, 9-1-1 has already seen a wild crossover with The Bachelor, and now the show is set to share universes with another Ryan Murphy creation when it returns to the 2025 TV schedule. Just like Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 used to have crossover events, the Los Angeles first responders are set to cross paths with the cruise ship medics from Doctor Odyssey, and I simply can’t understand why they chose this specific character for the task.

Variety reports that on March 20, Angela Bassett will guest star on the Doctor Odyssey episode “Casino Week” as her 9-1-1 character Athena Grant. The LAPD sergeant apparently needs the assistance of Dr. Max Bankman (Joshua Jackson) to track down a couple of suspects. According to the episode synopsis:

It already felt like Doctor Odyssey was channeling 9-1-1’s cruise ship disaster, and now I’m convinced Ryan Murphy and company were just looking for an excuse to re-use the massive roll room they constructed for the procedural drama. Guys, they built a ship’s casino set inside the roll room for that 9-1-1 event, and the upcoming Doctor Odyssey episode in question is literally “Casino Week.” I think rooms will roll.

My big question is why in the world is Athena the character sent aboard The Odyssey after what she and Bobby (Peter Krause) endured in Season 7? 9-1-1 made its ABC debut with a trifecta of episodes in which Athena and Bobby went on a honeymoon cruise, only to nearly drown after the ship encountered pirates, a bombing and a hurricane.

Simply put, Athena is not leaving dry ground.

Was it just super important that Angela Bassett be the one to join Joshua Jackson and Phillipa Soo’s universe, or does the story not make sense for any other character? Oliver Stark was so excited about the crossover potential 9-1-1’s move to ABC presented, but I guess it wouldn’t make sense for Buck, a firefighter, to try to thwart the robbery of The Odyssey’s vault.

As illogical as it seems that Athena would board a cruise ship again anytime this century, it’s just as ridiculous to call out a Ryan Murphy show for blurring the lines of realism. This is happening on a series whose first season so far has featured a passenger getting iodine poisoning from eating too much shrimp, a zombie-like illness breaking out on “Halloween Week,” and will make its spring premiere with a two-week “Shark Attack!” event (yes, exclamation point and all). Take a look at the preview for that madness:

It looks like Doctor Odyssey fans are in for a world of fun, and even though I’m confused about Athena being the character who was chosen for another cruise disaster, it’s not like I’m going to complain about getting more Angela Bassett ever. 9-1-1 returns to ABC at 8 p.m. ET Thursday, March 6, and may set the stage for the Doctor Odyssey crossover that follows at 9 p.m. ET. Both series can be streamed with a Hulu subscription.

We're currently in the throws of Awards Season, with all eyes on who will take home the 2025 Academy Awards. Every year as its own historic wins, as well as folks who ended up disappointed that they didn't take home a trophy. When Jamie Lee Curtis won for Best Supporting Actress at the 2023 Oscars, that meant that Angela Bassett didn't win for her performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription). And the legendary actress recently got honest about what it was like losing.

Despite her long and acclaimed career, the 66 year-old actress has only gotten two Oscar nominations. Some of the best Angela Bassett movies weren't recognized in this way, despite her consistently excellent performances. While speaking with Town and Country Magazine, the What's Love Got to Do With It icon spoke about not taking home an Oscar a few years ago, and going viral for her honest reaction. In her words:

She's got a point. Being disappointed or bummed out is a perfectly reasonable reaction to not winning an Oscar, especially considering it was Bassett's first nomination in many years. She wasn't disrespectful, she just had a human reaction ot the disappointment. As a reminder, you can watch that moment below:

While Angela Bassett remained mostly stoic, you can see that potentially winning an Oscar for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever meant a great deal to her. And her not winning did end up being one of the most surprising 2023 Oscar moments. In the same interview, she spoke about more about her reaction, where she didn't clap for winner JLC.

In the end, Everything Everywhere All At Once (which is streaming with a Max subscription) ended up taking most of the major Awards during the Oscars that year. That included Jamie Lee Curtis' victory, which Bassett confirmed was a bit surprising. She offered:

In the end, Bassett be given an honorary Academy Award the very next year for her decades of powerful performances. She certainly wasn't wrong about paying her dues, and it's nice to see that the Academy rightfully gave the actress her flowers after her Best Supporting Actress loss. Indeed, she was one of the emotional cores of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Given her character's death in the sequel, we might have seen the last of Angela Bassett's Queen Ramonda. But given her popularity, there are still folks who are holding out hope she turns up in upcoming Marvel movies. Although we shouldn't expect that in any of the titles of the 2025 movie release list.

Some of the biggest and best actors have never won competitive acting Oscars. Some of those names might completely shock you as they have certainly put in the performances that make them worthy of winning the awards. There are a few on this list who have won honorary Oscars or won in other categories, like directing or acting, but none of these stars have been bestowed with the one they probably want the most. So here is our list of actors and actresses who have shockingly never won an Oscar for acting.

Glenn Close

At the top of the list of actors who have shockingly never won an Oscar has to be the great Glenn Close. For decades Close has been putting amazing performances on film, and yet that golden statue has eluded her. She has won multiple Tonys, Emmys, and Golden Globe awards, yet, despite an amazing eight nominations for either Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress, she's yet to win one.

Tom Cruise

There is no bigger "movie star" on the planet than Tom Cruise. While no one would realistically expect Cruise to be nominated for his action roles like in the Mission: Impossible movies (though, his stunt work in those movies should really be acknowledged), the Top Gun star has put in the work with Oscar-worthy performances in films like Rain Man, Jerry Maguire, Born on the Fourth of July, and Magnolia. He has been nominated four times, but he's yet to take home the prize.

Angela Bassett

In 1994 Angela Bassett lost out on the Best Actress Oscar for her incredible, transformative performance as Tina Turner in What's Love Got to Do with It. Not to take anything away from the winner, Holly Hunter for The Piano, but it's frankly astonishing Bassett didn't win. Sadly, though she was honored in 2024 by the Academy, she still has yet to win a competitive Oscar.

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp has gotten a lot of bad press in recent years and that may hurt his future chances to win an Academy Award, but frankly, it's amazing he hasn't already won multiple Oscars, and yet he's never won even one. Despite three nominations and many other amazing performances, the Pirates Of The Caribbean star is still Oscar-less.

Sigourney Weaver

It's hard to believe that Sigourney Weaver hasn't even been nominated for an Oscar since the 1980s, when she was nominated thrice. In spite of wonderful performances in huge hits like Avatar and Aliens, she's still searching for that golden statue.

Bradley Cooper

Honestly, you can almost smell the desperation on Bradley Cooper to win an Oscar and that's completely understandable. Cooper is one of the best actors of his generation and has been nominated five times in an acting category (and another seven times in other categories), but hasn't won...yet. He'll surely get one.

Annette Bening

Five nominations and no wins. That's Annette Bening's resume at the Oscars and that is shocking. For decades she's been crushing it on screen and despite those nominations, most recently in 2023 for her incredible performance in Nyad, a win has eluded her.

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey may have burst on the scene in wild comedies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask - and we can argue that amazing comedic performances don't get nearly enough love from the Academy - but his more serious roles, like in Man on the Moon and even The Truman Show are certainly worthy of Oscars. Despite multiple Golden Globe nominations and wins, the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind actor has never even been nominated for an Oscar.

Amy Adams

When Amy Adams was first nominated for an Academy Award in 2005 for her breakthrough performance in Junebug, a betting person would have bet everything that she would win an Oscar in her career. Yet here we are more than 20 years later and despite five more nominations, Adams is still Oscar-less.

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson has played every kind of character and starred in every kind of movie. From mega-franchises like Star Wars and the MCU, to more indie films like Pulp Fiction and Do The Right Thing, Jackson has done it all in Hollywood, except win a competitive Oscar and he's shockingly only been nominated once. He was honored by the Academy in 2021 for his body of work.

Scarlett Johansson

In 2020 Scarlett Johansson was nominated in both the Bet Actress category for Marriage Story and Best Supporting Actress for Jojo Rabbit. She lost out in both that year and despite an incredible career, they remain her only nominations.

Laurence Fishburne

Literally, since his breakout movie role when he was only 16 in Apocalypse Now, Laurence Fishburne has been putting in award-worthy performances. One of the most astonishing facts on this list, Fishbourne has only been nominated once, for What's Love Got to Do with It in 1994. Despite roles like Furious Styles in Boyz n The Hood, Professor Phipps in Higher Learning, and countless others, he still hasn't won.

Hugh Jackman

While he's best known for his work as Wolverine these days, the multi-talented Hugh Jackman has a ton of performances that have deserved more attention from the Academy. He's won every other award on the planet, including three of the "EGOT" awards, but he's still missing the "O."

Michelle Williams

Michelle Williams has been nominated for an Academy Award five times, starting with her breakout role in 2005's Brokeback Mountain. She has yet to break through with a win though. Certainly, she will at some point, right?

Saoirse Ronan

Saoirse Ronan was just 13 years old when she landed her first Oscar nomination for her performance in Atonement. The Lady Bird star has been nominated three subsequent times but hasn't been able to nail down an award yet. A win for Ronan at some point seems inevitable, given how she crushes every role she's in.

Matt Damon

Another one of the biggest movie stars in the world who has yet to win an acting Oscar is Matt Damon. His most recent of three acting nominations was for 2015's The Martian, and while he has won an Oscar for Best Screenplay for Good Will Hunting, an acting award has eluded him.

Salma Hayek

Despite her transcending performance in Frida, the great Salma Hayek wasn't able to win an Oscar in a stacked category in 2003 (Nicole Kidman won for The Hours). Despite numerous great performances, that remains Hayak's only nomination. For shame.

Willem Dafoe

Despite being one of the most reliable actors in Hollywood for more than four decades, somehow Willem Dafoe has yet to win an Oscar. It seems like every single role he takes on is award-worthy, and yet, despite four nominations, starting with Platoon, he still has yet to take home an Academy Award.

Carey Mulligan

2009's An Education garnered Carey Mulligan her first Oscar nom, and she's since nominated another couple of times, for Promising Young Woman in 2021 and Maestro in 2024. She's run into some stiff competition, but surely at least one of those performances was Oscar-worthy.

Mark Ruffalo

Mark Ruffalo has been acting his butt off for decades. For that hard work, he's received four Best Supporting Actor nominations, and shockingly, not for his work in Dark Waters, which might be his best performance of all. It's confounding.

Michelle Pfeiffer

The great Michelle Pfeiffer landed her first Oscar nomination in 1988 for Dangerous Liaisons and picked up two more for The Fabulous Baker Boys in 1989 and Love Field in 1992. Since then? Nothing. Zip. She has not even received a nomination as one of the best actresses of her generation. That has to be remedied, as it makes no sense.

Ralph Fiennes

Between 1996 when he was nominated for The English Patient and 2025 when he was nominated for Conclave, the great Ralph Fiennes wasn't even nominated for an Oscar despite countless award-worthy performances.

Naomi Watts

With two nominations and zero wins, Naomi Watts finds herself on this list. She was first nominated in 2004 for 21 Grams and again in 2013 for The Impossible, but she hasn't lucked out with a win yet. Surely one is in her future though, she's too much of a force not to win one.

Ryan Gosling

Year after year Ryan Gosling has put up fantastic performances, so his inclusion on this list is among the most surprising. He seems like a shoo-in to have won at least one Oscar, right? In not for Barbie or Half Nelson, both of which he was nominated for, then certainly for La La Land. Alas, he's yet to take home a trophy.

Alfre Woodard

When Alfre Woodard was nominated for her first (and to-date only) Oscar nomination way back in 1983 for Cross Creek, you'd be crazy to predict she would not get another one for what is now more than 40 years. Despite amazing performances in films like 12 Years A Slave and many others, she has been shut out.

Warren Beatty

There was no bigger movie star than Warren Beatty in the late '70s and '80s and despite a slew of hits, Beatty has never won an Oscar. Beatty has been nominated four times for Best Actor, yet his only Academy Award win came for Best Director for Reds in 1982. He didn't even win for Dick Tracy! He wasn't actually nominated for that iconic role though, which is understandable.

Laura Linney

Over her long, impressive career, Laura Linney has been nominated for many awards. She's won multiple Emmys and multiple Golden Globes, but she's never taken home a golden statue from the Academy. Linney has been nominated three times, for 2000's You Can Count on Me, 2004's Kinsey, and 2007's The Savages, but lost out each time. Linney has never been in a movie that has won Best Picture, either.

Ed Harris

Ed Harris is one of the best character actors of the last 50 years and yet he's never won an Oscar. He's been nominated three times for Best Supporting Actor, for Apollo 13, The Truman Show, and The Hours, plus picking a nomination for Best Actor for Pollock, but alas, he's never won. Weirdly, he's also 0-3 on Emmy nominations too. He has picked up two Golden Globes though.

Joan Allen

Joan Allen is an actress flies a little under the radar despite putting in amazing performances in everything she is in. It might because she's been incredibly unlucky at winning awards, despite multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG nominations. That luck includes her Oscar nominations, of which she has three, for Nixon, The Crucible, and The Contender, but sadly no wins.

Richard Gere

Despite being box office gold since the early 1980s, Richard Gere has shockingly never been even nominated for an Oscar. He's been in beloved movies that have stood the test of time like Pretty Woman, An Officer And A Gentleman, Primal Fear, Runaway Bride and so many more, but no nominations. Crazy.

Isabelle Huppert

It might not be a huge surprise that a French actress like Isabelle Huppert hasn't won an Oscar, as obviously the winners are almost always from English-language films. Still, Huppert is one of the most decorated actresses of all time in her native France, having been nominated 16 times (and winning twice) for the César Award (France's version of the Academy Awards). She was nominated for an Oscar in 2016 for Elle but lost to Emma Stone (for La La Land).

Paul Dano

It almost seems pre-ordained that at some point Paul Dano will win an Oscar. In performance after performance, he just crushes it. From There Will Be Blood to Love & Mercy, the list of his amazing performances just keeps growing. Like others on this list, the fact that he hasn't even been nominated for an Oscar is mindboggling.

Think of your favorite movie character of all time. There is a good chance that the actor who ended up playing that part is not the first actor the studio approached. See for yourself by taking a look at this list of celebrities who decided to pass on a movie role that would turn out to make cinematic history.

Will Smith (Neo In The Matrix)

It is actually pretty easy for us to picture what the Matrix movies might have been like with Will Smith as Neo. However, the Academy Award winner seems to believe that Keanu Reeves was the better choice to play the chosen one in the mind-bending, dystopian sci-fi movie classic, claiming in a video on his YouTube channel that he would have "ruined it."

Jodie Foster (Princess Leia in Star Wars)

Fresh off her Academy Award-nominated breakthrough role in 1976's Taxi Driver, a teenage Jodie Foster was offered the chance to be a part of the Star Wars movies as Princess Leia Organa. As she revealed to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, the two-time Oscar winner had a contractual obligation to an unnamed Disney movie, allowing Carrie Fisher to win the role.

Tom Hanks (Jerry Maguire In Jerry Maguire)

Tom Hanks was on top of the world with two Oscar wins (for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump) when he was offered to play a sports agent down on his luck in Jerry Maguire. He ended up passing on the eponymous role from Cameron Crowe's 1996 dramedy and later told Access Hollywood (via FandomWire), "I think you look at it now and it couldn’t have been anybody other than Tom Cruise," who would receive a nod from the Academy for his performance.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Patrick Bateman In American Psycho)

Christian Bale once told GQ that every one of his roles was first offered to Leonardo DiCaprio and one confirmed example is Patrick Bateman in 2000's American Psycho. The future Oscar winner told The Morning Call that he passed on playing the sadistic yuppie because he felt the script “didn’t mean anything in the end," but rumor has it Bale's stepmom, Gloria Steinem, convinced DiCaprio that it would be bad for his post-Titanic, romantic heartthrob reputation at the time.

Jean-Claude Van Damme (The Predator In Predator)

The titular terrifying alien enemy from 1987's Predator looked a lot different when Jean-Claude Van Damme was still in the role, according to THR's oral history. The Belgian actor star actually shot some footage in the original insect-like suit before deciding he would rather not be hidden in his own movie, leading to a redesign of the costume and the casting of 7'2" Kevin Peter Hall.

Jack Nicholson (Michael Corleone In The Godfather)

While we cannot imagine anyone other than Al Pacino as Michael Corleone, Jack Nicholson probably would have been great in the Godfather movies. However, the three-time Oscar winner refused the offer, explaining to Movieline in 2004 (via ScreenRant) that he believed "Italians should play Italians."

John Travolta (Forrest Gump In Forrest Gump)

When speaking with MTV News (via Collider), John Travolta revealed that he had no regrets about turning down the title role of the Best Picture Oscar winner Forrest Gump and it is no wonder why. Not only did Tom Hanks embody the role to Oscar-winning acclaim but Travolta found career-rejuvenating success with Pulp Fiction in 1994 instead.

Burt Reynolds (James Bond In Live And Let Die)

In 2015, Burt Reynolds told USA Today that, when approached to be Sean Connery's replacement in the James Bond films, he believed the public would not accept a 007 with an American accent. However, he would later come to believe that, "It was a stupid thing to say. I could've done it and I could've done it well."

Eddie Murphy (Winston Zeddemore In Ghostbusters)

While appearing on The Tonight Show in 2019, Eddie Murphy was asked by Jimmy Fallon if it is true that he passed on playing Winston Zeddemore in Ghostbusters. The comedian confirmed that it was true but added that it allowed him the opportunity to lead an even bigger hit from 1984: Beverly Hills Cop.

John Lithgow (Seth Brundle In The Fly)

Jeff Goldblum's iconic role from David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of The Fly was previously offered to John Lithgow, who told IndieWire that he said no, not wanting to play "something so grotesque.” Having witnessed Seth Brundle's transformation into a half-human, half-insect in the intense body horror movie, we cannot say we blame him.

Tom Selleck (Indiana Jones In Raiders Of The Lost Ark)

Having already worked with Harrison Ford three times before, George Lucas was reluctant to cast the Han Solo actor as Indiana Jones, opening up the opportunity for a rotation of actors, including Tom Selleck. As he recalled on Today, the actor was forced to pass on 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark, due to his commitment to the CBS crime drama, Magnum P.I.

Christopher Lee (Dr. Loomis In Halloween)

While already a horror movie icon at the time for his acclaimed portrayal of Dracula and role in 1973's The Wicker Man, Christopher Lee could have added one of the all-time best horror movies, 1978's Halloween, to his resume. According to The Digital Fix, he would come to regret the decision to pass on the role of Michael Myers' psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Loomis, who was immortalized by Donald Pleasance instead.

Christina Applegate (Elle Woods In Legally Blonde)

Before Reese Witherspoon made Elle Woods an icon among fictional lawyers in Legally Blonde and among fictional politicians in the sequel, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, the role was offered to Christina Applegate. The former Married... with Children star later explained to Entertainment Tonight that she was afraid of repeating the ditzy blonde but jokes it was a "stupid move."

Emily Blunt (Black Widow In Iron Man 2)

Scarlett Johansson was perfect as Natasha Romanoff but Emily Blunt would have made a killing as the Avenger also called Black Widow. The English actor explained to Howard Stern that she could not originate the role for the MCU in 2010's Iron Man 2 because she was contractually obligated to appear in that year's adaptation of Gulliver's Travels.

Emma Watson (Mia In La La Land)

Playing Mia in 2016's La La Land earned Emma Stone her first Oscar win but the role of the aspiring actor had originally gone to another Emma: Emma Watson. The Harry Potter movies star said in a SiriusXM Town Hall interview (via Us Weekly) that her commitment to Beauty and the Beast and the hard work required to star in the musical led her to pull out.

Gwyneth Paltrow (Rollergirl In Boogie Nights)

Heather Graham made her mainstream breakthrough in 1998's Boogie Nights as "Rollergirl" – a role that was previously offered to Gwyneth Paltrow. The future Oscar winner told Howard Stern (via Us Weekly) that she passed because she feared the role, which required her to completely disrobe and simulate lewd acts on camera, would "kill" her conservative grandfather.

Jennifer Hudson (Precious In Precious)

Jennifer Hudson had previously said in her memoir, I Got This: How I Changed My Ways And Lost What Weighed Me Down, that she turned down the title role of Precious because she did not want to take a role that involved her weight. The Oscar winner later retracted that statement when speaking to The Huffington Post, explaining that Was not interested in what the role, which ultimately went to Gabourey Sibide, would have required her to do at that point in her career.

Matt Damon (Jake Sully In Avatar)

Sam Worthington became a household name when he led James Cameron's astonishingly successful sci-fi epic, Avatar, as Jake Sully – a role previously offered to Matt Damon. The Oscar winner once joked to Access Hollywood that not participating in the 2009 film cost the movie "a lot."

Ian McKellan (Albus Dumbledore In Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban)

The Lord of the Rings movies' Gandalf actor, Sir Ian McKellan, could have added another famous wizard to his resume and become the Harry Potter franchise's new Albus Dumbledore. Instead, the part went to Michael Gambon after, as he told BBC News, McKellan turned it down because he couldn’t “take over the part from an actor who I’d known didn’t approve of me,” referring to the late Richard Harris who was a vocal critic of the actor.

Drew Barrymore (Sidney Prescott In Scream)

Given Drew Barrymore's A-list status in 1996, audiences assumed that she was the lead of Wes Craven's Scream, which could have been the case, as she confirmed on Hot Ones. However, she requested to be killed off in the beginning as Casey Becker, knowing it would shock the audience, paving the way for Neve Campbell to become a Scream Queen in the role of Sidney Prescott.

Angela Bassett (Leticia Musgrove In Monster’s Ball)

Halle Berry became the first Black Best Actress Oscar winner for her performance in Monster's Ball as Leticia Musgrove – a role that was offered to Angela Bassett. According to EW, the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star felt the part of a Black call girl was too stereotypical.

Sean Connery (Gandalf In The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring)

Sir Ian McKellan mentions in an oral history about the Lord of the Rings series for The Independent that an earlier choice to play Gandalf the Grey was Sir Sean Connery. New Line Cinema executive Mark Ordesky notes that the former James Bond actor passed on the role of the wizard simply because he "did not get it."

Bette Midler (Annie Wilkes In Misery)

Despite having no qualms about playing an actual evil witch in 1993's Hocus Pocus, Bette Midler did have some reservations about playing Annie Wilkes in Rob Reiner's adaptation of Stephen King's Misery from 1990. The actor and singer told Variety that was interested in playing the sadistic nurse because of her violent, unfunny, and irredeemable qualities.

Warren Beatty (Bill In Kill Bill)

In 2003, Quentin Tarantino told BBC that he originally started writing the title role of Kill Bill with Warren Beatty in mind because he wanted to work with him and the Oscar winner was set to play the target of Uma Thurman's vengeful Bride for a bit. However, after realizing that David Carradine was a better fit, followed by consideration of the time commitment and martial arts training involved, the actor and filmmaker amicably agreed to part ways.

Michelle Pfeiffer (Clarice Starling In The Silence Of The Lambs)

Michelle Pfeiffer once told Today's Hoda Kotb (via People) that her reasons for passing on roles in the likes of Pretty Woman and Basic Instinct typically had to do with scheduling conflicts. However, she told The New Yorker she passed on playing Clarice Starling (which ultimately went to Jodie Foster) in 1991's The Silence of the Lambs because the “evil” in the film made her nervous.

Al Pacino (Han Solo In Star Wars)

In his memoir, Sonny Boy, Al Pacino reveals that, before Harrison Ford was cast in Star Wars, he was offered the role of Han Solo. The Oscar winner explains that he could not "make anything out of" George Lucas' script and chose not to play the pilot of the Millennium Falcon.

Bela Lugosi (The Creature In Frankenstein)

According to the book, The Immortal Count: The Life and Films of Bela Lugosi by Arthur Lennig (via SlashFilm), the star of 1931's Dracula had the opportunity to play two Universal Monsters in the same year, having also been offered to play The Creature in Frankenstein. However, the actor believed such a role was "beneath him," paving the way for Boris Karloff to rise up in the ranks of horror royalty as Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s creation.

Haley Lu Richardson (Dani Ardor In Midsommar)

Haley Lu Richardson, known for one of the best M. Night Shyamalan movies, Split, passed on the role of Dani Ardor in Ari Aster's 2019 sophomore effort, Midsommar. The A24 horror masterpiece was ultimately led by Florence Pugh, whom Richardson told Backstage she has nothing but praise for, despite not yet having the courage to watch the movie.

Julia Roberts (Annie Reed In Sleepless In Seattle)

The two most prestigious queens of the rom-com genre would have to be Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan but only one could play Annie Reed in Sleepless in Seattle. Roberts told InStyle (via ABC News) that she was offered the part but could not do it, adding that Ryan and Tom Hanks "are just such a jewel of a fit in that."

Jamie Lee Curtis (Regan MacNeil In The Exorcist)

Jamie Lee Curtis became horror royalty with her feature film debut in 1978's Halloween but her reign could have begun earlier if not for one thing: her mother, Janet Leigh. Curtis told EW that, when she was asked to audition for Regan MacNeil in 1973's The Exorcist (which would go to Linda Blair), the Psycho star spoke on the then-13-year-old's behalf and refused the offer.

Lee Marvin (Quint In Jaws)

Robert Shaw's performance as Quint in Jaws is nearly as famous as the man-eating shark itself but the English actor was actually not Steven Spielberg's first choice. The filmmaker told Vanity Fair that he previously approached Lee Marvin but the Dirty Dozen star was not interested.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Amber In Clueless)

Elisa Donovan's character in Clueless, Amber, very nearly went to the future star of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sarah Michelle Gellar. Adam Schroeder, the co-producer of the 1995 high school movie classic, told Vanity Fair that the actor's commitment to the soap opera All My Children at the time forced her to recede from consideration.

Spoilers lie ahead for 9-1-1 Season 8, Episode 7 of 9-1-1, “Hotshots.”

9-1-1 Season 8 has been moving right along on the 2024 TV schedule and, as per usual, it’s been giving some characters some pretty tough challenges, both personally and professionally. Athena Grant-Nash, in particular, has already been through a lot in these first several episodes, starting with the plane emergency that was enough to keep someone on the edge of their seat. Following the police sergeant’s most recent struggles, showrunner Tim Minear got real about Angela Bassett’s reaction and, at the same time, he eased a concern I had about the character's future.

What Does Angela Bassett Thinks Of Athena’s Struggles?

It just seems like Athena can’t catch a break. On the latest episode, “Hotshots,” the patrol sergeant was running after a suspect and wound up sustaining a leg injury. Considering all that Athena has been through, between losing her fiancé, being assaulted, getting mixed up in the cruise ship disaster, enduring that house fire and so much more, one might think that Angela Bassett would rather not play a character with endless struggles and complications. However, Minear told TVLine just what the actress really thinks about the storylines, and it’s so true to who Athena is:

I don't know how other fans feel, but I would much rather not have Athena constantly going through some kind of issue. Nevertheless, at least the actress who portrays her doesn’t really mind. In all honesty, we should probably expect nothing less from the Oscar nominee, who's portrayed plenty of raw and vulnerable characters in her time. One could also point out that Athena's various problems do contribute to interesting stories.

Will Athena Retire From The Force?

Despite everything mentioned above, what isn’t entertaining is the notion of Athena possibly retiring in the near future. I couldn’t stop thinking about that happening amid the latest episode, since she isn’t as limber as she once was. Luckily, Tim Minear revealed during his recent interview that as of right now, he has not talked with Angela Bassett about Athena retiring. In fact, the EP is even eager to have the character be part of another sting operation.

Of course, as the seasons go on, it wouldn’t be surprising if the series were to start really foreshadowing a character or two retiring or at least considering it. It's honestly hard to imagine Athena doing anything other than being a police office. For right now, though, I’m glad that I don’t have to worry about that prospect any time soon.

9-1-1 is unpredictable, so much so that a bee-nado turned into a plane emergency. If anything, though, it would seem that fans should rest assured that, as issues arise, Athena will be on hand to help in any way she can for the foreseeable future. 9-1-1's fall finale airs this Thursday, November 21 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and will be streamable on the next day with a Hulu subscription.

There are plenty of celebrity fashion looks that have been immortalized on the big screen, but there are also plenty of other famous dresses that never hit a red carpet. Maybe they should have. We've compiled a list of some of the best gowns (and looks) from films that could totally have worked on a red carpet, if given the chance. Here are some of the coolest takes.

Lily James In Cinderella

When I think of a ball gown, to me the 2015 Cinderella look of Lily James is a great example of a dress that’s carpet ready. It’s somehow timeless and modern, it’s an indescribable blue color, and it brought an animated concept to life in just the perfect way. A top-notch stunner for any era.

Emma Watson In Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1

I know you thought I was going to bust out Hermione’s iconic Yule Ball gown look here, even though she’s said the scene was uncomfortable in the past. While it’s a sweet dress for a teenager, it’s the stunning red number Watson’s character wears to Bill and Fleur’s wedding I deem to be most red carpet-worthy.

Jennifer Lopez In Maid In Manhattan

Jennifer Lopez played a maid who borrowed a gown for a night out on the town in Maid in Manhattan. While the flick may not make anyone's list of best rom-coms, the dress is perfect for any best list. It was a peachy pink and very on trend in the early aughts, and its silhouette – and the iconic jewelry she paired it with – would very much still be on point on the carpet today.

Halle Berry In Die Another Day

Halle Berry may be more known for an iconic bikini scene in Die Another Day, but it's her purple dress that really stands out when she's playing Jinx. The color and silhouette are stunning years later, but this is one dress that's also even more brilliant once you see it from behind.

Julia Roberts In Pretty Woman

A far cry from the look we meet her in, Julia Roberts’ Vivian Ward dons a romantic red dress for a night out with Richard Gere’s Edward. The two end up entangling their lives in myriad ways, but the dress is still the most memorable moment from the movie for me.

Margot Robbie In The Wolf Of Wall Street

Black dresses will never go out of fashion, and Margot Robbie looks like a cool woman in a little black dress in Wolf of Wall Street. It's not the only fashionable moment in Scorsese's film, but it's the look I would choose if I were having to go to a fun event. The earrings amp the look up considerably, too. Her whole vibe has me rethinking my wardrobe.

Aubrey Hepburn In Sabrina

One of the most iconic ball gowns of all time, Hepburn’s famous Sabrina dress may never have happened if she hadn’t pushed and befriended designer Givenchy. They made movie history together, and red carpet history in other cases. This dress would not have been out of place there.

Natalie Portman In Black Swan

Black Swan may be one of the best psychological films, but the costume design is also superb, from outfits worn on the stage to everdaywear. The white gown Portman’s character wears from Rodarte has one of the coolest backs I’ve ever seen. Nearly 15 years later, I wish she or someone would bust it out again.

Lady Mary In Downton Abbey

Lady Mary was a bit of a fashionista across the entirety of the Downton Abbey series and its two subsequent movies, but this lush sapphire blue Prussian gown from 2019’s Downton movie stands out as a favorite and also the one that’s most red carpet worthy. Maybe in this day and age I’d drop the gloves, though (even if celebs like Taylor Swift and JLo are bringing gloves back).

Billy Porter In Cinderella (2021)

The Cinderella cast all had amazing outfits, but Billy Porter's fabulous godmother (Fab G) dress in the 2021 Cinderella is all bold colors and lush satin. It's very much a Porter-perfect look that still stands out years later.

Keira Knightley In Atonement

Keira Knightley’s green dress in Atonement is very much a dress of the era it is portraying, but it’s also the sort of classic look in the perfect color and fabric that could be worn by anyone, in any formal situation, in any time period. If I had to choose a dress to rock to a movie premiere or a wedding or pretty much any occasion, this look from the 2007 (but period) movie would be it.

Charlize Theron Snow White And The Huntsman

Hear me out: Charlize Theron looks so extra in Snow White and the Huntsman but she never looks more extra than when she’s wearing the dress with the extravagant shoulders. Puff sleeves come in and out, but I’m really ready for some avante garde looks to hit the red carpet and this is a great take on a totally unique style.

Kate Hudson In How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days

The early aughts were a prominent time for formalwear gowns dominating movie posters, and the Kate Hudson rom-com era was no exception. The good news is the gold dress she sported opposite Matthew McConaughey still holds up more than 20 years later and is a color she should continue to sport on the red carpet.

Grace Kelly In Rear Window

Grace Kelly had a lot of iconic dresses in a lot of movies that could have fit the criteria of this list, but my favorite has to be her tulle look from Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. It's no wonder the ballet-inspired look has come back in 10 Things I Hate About You and other movies.

Jennifer Lawrence In Catching Fire

The Hunger Games has some solid fashion design, particularly when it comes to characters like Snow, Effie and others living in the capital. But if you really want to make a statement, how about a dress that catches fire and turns into a second fashion statement? Tell me you wouldn’t like to see this on the red carpet!

Kate Winslet In Titanic

When Jack and Rose meet in Titanic, she’s dressed for dinner in a gorgeous red and black beaded dress that would stand out in any crowd. It’s a good thing she catches Jack’s eye in this dress, or Titanic would have been a different movie.

Angela Bassett In Jumping The Broom

Listen: Paula Patton’s character has a lovely wedding dress in Jumping The Broom (not to mention a really cute purple plaid dress at the beginning of the movie), but Angela Bassett is the actress to keep your eye on. As the matriarch in a wealthy family, Bassett’s character is the one with the polished, structured looks I’d feel most confident in on the red carpet.

Rita Hayworth In Gilda

I’m not sure how many people revisit Rita Hayworth’s Gilda these days, but when I think of old Hollywood glamor, her satin gown and matching gloves always come to mind. This was the role that made Hayworth a household name and that dress would still have a moment if it debuted today.

Sonoya Mizuno In Crazy Rich Asians

There's a lot of just epic fashion in 2018's Crazy Rich Asians, but the stellar standout moment is Araminta's wedding, which just has so many great looks from the main cast. At the end of the day, despite the gorgeous setting and shiny, happy people, it's the dress that's to die for.

Vivien Leigh In Gone With The Wind

Leigh gets the opportunity to wear a lot of lovely fabrics in 1939’s Gone with the Wind but none seem as carpet worthy (somewhat ironically) as the dress made out of curtains. It's a memorable color combo and an all-time great movie look.

Hilary Duff In A Cinderella Story

While allegedly Sam is wearing an "old" wedding dress when she shows up in this gorgeous white number, the tulle look is a classic one. Hilary Duff wore the dress with pink Chuck Taylors on the cover for the film, and casualizing a dress with sneakers has become a popular trend in the time since.

Emma Watson In Beauty And The Beast

A Disney ballgown that really hits the mark, Emma Watson’s yellow Belle dress does the animated character justice while fitting the actress like a glove. The color might not work on everyone, but it’s such a perfect fit.

Whitney Houston In The Bodyguard

I think Whitney Houston’s Queen of the Night costume is probably the one we all think about first when we think about The Bodyguard, but it’s her simple black halter dress and beaded hair and bracelet accessories that would really stand out on a red carpet and give something a little special.

Aubrey Hepburn In My Fair Lady

Eliza may have made a bet with Professor Higgins to help her sound like a lady, but it's not hard to believe Audrey Hepburn at least looks like a lady in this dress. The thick, sparkling necklace gives it an additional upgrade. Beautiful.

Ariana DeBose In West Side Story

Ariana DeBose's yellow dress in Spielberg's West Side Story is a direct nod to the 1961 movie musical, but it's an updated take on the look. Originally, Rita Moreno wore a famous lavender dress, but DeBose's is an upgraded color and has a little more swish in it. It's gorgeous and the type of look I hope is popularized again.

Marilyn Monroe In How To Marry A Millionaire

Marilyn Monroe rocked lots of iconic gowns over the years, but the thing I like about this satin dress is the one shoulder strap. It's fitted like a glove and the pink color is fabulous. It's hard to pick one thing about this dress that is most successful. It's just perfect.

Barbara Bach In The Spy Who Loved Me

Plenty of Bond girls have had great outfits over the course of more than 50 years, but when Bond meets Anya Amasova, her navy gown really pops thanks to the Swarovski crystal trim. I love that it's not a flat color, and the leg slit adds a sweet extra touch.

Lana Condor In To All The Boys I've Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You

Lana Condor has a lot of beautiful clothing in the To All The Boys movies. Of all her sweet looks, my favorite is the one in the sequel that Stormy lends her from her impeccable collection. It's vintage perfect, and a lovely color to boot.

Lori Singer In Footloose

Lori Singer’s Ariel dress looks great on her, and it fits the character well. Despite the movie coming out in the eighties, the off-shoulder style comes in and out, and its simple silhouette would be perfect for a low-key movie premiere. As vintage is making a big comeback, perhaps it’s a style we’ll see back on the carpet in coming years.

Rachel Leigh Cook In She’s All That

Laney’s red makeover dress is on-trend now the ‘90s and early aughts are making a comeback. Its spaghetti straps and slim silhouette are simple, but would still really would turn heads on the red carpet today. I love the matching red pumps she pairs the look with as well.

Margaret Avery In The Color Purple

Shug Avery's bright looks in The Color Purple stand out. It may be more of a show dress, but if I had to kick it on the red carpet, I'd want something just as sequiny. Maybe I'd throw in some pearls to boot.

Anne Hathaway In The Idea Of You

A lot of people would say Ms. Hathaway's iconic fashion movies are either The Princess Diaries or The Devil Wears Prada, and while neither are wrong choices, my pick has to go to her character in The Idea of You. When Solene meets Hayes in her beautifully tailored, creamy Fendi number, his head was turned, but so was mine.

Luckily, we're likely to see many more red carpet-worthy looks on the big screen for years to come!

Whenever we talk about the best ‘90s movies, it doesn’t take long before the conversation turns to the most iconic actors of the final decade of the 20th century and their most beloved performances. But what are Will Smith’s, Julia Roberts’, or Keanu Reeves’ best movies for the unforgettable and transformative 10-year stretch? 

We’re being totally subjective here (Because why not?), but here are the best ‘90s movies for these 32 actors. Best Picture winners, a handful of the best action movies of all time, and other films that turned up-and-comers into overnight megastars can all be found below.

Will Smith (Independence Day)

Will Smith was already a household name by the time Independence Day was released and became the biggest movie of 1996, but this massive sci-fi flick took him to new heights. Electric, magnetic, and charismatic beyond belief, the Fresh Prince became the King of the summer blockbuster with his portrayal of Captain Steven Hiller.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic)

Is there a bigger ‘90s movie than Titanic, both in terms of financial returns and cultural prominence? Yeah, James Cameron’s story of the ill-fated ship, his special effects, and the rest of the cast made this 1997 disaster movie a must-see, but Leonardo DiCaprio, with his “King of the World” moment, made this an all-timer. 

Tom Cruise (Jerry Maguire)

Picking the best ‘90s movie for Tom Cruise is no easy task, considering some of the actor’s best performances took place that decade. However, despite Magnolia and Mission: Impossible being great in their own ways, this has to go to Cruise’s dynamic portrayal of the struggling sports agent in Jerry Maguire. “Show me the money,” is a quote we keep in our repertoire nearly 30 years later. 

Sandra Bullock (Speed)

Sandra Bullock put herself on the map with her performance in Speed, one of the most iconic 1994 movies. Though she was great in Demolition Man the year before, Bullock’s take on Annie Porter made her an overnight sensation and quickly became one of her best roles to date, even outside the ‘90s.

Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption)

How Morgan Freeman didn’t win an Oscar for his performance in The Shawshank Redemption is one of the biggest mysteries, and travesties, in Hollywood history. His portrayal of Ellis "Red" Redding in this spectacular Stephen King adaptation is so strong and so believable that you don’t see him as an actor playing an inmate, but more like an aging prisoner trying to “get busy living or get busy dying.”

Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction)

As much as we would have loved to argue for Jurassic Park being Samuel L. Jackson’s best ‘90s movie, Ray Arnold has nothing on the bad mother [redacted] that was Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction. Easily Quentin Tarantino’s best movie, this 1994 classic is essentially a master class in dialogue and non-linear storytelling.

Meg Ryan (Sleepless In Seattle)

A few years after leading the best romantic comedy of all time with When Harry Met Sally, Meg Ryan teamed up with Nora Ephron (who was directing this time around) for Sleepless in Seattle in 1993. The chemistry between Ryan and Tom Hanks as Annie Reed and Sam Baldwin, is incredible, even if they only share a couple minutes of screentime.

Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman)

It’s hard to imagine what Julia Roberts’ career and Hollywood in general would be like if the actress didn’t play Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman. Sure, Roberts already had some hits and would have gone on to land big roles, but this 1990 rom-com instantly made her one of the brightest stars on the planet and showed off her dynamic range and impeccable comedic timing.

Angela Bassett (What's Love Got To Do With It)

Angela Bassett’s best movie, What’s Love Got to Do with It saw the celebrated actress take on the role of the legendary Tina Turner in this 1993 biopic about the late singer’s life, career, and toxic relationship with husband and music partner Ike Turner. Bassett had some pretty iconic ‘90s roles throughout the decade, but this is at the tippy top of the mountain.

Keanu Reeves (The Matrix)

Picking Keanu Reeves’ best movie of the 1990s is more difficult than you’d think. Point Break, My Private Idaho, and Speed are all contenders, but none come close to the heights of The Matrix and his performance as Neo, aka, the One. Watching Reeves’ character develop throughout this great ‘90s sci-fi film never gets old.

Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting)

Robin Williams had SO many good movies in the ‘90s, but Good Will Hunting was in a league of its own, at least in terms of performances by the late comedian. The richness, range, and emotion found in his portrayal of Sean Maguire is something to behold. No wonder he took home an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Bruce Willis (The Sixth Sense)

The ‘90s saw Bruce Willis play everything from his most iconic character in the second and third Die Hard movies to the leads in multiple blockbusters. However, none of those compare to his work in The Sixth Sense. There is just something so warm and refreshing about his portrayal of a child psychiatrist trying to help a young boy make sense of life and his strange gift.

Harrison Ford (The Fugitive)

Have you gone back and watched The Fugitive lately? If not, do so now. If you have, you’re all too familiar with Harrison Ford’s performance as Richard Kimble, the Chicago doctor trying to clear his name after being wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife. Air Force One and Clear and Present Danger are great, but this 1993 thriller is one of Ford’s career-best.

Frances McDormand (Fargo)

Frances McDormand’s portrayal of Marge Gunderson in the Coen Brothers' Fargo earned the actress the first of her three Academy Awards, and for good reason: she’s the heart and soul of the 1996 crime comedy.  

Gary Oldman (The Fifth Element)

Gary Oldman played some of the meanest ‘90s villains in movies like Air Force One, Leon: The Professional, and The Fifth Element, the latter of which features his best work of the decade. Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg is one of those characters that you love to hate and enjoy watching as much as the 1997 sci-fi film’s hero, which is saying something.

Wesley Snipes (White Men Can't Jump)

In the years following his breakout performance in Major League, Wesley Snipes became one of the dependable faces in Hollywood thanks to unforgettable turns in New Jack City, Demolition Man, and Jungle Fever. But let’s be real, Snipes’ take on Syd Deane is one of the most iconic ‘90s characters and essentially carries this all-time great basketball movie.

Tom Hanks (Saving Private Ryan)

Tom Hanks dominated the ‘90s with Oscar-winning performances in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump as well as other decade-defining films like Toy Story and A League of Their Own. But in terms of the BEST movie, that has to go to Saving Private Ryan, Steven Spielberg’s harrowing World War II epic about heroism, survival, and the hope of a better tomorrow.

Robert De Niro (Cape Fear)

We could have listed Goodfellas, Heat, or even A Bronx Tale as Robert De Niro’s best movie from the ‘90s, but his performance as Max Cady in Cape Fear is on a whole other level. Easily one of the Oscar winner’s most menacing characters, the psychopathic ex-con with a bone to pick is a force of pure evil here.

Al Pacino (Heat)

After playing all-time great gangsters in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Al Pacino was on the other side of the law in Michael Mann’s 1995 crime epic, Heat. Sure, Scent of a Woman earned him that elusive Oscar for Best Actor, but his take on Lieutenant Vincent Hanna is the stuff of legend. Plus, we also got to see Pacino and Robert De Niro share a scene for the first time.

Anthony Hopkins (The Silence Of The Lambs)

Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs is one of the greatest performances of all time. That said, it should be no surprise that this great horror film gets the call here. Though there was some stiff competition.

Philip Seymour Hoffman (Boogie Nights)

As much as we would love to break down all the awesome ways Philip Seymour Hoffman stole the show in Twister and My Boyfriend’s Back, the late actor really came into his own in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1997 drama, Boogie Nights. Hoffman’s sympathetic take on Scotty J. was nothing short of brilliant and showed what was to come.

Jodie Foster (The Silence Of The Lambs)

If you were to break down Jodie Foster’s best performances, her portrayal of Clarice Starling would be at or near the top of that list. A movie that has been quoted or referenced countless times over the years, this 1991 thriller remains one of the best ever made.

Brad Pitt (Seven)

David Fincher’s Seven is Brad Pitt’s best movie from the ‘90s for a variety of reasons: 1) the movie about a serial killer taking lives based on the seven deadly sins is violently unique, 2) it was the start of a partnership between actor and director, and 3) Pitt showed he was more than a pretty face and really had what it took.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (T2: Judgment Day)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is not only a decade-defining action movie or a landmark achievement in visual effects, it’s also Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best movie of the ‘90s and perhaps all time. James Cameron’s sequel is bigger and louder than its predecessor and epic beyond compare.

Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act)

Whoopi Goldberg won her first Academy Award for her role as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost, a film that kicked off an impressive decade for the comedian and actor. Her spiritual guide for Patrick Swayze’s ghostly Sam Wheat in this supernatural thriller helped anchor the film and turn it into the biggest movie of 1990.

Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting)

Matt Damon went from a relatively unknown actor to one of the brightest faces (and voices) in Hollywood thanks to Good Will Hunting. His tortured performance as a young math prodigy in South Boston is still captivating more than 25 years later.

Eddie Murphy (The Nutty Professor)

Eddie Murphy did a little bit of everything in the ‘90s, but The Nutty Professor shows off some of the comedian’s best work. Playing multiple characters (heroes, villains, and in between) really showed off Murphy’s dynamic range and varied comedic styles.

Adam Sandler (Happy Gilmore)

Though Big Daddy proved that Adam Sandler could handle slightly more dramatic roles, there’s no denying the fact that Happy Gilmore is the former SNL star’s best ‘90s movie. His take on a failed hockey player finding new purpose (and fortune) in the world of golf was a game-changer and created one of the best sports characters of all time.

Denzel Washington (Malcolm X)

Denzel Washington is another actor who had more great roles in the ‘90s than we can count, but at the top of his “best” list is Spike Lee’s 1992 biopic, Malcolm X. The movie about the controversial civil rights icon was eye-opening, enchanting, and epic.

Joe Pesci (Goodfellas)

We could have talked about My Cousin Vinny, we could have talked about Home Alone, and we could have even made a case for Casino, but none of that is possible without Goodfellas. The movie, which introduced the world to Joe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito, is one of the greatest gangster movies of all time and an influential piece of cinema we still rave about 30-plus years later.

Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise)

Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise, a movie featuring one of the best female friendships with Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis’ titular characters, helped kickstart the decade back in 1990. Easily Sarandon’s best movie of the ‘90s, this crime drama about two friends on the run from the law is just so dang great.

Jim Carrey (Dumb & Dumber)

Jim Carrey absolutely dominated the ‘90s comedy scene, and the box office in general back in 1994. While Ace Ventura Pet Detective and The Mask both have their moments, we have to be real for a second and admit that Dumb and Dumber is some of Carrey’s best work.

Movie fans had lots to love in the '90s and these actors and their best movies of the decade will never be forgotten.

As with many years prior, several upcoming films will bring us tales of joy and woe with animated adventures, heartfelt family films, people overcoming horrific circumstances, fun comedies and more. But, something that many people love to see is a story that focuses either on people who do intriguing work or who have some true magic in their lives. As such, let’s take a look at 32 famous actors who’ve given us that by playing a wizard, witch or magician in some popular movies. 

Nicole Kidman (Practical Magic, Bewitched)

An Oscar winner who’s notably portrayed a witch twice in her big screen efforts is Nicole Kidman. Seeing as how Practical Magic 2 is now being worked on in earnest, you probably remember her 1998 hit with Sandra Bullock easily. But, do you recall her turn as a real witch hired to play a fictional one in the 2005 comedy, Bewitched?

Hugh Jackman (The Prestige)

We actually don’t get as many magicians on screen as one might think, but Hugh Jackman did us all a solid when he starred as one in the 2006 Christopher Nolan movie, The Prestige. If you somehow still haven’t seen this Edwardian London-set thriller, do yourself a favor and track it down. You won’t regret it.

Ian McKellen (The Lord Of The Rings And The Hobbit Trilogies)

This list would be nothing without mentioning maybe the most famous wizard in all of literary history, who made his major motion picture appearances courtesy of Sir Ian McKellen in The Lord of the Rings movies, as well as The Hobbit trilogy. Gandalf the Grey cannot be ignored, and not just because he’s so much taller than most of his traveling companions!

Neve Campbell (The Craft)

Fledgling teen witches count just as much as those who’ve been witchin’ for decades, which is why Neve Campbell’s eventual power-hungry sorceress, Bonnie, is on this list. The Craft is a teen horror classic that’s worth a watch.

Bette Midler (Hocus Pocus)

Here’s another classic movie witch who’s hard to forget. Bette Midler really dialed it up for her performance as Winifred Sanderson in 1993’s Hocus Pocus (along with fellow witchy Sanderson sisters Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker), and the results were so memorable that a Disney+ sequel was made nearly 30 years later.

Jesse Eisenberg (Now You See Me)

We’ve come to another magician, but Jesse Eisenberg’s modern-day character, Atlas, is an illusionist who works in Las Vegas in a popular group…who are really teamed up to steal lots and lots of money. It was so popular that a sequel followed.

Alexandra Daddario (Mayfair Witches)

If anything, we could trust late horror author Anne Rice to pen an intriguing tale that keeps us glued to the pages of a book. It also turns out that White Lotus star Alexandra Daddario can help turn that story into a can’t-miss TV show, as she’s done by playing witchy lead Rowan on Mayfair Witches.

Cher (The Witches Of Eastwick)

Cher has excelled in pretty much every role she’s ever had, and that includes widowed mother/witch Alex in The Witches of Eastwick. This one gets wild but you’ll never regret watching her (or her co-stars Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jack Nicholson) as things go from weird to worse.

Nicolas Cage (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice)

We all know that Nicolas Cage has played a multitude of roles during his decades-long career, so it should be little surprise that he’s portrayed as a user of magic. Before you get too deep into wondering whether or not there’s a real difference between a wizard and a sorcerer, just know that Cage played the latter in this 2010 film that takes some inspiration from a segment in Disney’s animated classic, Fantasia.

Tia And Tamera Mowry (Twitches)

Sure, there have already been people on this list who played witches along with other really famous people, and those co-stars weren’t listed as the main star, but guess what: none of those other people starred with their twin, which is the case with Tia and Tamera Mowry in the beloved Disney Channel original film, Twitches. Did this one get a sequel? You bet it did!

Meryl Streep (Into The Woods)

No one can deny the prowess or ability of 21-time Oscar nominee (and three-time winner) Meryl Streep to deliver an amazing performance. The same can be true for when she played the character known simply as The Witch in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Into the Woods (and, yes, got an Academy Award nomination for her work).

Steve Carell (The Incredible Burt Wonderstone)

And here we have another Las Vegas magician in Steve Carell’s Burt Wonderstone. Instead of watching him steal money, we follow along in this comedy as Burt attempts to reunite with his former partner (Steve Buschemi) so they can gain more traction than a competing magician (Jim Carrey) whose “tricks” mostly involve odd feats of endurance and real pain.

Edward Norton (The Illusionist)

You’d be forgiven for confusing this film with the above-mentioned The Prestige, as they’re both about old-timey magicians and released in 2006. However, this film stars Edward Norton as our…illusionist, and is more of a romantic mystery than Nolan’s thriller.

Lucy Lawless (Salem)

So many evil witches, so little time. The WGN TV series, Salem, was loosely inspired by the Salem witch trials, and focused on a lead who was trying to bring the Devil to earth. But, that wasn’t even the character played by Xena actress Lucy Lawless, as her Countess Palatine Ingrid von Marburg was simply a different and far more evil witch. Can’t anyone use magic to just like, keep everyone’s house clean so we can all have more free time?

Guy Pearce (Death Defying Acts)

It’s actually rather surprising that we’ve gotten this far into the list without coming to someone who portrayed a famous real-life magician, so we can thank Guy Pearce for that. His 2007 supernatural romance, Death Defying Acts, saw him play Harry Houdini.

Angela Bassett (American Horror Story: Coven)

Even for those who don’t follow along with the amazing antics on every season of the anthology series, American Horror Story, it would probably be a little shock to find out that the show has cast several witches during its long run. The subtitle of this 2013 season tells you that it was dedicated to witchy goings-on, and double Oscar nominee Angela Bassett had a notable guest role as real historical figure/Voodoo practitioner Marie Laveau.

Sebastian Stan (The Covenant)

The actor who would come to be known as Bucky “Winter Soldier” Barnes, Sebastian Stan, played a very different type of super-powered character in 2006, when he played teen warlock Chase Collins in the fantasy film The Covenant. It also features stars like Taylor Kitsch and Chase Crawford, who also get their magic on in the film.

Michelle Pfeiffer (Stardust)

As we’ve seen from the entry on Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer had already played a witchy woman by the time she appeared in the 2007 movie Stardust, as an evil (of course) witch looking to retrieve a fallen star to have ever-lasting beauty and youth.

Debbie Reynolds (Halloweentown)

Here’s another Disney Channel classic, which follows a young witch who realizes she has powers on her 13th Halloween, only to be transported to the titular town where supernatural creatures can live without human interference. The late Debbie Reynolds plays her grandmother (also a witch), and returned for all three sequels.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange)

This 2016 MCU entry stars Benedict Cumberbatch as an injured doctor who involves himself in the business of fighting evil with sorcery after losing the use of his hands and heading to a mysterious enclave to look for healing. Cumberbatch has appeared as the character in a number of Marvel franchise films now, including a 2022 sequel to his original solo film.

Mila Kunis (Oz The Great And Powerful)

Here’s a movie filled with magical beings that’s often forgotten. Oz the Great and Powerful saw Mila Kunis, along with Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz, play witches of, yes, that Oz who have to determine if the Kansas magician who’s turned up in their realm is really the “great” wizard they’ve been waiting for.

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone)

This is another actor and portrayal that this list would basically be pointless without. Though Daniel Radcliffe has gone on to portray a wide variety of good and bad guys in the past decade or so of his career, for many he will always be known as the boy wizard, Harry Potter.

Selena Gomez (Wizards Of Waverly Place)

What? Did you forget that Selena Gomez, the Grammy-nominated singer and star of the Hulu hit show Only Murders in the Building, got her first taste of fame on a Disney Channel series? Well, shame on you for not being able to remember that Gomez led Wizards of Waverly Place through a magical four-season run as the supernaturally gifted teen, Alex Russo.

Elizabeth Olsen (WandaVision)

Do we have yet another MCU stalwart for you? You bet we do! Elizabeth Olsen first took on the role of Scarlet Witch during the post-credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, later starring in several more of the franchise films and the critically lauded Disney+ series, WandaVision, for which she received an Emmy nomination.

Sam Neill (Merlin)

While there have certainly been a number of movies and shows that have given us versions of the mythical wizard known as Merlin, NBC’s two-part, 1998 miniseries saw Sam Neill use his recent Jurassic Park stardom to show us an adventurous tale of Merlin’s life before the birth of King Arthur.

Rosamund Pike (The Wheel Of Time)

Many of the portrayals we’ve discussed (and will continue to discuss below) have dealt with book-to-screen adaptations that are based on already incredibly popular novels, and The Wheel of Time is certainly one of those. The Amazon series, which takes its story from the 14-book franchise by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, stars Rosamund Pike as powerful magic user Moiraine Damodred, who takes a group of young adults on a journey to save the world.

Julia Ormond (Witches Of East End)

This Lifetime series, which ran for two seasons from 2013 to 2014, followed the women of the Beauchamp family, witches in a small, fictional seaside town who are led by their mother, Julia Ormond’s Joanna, and have to fight to save themselves and the people of their town from dark magical forces.

Emma Thompson (Beautiful Creatures)

This 2013 Gothic fantasy romance focuses on a teen who will learn on her 16th birthday whether or not her witch tendencies will be for good or ill. Two-time Academy Award-winning actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson plays her mother, Sarafine, who didn’t raise the girl but wants her on that dark side really, really badly.

Tilda Swinton (The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, Suspiria)

Considering that Tilda Swinton has played everything from a gender-switching hero in Orlando to the MCU’s version of the Ancient One in the aforementioned Doctor Strange and the archangel Gabriel in Constantine, is anyone surprised to know that she’s played some witches? In both The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe and Suspiria she was very good at playing magical ladies who wanted (or already had and wanted to continue) to do some very bad things, but the latter film has WAY more serious and bloody fun for those who watch.

Jack Black (The House With A Clock In Its Walls)

Frequent funny man Jack Black as a warlock? That’s what the 2018 fantasy The House With A Clock In Its Walls delivers, as the Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle star portrays a boy’s magic uncle who lives in the house of a dead evil wizard and is trying to discover the location and purpose of a clock the previous dastardly owner hid in the walls.

Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald)

While much of the Harry Potter franchise featured either actors Richard Harris or Michael Gambon as the beloved Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, when the prequels were made, a younger Albus Dumbledore was needed and they called in Jude Law to fill the wizard’s very important and legendary shoes.

Julianne Moore (Seventh Son)

Last but certainly not least on our list of famed actors who’ve brought wizards, witches and magicians to life is lauded talent Julianne Moore. The Academy Award winner starred in 2015’s Seventh Son as the evil witch Mother Malkin, who escapes after many years imprisoned and looks to restore her full power by any means necessary.

As you can see, many of our most beloved stars have portrayed wizards, witches and magicians!

Whether it's in biopics or in other historical movies, playing an important person often leads to some of the most amazing performances put on film. There are far too many to count, much less list here, but we do think you'll agree that this list of 32 actors playing famous people rank among the best. 

Ben Kingsley - Gandhi

The 1982 epic Gandhi starring Ben Kingsley as the revered leader of India and icon to peaceful protestors all over the world is an amazing movie. At the heart is Kingsley's amazing, transformative performance. He looks and sounds just like Gandhi, it's almost uncanny. 

Margot Robbie - Tonya Harding

When the news first broke that Australian Margot Robbie was cast to play controversial US Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya, it's safe to say that many were skeptical. It took the actor all of about 30 seconds of screen time in the movie to prove those skeptics very wrong. Robbie is fantastic as the troubled skater with a family life that you wouldn't wish on anyone. 

Paul Dano - Brian Wilson

The Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy seems to have been overlooked by many, but if you're a fan of The Beach Boys, you need to see it. John Cusack plays the older Wilson in the 1980s and it is fantastic. Paul Dano, who plays the Pet Sounds-era Wilson, is simply amazing. He completely disappears into the role. 

Reese Witherspoon - June Carter Cash

Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix are both amazing in Walk the Line as June and Johnny Cash. Really both deserve to be on this list, but we've the honor to Witherspoon if only because she won Best Actress at the Oscars in 2006. 

Robert Downey, Jr - Charlie Chaplin

It took a long time for Robert Downey to win an Oscar, which he finally did for Oppenheimer. More than 30 years before that win, he earned his first nomination for 1992's Chaplin for playing the legendary actor and Hollywood trailblazer. It's a movie that doesn't get talked about much these days, but it's still great. Especially Downey's performance. 

Natalie Portman - Jackie Kennedy

Jackie Kennedy has to be a tricky person to play. She is so iconic and so well known to so many people that the scrutiny would be stressful. Luckily for all of us, Natalie Portman hit it out of the park when she played the former First Lady in Jackie. 

Meryl Streep - Margaret Thatcher

It's hardly surprising to see Meryl Streep's name on any list of great performances. She has been arguably the best actor in Hollywood for 50 years. One of her finest performances came in 2011's The Iron Lady where she played the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher. 

Rami Malek - Freddy Mercury

You knew we couldn't have this list without including Rami Malek's incredible performance as Freddie Mercury in the biopic about the late Queen singer, Bohemian Rhapsody. It's not all about the prosthetic teeth, as Malek nailed so many nuances and mannerisms of the icon rock star. Just as in real life, the performance at Live Aid at the end of the movie brings down the house. 

Val Kilmer - Jim Morrison

If you grew up in the '90s, The Doors was probably a seminal film for you. Val Kilmer blew audiences away as the late Jim Morrison. It was so good you'd swear you were watching the real Morrison as he rose to fame and then burned out quickly before tragically becoming a member of the "27 Club" in 1971.

Denzel Washington - Malcolm X

A powerful personality takes an actor with equal strength to pull off and in Malcolm X, Denzel Washington is more than up for the task. Playing the combative, controversial civil rights leader could not have been easy, yet Washington brings him back to life in every way. It's the reason everyone should see this biopic. 

Faye Dunaway - Joan Crawford

Faye Dunaway gives the performance of a lifetime in Mommie Dearest. It's scary and mesmerizing. Joan Crawford was one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood in the Golden Age in Hollywood, but this movie changed the public's opinion of her forever - and not for the better. 

Jennifer Lopez - Selena

Before played the murdered superstar Selena in the movie of the same name, Jennifer Lopez had had a few roles in movies, but after Selena, she was the legend we all know today. It's a groundbreaking performance. 

David Oyelowo - Dr, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Everyone in America has heard the powerful voice of Martin Luther King, Jr. hundreds of times. His speeches are part of everyone's education. That makes David Oyelowo's turn as the civil rights leader that much harder - and that much more impressive. It's just fantastic. 

Cate Blanchett - Bob Dylan

Okay, we admit, technically Cate Blanchett is playing a character named "Jude Quinn" in I'm Not There, but c'mon, let's be real, she's playing Bob Dylan. It's an uncanny performance as well. There is actual footage of Dylan from that time in his career in the excellent D.A. Pennebaker-directed Dont Look Back. Compare that to Blanchett and you'll realize just how great she was. 

Daniel Day-Lewis - Abraham Lincoln

Of all the amazing performances on this list, Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln just may be the best. It frankly could be the greatest acting performance of all time. There's an argument for it, at least. He's simply incredible and brings the tragic president to life like no one else has before or since, and likely never will. 

Cillian Murphy - J. Robert Oppenheimer

Cillian Murphy won a well-deserved Best Actor Award for playing J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer. It's a subtle, smoldering performance, just like the personality of the real Oppenheimer. Playing the scientist in his greatest moments in life and his lowest, it's a fantastic showing by the Irish actor. 

Cynthia Erivo - Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman is one of the most important people in US history, but one that hasn't been explored on film nearly as much as you might expect. Luckily, when someone did decide to finally tell her full story on the big screen in 2019's Harriet, they had the good sense to cast Cynthia Erivo as the former slave-turned-freedom fighter. She's amazing. 

Forest Whitaker - Idi Amin

Forest Whitaker is pretty great in everything he's in. He cranks his talent up to another level in The Last King Of Scotland as the brutal dictator of Uganda, Idi Amin. He's so good there are even moments where viewers might feel compassion for the man, despite his worst tendencies as the leader of the country. 

Jessica Chastain - Tammy Faye Bakker

If you were around in the 1980s, you remember all the insanity around Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Jim Bakker crying on TV with Tammy Faye right next to him is something no one will forget. Jessica Chastain's turn as the evangelical preacher's wife is just as memorable. 

Philip Seymour Hoffman - Truman Capote

it's hard to imagine anyone will ever play Truman Capote as well as the late Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote. The role completely takes control of the actor in the best way. It might as well been the writer himself. You completely forget there is even an actor behind the role. 

Daniel Kaluuya - Fred Hampton

Fred Hampton was a controversial and complicated leader in the Black Panther Party in the 1960s. Casting a Brit like Daniel Kaluuya in the role was a daring choice by the filmmakers of Judas and the Black Messiah, but it paid off brilliantly as Kaluuya nails the role. 

Gary Oldman - Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill has been played on the big and small screen by plenty of great actors. John Lithgow (The Crown), Brendan Gleeson (Into the Storm), and Albert Finney (The Gathering Storm) have all garnered praise for playing the legendary prime minister. Gary Oldman, who won an Oscar for playing Churchill in 2017's The Darkest Hour may just be the best. His reading of those famous speeches is just mesmerizing. 

Angela Bassett - Tina Tuner

Tina Turner was a fierce woman, who deserved a fierce performance and she got one with Angela Bassett in What's Love Got To Do With It. Bassett's performance is transcendent and certainly deserved the Oscar nomination she received. She should've won it! 

Austin Butler - Elvis Presley

Austin Butler got so caught up in his performance as Elvis Presley in Elvis that critics of the actor complained that even months later he was still talking like the King of Rock and Roll. he wasn't, but that does say something about how good he was in the Baz Luhrmann-directed bio flick. 

Jesse Eisenberg - Mark Zuckerberg

When The Social Network was first announced, many were confused as to how someone could make an interesting movie about the founding of Facebook. It turns out, that if you get a great writer like Aaron Sorkin, a great director like David Fincher, and someone like Jesse Eisenberg to play the Mark Zuckerberg, you can make it look easy. The movie is great, and Eisenberg's performance is pitch-perfect. 

Leonardo DiCaprio - Howard Hughes

Howard Hughes is one of the most mercurial and odd celebrities in US history. In The Aviator, Leonardo DiCaprio fully embodies everything about the director and businessman. He takes on his greatest triumphs and sinks to the depths of Hughes' despair in the lowest points of his mental illness with the same gusto. 

Charlize Theron - Aileen Wuornos

Serial killer Aileen Wuornos was a terrifying person. A true monster, as the name of the movie about her is called. That's not to say a viewer can't have some sympathy for the circumstances that brought her to the point of murder, but you can't excuse her. Charlize Theron does an incredible job bringing all of that to the role in Monster. 

Sean Penn - Harvey Milk

Milk is one of the great political movies of the last few decades and the biggest reason why, besides the inspiring story, is Sean Penn's performance as Harvey Milk. Like Penn has done so often in his career, he completely disappears into the character. It is Harvey Milk.  

George C. Scott - George Patton

George S. Patton was a great, and complicated leader in World War II. He was responsible for some of the greatest military gains in the war, and he couldn't keep himself out of trouble with his controversy. George C. Scott's portrayal of the general in Patton is amazing. Even though the opening scene of him making a speech in front of the flag is fictional, it sets the tone perfectly and the movie never lets up. 

Cate Blanchett - Katharine Hepburn

Leonardo DiCaprio is fantastic in The Aviator as Howard Hughes, but he's not the only great performance in the movie. Cate Blanchett as the iconic Katharine Hepburn is, well, iconic. There's just no better word for either. It's not only a spot-on impression, the portrayal nails everything that was great about Hepburn. 

Robert De Niro - Jake LaMotta

Jake LaMotta was one of the toughest prizefighters of all time. His incredible story and Robert De Niro's performance are the two things that make Raging Bull legendary. Scorsese's direction is pretty great too. 

Helen Mirren - Queen Elizabeth II

it's really hard to play a person who has been on television screens all over the world for decades. Helen Mirren takes on that difficult task in Queen Elizabeth II. The late Queen was an icon in every sense of the word and playing her could not have been easy, yet, when you have the talent of Helen Mirren, it looks easy. It surely wasn't. 

Sometimes, all it takes is one joint appearance in a movie or television show for two popular actors to become known as an acting duo, and sometimes they prove to work so well together that they go on to star in even more projects together. We’ve come up with a list of 32 acting duos who have worked together multiple times, so you can see if you’ve watched all of the times these talented stars have been on screen with each other.

Tina Fey And Amy Poehler

Obviously, this funny duo began their most famed time together while starring on Saturday Night Live, but Tina Fey and Amy Poehler didn’t let the good times end there. The women were both in Mean Girls, starred in the movies Baby Mama and Sisters, and used their talents to great effect when co-hosting the Golden Globe Awards for several years.

Robert De Niro And Al Pacino

Two legendary actors make for a legendary acting duo, and while Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are frequently mentioned in the same breath, they’ve only been featured in four films together. Two of those movies, however, are absolutely the reason people often talk about them together as they count The Godfather Part II, Heat, Righteous Kill and The Irishman as their joint efforts.

Julia Roberts And George Clooney

Now, these two actually have made quite a few movies with one another, and largely with both in on-screen roles. Of course, it’s hard to forget that George Clooney and Julia Roberts are in all three of the Ocean’s Eleven films, but they’ve also starred in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (which Clooney also directed), Money Monster and the 2022 rom-com Ticket to Paradise. The erstwhile Danny Ocean also produced August: Osage County, while Roberts starred.

Jane Fonda And Lily Tomlin

Frequently we see an acting duo together multiple times because they really are buddies in real life, and that’s true for Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. After first starring together in the 1980 hit 9 to 5 (with Dolly Parton, of course) they eventually re-teamed for the Netflix series Grace and Frankie (which ran for seven seasons), as well as the dark comedy Moving On and 80 for Brady.

Emma Stone And Ryan Gosling

This duo has produced some well-known and beloved comedies and dramas over the years, as Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling first starred together in Crazy, Stupid, Love in 2011, moving on to Gangster Squad in 2013 and the Oscar-winning musical La La Land in 2016. Stone even once said she couldn’t “imagine” her life without Gosling, so these two will probably be friends forever.

Salma Hayek And Antonio Banderas

Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas sharing the screen in Desperado caused considerable heat, along with igniting a very real friendship, so it’s no surprise that they’ve now worked together a number of times. They’ve also been in the casts of Four Rooms, Frida, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Spy Kids 3: Game Over, Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard and both Puss in Boots animated movies. That’s a lot!

Dwayne Johnson And Kevin Hart

We’ve already born witness to a rather lengthy history of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart ripping on each other during their (apparently) laugh and roast-filled friendship, and the two megastars have, indeed, brought that chemistry to the big screen multiple times. The duo counts Central Intelligence, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and its sequel, Hobbs & Shaw and DC League of Super-Pets as the titles they’ve appeared in together.

Matt Damon And Ben Affleck

If this isn’t a classic acting duo by now, there are none. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have been “bizarrely close” friends since childhood, and they first joined forces to great effect by penning and starring in Good Will Hunting (after having both appeared in School Ties), which won them the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. They also worked on Dogma in the 1990s, then, after nearly 25 years, they joined forces again to write and star in The Last Duel, and since then have also worked together on Air and the upcoming RIP for Netflix.

Denzel Washington And Don Cheadle

If only these two powerhouse stars had already been in more movies together…Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle’s first pairing was as P.I. Easy Rawlins and his loyal but unpredictable friend, Mouse, in 1995’s Devil in a Blue Dress. While their work in the film garnered critical acclaim, it would be over 15 years before they teamed again for Flight.

Sanaa Lathan And Taye Diggs

We should never underestimate the power of a franchise when it comes to popular on-screen pairings. Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs appeared in The Wood together in 1999 and then went on to star in The Best Man, its sequel and the Peacock mini-series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters. The duo also played the lead couple in the rom-com, Brown Sugar in 2002.

Scarlett Johansson And Chris Evans

Co-starring in a franchise with the same people will take an acting duo far, but Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans have surpassed even the typical standard where that’s concerned. Thanks to their joint time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they’ve appeared in a whopping seven movies together (including their mid-end credits cameo in Captain Marvel), and prior to their time as blockbuster movie-making superheroes they starred in The Perfect Score and The Nanny Diaries, bringing their current total to nine.

Anthony Mackie And Chris Evans

If you did enjoy many of those MCU movies, then you know that Chris Evans rubbed elbows with Anthony Mackie quite a bit there. But, did you also know that the two have been in XX non-Marvel movies together? Playing It Cool, What’s Your Number, and Ghosted also star/feature both actors and if you add in all their shared time in tights on screen, their total is also at nine.

Emily Blunt And Dwayne Johnson

The first time was a hit, so why not join forces again, right? Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson famously delivered winning chemistry in Jungle Cruise, and are coming back together for the upcoming drama The Smashing Machine. The two are also said to be willing to return for Jungle Cruise 2, whenever that can finally get off the ground.

Chris Pine And Ben Foster

The third time has been the charm so far for Chris Pine and Ben Foster. The duo famously portrayed bank-robbing brothers in Hell or High Water, joined up for The Finest Hours, and made it a three-peat in 2022 for The Contractor.

Margot Robbie And Will Smith

If it seemed that there could have been a little something extra going on between Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Will Smith’s Deadshot when you watched 2016’s Suicide Squad, then it might have been because you picked up on the chemistry the duo first built in Focus from the year before.

Margot Robbie And Brad Pitt

This big screen coupling made quite a showing for themselves across less than a decade, as Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt have starred in The Big Short, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and Babylon. 

Margot Robbie And Leonardo DiCaprio

Just imagine, had it not been for this pairing, we might not have the megastar who is Barbie actor/producer Margot Robbie right now. Her role in Wolf of Wall Street as the second wife of Leonardo DiCaprio’s corrupt fraudster propelled her career, and by the time they starred in Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood together Robbie was a major star.

Halle Berry And Hugh Jackman

We, again, have a superhero franchise to thank for bringing two great talents together, as Oscar winner Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman both have four of the X-Men movies among their credits. The duo also starred in Swordfish and Movie 43.

Awkwafina And Michelle Yeoh

This duo counts two megahits in their joint credits, with Awkwafina and Everything Everywhere All At Once Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh both having starred in Crazy Rich Asians (and we’re still waiting for that rom-com sequel) and the MCU entry Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Michelle Yeoh And Jackie Chan

Michelle Yeoh has been a star for several decades, and part of that reason is because of her breakout role in the 1992’s Supercop, which also starred Jackie Chan. But, they’ve made a number of other films with each other, including Supercop 2, and Hong Kong action films Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars, Project S, and both voiced characters in Kung Fu Panda 2, along with having starred in a 1984 watch commercial together.

Angela Bassett And Laurence Fishburne

While Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne were famously nominated for Oscars for their lead roles as Tina Turner and Ike Turner in 1993’s What’s Love Got to Do with It?, the duo was actually first together on screen for Boyz n the Hood in ‘91. They then later teamed up for Akeela and the Bee in 2006.

Julia Roberts And Richard Gere

If this isn’t a famous acting duo, then none are, despite their only making two movies with each other. Of course, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere starred in the mega-hit classic rom-com Pretty Woman and teamed up again for Runaway Bride in 1999.

Jennifer Aniston And Jason Bateman

For a while there, Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman, who are friends in real life, were kinda on a roll. Their first joint film was The Break-Up in 2006, and since then they’ve filmed four additional movies with one another: The Switch, Horrible Bosses and its sequel, and 2016’s Office Christmas Party.

Kate Hudson And Matthew McConaughey

Who can forget the glorious chemistry created by Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey in How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days? No one, that’s who! This is why they made a second rom-com, Fool’s Gold, just five years later.

Kirsten Dunst And Jesse Plemons

It’s not unusual for an acting duo to become friends in real life, but Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons took that a few steps further after working on the TV series Fargo together. Not only have they since starred in the film The Power of the Dog (which netted each their first Oscar nomination) and the A24 drama Civil War, but they married in 2022 and have two sons.

Meg Ryan And Tom Hanks

We could hardly leave Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks off of this list, as the famed actors have co-starred in two of the biggest romantic comedies of all time. Everyone knows them for making Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail hits, but before all of that, they led one of the weirder rom-coms made with Joe Versus the Volcano, and reunited for the 2016 drama Ithaca, which Ryan directed.

Drew Barrymore And Adam Sandler

People often mention Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler as an acting duo they want to see more of and with good reason. The two have made magic in the classics The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates and Blended.

Adam Sandler And Chris Rock

This pairing goes back decades, to the time when Adam Sandler and Chris Rock starred on Saturday Night Live together in the ‘90s. Since then, the real-life buddies have appeared in seven movies together, with The Longest Yard, Grown Ups and its sequel, The Week Of and Top Five counted among that number.

George Clooney And Brad Pitt

Of course, George Clooney and Brad Pitt helped to make the Ocean’s Eleven franchise a hit, but the friends additionally teamed up for the live TV movie 8, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (which Clooney directed), Burn After Reading and the 2024 films If and Wolfs.

Keegan-Michael Key And Jordan Peele

The duo of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, who first became recognizable during their time on MadTV, eventually went on to their own acclaimed sketch comedy series, Key and Peele. But, while making names for themselves on other series and in a number of movies, they continue to work with one another on projects like Keanu, Toy Story 4 and Wendell & Wild.

Awkwafina And Simu Liu

It was the MCU that first brought Awkwafina and Simu Liu together in the hit film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and while we’re still waiting to see when that franchise will bring them back together, 2024 saw them team up again for the action comedy, Jackpot!.

Jane Fonda And Robert Redford

Dedicated film fans probably know that legends Jane Fonda and Robert Redford starred together in Barefoot in the Park and The Electric Horseman, but their joint movie appearances do go beyond that. They also starred in The Chase in ‘66 and reunited for Our Souls at Night in 2017, and both had their film debuts in 1960’s Tall Story.

As you can see, film history is packed with acting duos who’ve worked together more than once, and that will probably always be the case.

Of all the mysteries of life, one that continues to confound us is what, exactly, lies beyond our planet. After thousands of years of peering into outer space as far as we could, we began to look for those answers in a very concrete way by sending people to the stars, and our movies have reflected our desire to know more, meaning that a number of humanity’s biggest and brightest stars have played space-faring individuals on screen. Here for you now are 32 famous actors who’ve played astronauts.

Sandra Bullock (Gravity)

Let’s start with one of the more harrowing views of space travel, Gravity, which garnered a number of Academy Award wins after its 2013 release. Sandra Bullock stars as Dr. Ryan Stone, who’s on her first space mission in order to help upgrade a telescope. But, things very quickly go wrong when she’s doing a spacewalk, and debris from a recently deactivated satellite hits the shuttle and leaves her stranded with many of her crew dead, Ryan floating through space, and desperate to find a way back to earth all on her own.

Brad Pitt (Ad Astra)

A space trip that doesn’t go too much better involves Brad Pitt’s Roy McBride in 2019’s Ad Astra. When Roy is tasked with traveling to Mars to see if the crew of a mission that was searching for other intelligent life, which was led 29 years earlier by his father, is still alive, he’s unwittingly thrust into a situation that’s far more dangerous than even standard space travel is known to be.

Ryan Reynolds (Life)

Noted comedic actor and big-screen superhero talent Ryan Reynolds has also donned a space suit for the very much not comedic Life, a 2017 ode to terror in space. After a probe returns to the International Space Station with soil samples from Mars, what is at first a dormant cell quickly turns into, well, life, and begins to cause a lot of horrific trouble for Reynolds’ engineer and the rest of the crew.

Halle Berry (Moonfall)

If you’re starting to sense a theme here, that outer space is dangerous, congratulations, because you really are paying attention. In the sci-fi disaster epic, Moonfall, Halle Berry’s NASA deputy director has to investigate when the moon begins to leave its orbit and come closer to Earth, threatening all of civilization. When she digs deeper into the mystery, however, she finds a government cover-up that goes back many decades and is forced to head back into space with a small crew to take care of the growing problem herself.

Michael Peña (A Million Miles Away)

Considering the incredible number of films we have where those who head into space are prominent characters, there are actually relatively few based on the lives of real people. A Million Miles Away stars Michael Peña as José M. Hernández, a Mexican-American engineer who served as a migrant worker when he was a child and went on to become an astronaut who worked aboard the International Space Station.

Viola Davis (Solaris)

There are many sci-fi films of the mind-trip variety and Solaris is no different. Viola Davis portrays one of the last surviving members of a space station crew orbiting the titular alien world, who must then try to help George Clooney’s visiting psychologist understand the truly strange phenomena that led to the death or disappearance of most of the crew. If you enjoy a twisty ending that leaves you with lots of questions, you’ll enjoy this one.

Mark Wahlberg (Planet Of The Apes)

You know this story; you love this story. Planet of the Apes saw Mark Wahlberg take over the role of an astronaut who crashes on a foreign planet, only to find that apes are now the dominant species, while humans are mostly without speech and used as slave labor. 

Chris Evans (Sunshine)

And here we have yet another space movie where a mission does not quite go as planned. Sunshine features stars like Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh and a pre-Captain America Chris Evans as the crew of a ship that’s been tasked with traveling to our dying sun to deliver a bomb in the hopes of reigniting it so that our planet can avoid another catastrophic ice age.

Adam Driver (65)

Ever wonder what Earth was like about 65 million years ago when dinosaurs still ruled the land? Well, that’s what alien astronaut Mills (Adam Driver) accidentally finds out when his ship is struck by a large field of asteroids and crashes on our planet, leading him to have to protect the only other survivor as they flee many dangerous beasts in an attempt to get to a faraway escape pod so they can return home.

Sigourney Weaver (Alien)

It’s possible we’d have far fewer of these “if it can go wrong on a space mission it will” science fiction films without what many consider one of the best horror movies of all time, Alien. The classic stars Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, one of a seven-person crew who unknowingly stumble upon the ultra-dangerous xenomorphs that would go on to become legendary in sci-fi horror, which quickly leads to pretty much nothing but increasingly bad times on their doomed mission.

Tom Hanks (Apollo 13)

We’ve hit upon another story based on some real-life adventures! In Apollo 13, Tom Hanks stars as Commander Jim Lovell who, along with Command Module Pilot Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) and Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), board their 1970 mission to the moon in order to become the third American crew to land there. However, trouble starts almost immediately.

Natalie Portman (Lucy In The Sky)

While not completely a true life story, 2019’s Lucy in the Sky is billed as being “loosely inspired” by the life of NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak. The plot concerns Natalie Portman’s Lucy, who has just returned from her first space mission, which had such a huge impact on her that she no longer feels connected to her family or life here. As she pushes herself to return on the next mission, she undergoes a mental breakdown that sends her life into a tailspin.

Glen Powell (Hidden Figures)

While the amazing biopic, Hidden Figures, focuses on three Black women (Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) who worked as NASA mathematicians during the height of the Space Race in the 1960s, we do still get an astronaut in this film. Twisters star Glen Powell plays John Glenn, who became the first American in orbit in 1962.

Robert Pattinson (High Life)

You’d think a movie called High Life would finally focus on some good times in space, but…nahhhhh. Robert Pattinson is a member of a crew of convicts on death row who’ve been sent to retrieve energy from a black hole, with the experiments of their commander leading to a child being born on board while crew members spiral out of control.

Tom Cruise (Oblivion)

Tom Cruise’s 2013 film, Oblivion, features him in a twisty plot that involves a post-apocalyptic Earth, evil A.I., even more evil aliens, and his character trying to figure out exactly what’s going on with his assigned mission. This is a good one that people hardly ever talk about.

Jodie Foster (Contact)

Based on the 1985 novel by Carl Sagan, Contact stars Academy Award winner Jodie Foster as a scientist who specializes in the search for extraterrestrial life, and finds a big clue toward that goal when she locates a radio signal that appears to be sent from a distant star, and is eventually chosen as the person to make first contact with the alien race behind the signal. Contact is an amazing film that is a must-see for sci-fi and space movie lovers.

Colin Farrell (Voyagers)

This movie is a real (space) trip. Voyagers stars Colin Farrell as the leader of a crew of very young adults who were bred away from humanity and had some of their hormones and emotions suppressed in the hope of keeping them manageable. But, when two of the crew realize what’s been done to them and convince everyone to stop taking the chemical, well, the proceedings get extremely emotional and tension doesn't let up for quite some time.

Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar)

By now, it’s probably pretty clear that our idea of space travel and exploration is mainly one of danger, especially from the unknown, and Christopher Nolan’s wildly successful Interstellar is certainly another addition to the film canon that shows us that. In it, Matthew McConaughey plays a former NASA test pilot who’s chosen to lead a mission through a wormhole that is hoped to lead to at least one habitable planet for humanity, which is dealing with a global famine that’s threatening an extinction event. 

Idris Elba (Prometheus)

Those Alien xenomorphs just won’t leave us alone, will they? In Prometheus, we get their origin story as a crew following an ancient star map searches for the beginnings of humanity, but instead finds…you know, a secret plot and lots of terror. Idris Elba portrays Janek, the heroic captain of the doomed spaceship.

Adam Sandler (Spaceman)

If you’ve ever gotten the sense that space travel can be kind of lonely, Adam Sandler’s Spaceman turns that idea up to 11. His astronaut is six months into a solo mission that sees him missing his wife and the unborn child he left behind, when he realizes he has a stowaway: an alien creature who can communicate telepathically with him, and seeks to understand humans while helping alleviate the astronaut’s loneliness.

Ryan Gosling (First Man)

This biographical drama sees Ryan Gosling play Neil Armstrong, who became the first man to walk on the moon in 1969. The story follows Armstrong, his wife Janet (Claire Foy), and other astronauts and NASA figures as they prepare for the famed Apollo 11 mission that led to Armstrong making history.

Angela Bassett (Supernova)

Even two-time Oscar nominee Angela Bassett has taken a turn at playing a space explorer whose time there does not go as planned. When she and her crew answer a distress call from thousands of light years away during their deep space mission, things go from bad to worse at, well, the speed of light.

Matt Damon (The Martian)

Matt Damon famously starred in one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, playing astronaut Mark Watney, who’s forced to survive on Mars alone after being accidentally left behind when he’s presumed dead by the rest of his crew as they’re forced to evacuate. 

Bruce Willis (Armageddon)

Possibly the best non-traditional astronaut movie ever made, Armageddon stars good guy Bruce Willis as an oil driller recruited to go into space with a team of his mean so that they drill into a massive asteroid, implant a nuke in it and blow it up in the hope of stopping it from destroying the planet and human civilization as we know it. I got excited just writing that!

Laurence Fishburne (Event Horizon)

In space, no one can hear you scream. Unless you’re on a spaceship with other people that’s destined to run into loads of trouble, then, you know, all of those people will probably be able to hear you. There’s lots of screaming in 1997’s Event Horizon, which stars Laurence Fishburne as the captain of a rescue ship that goes to answer a distress call sent by a ship that disappeared several years prior. There’s a vivisection in this one. I’m starting to think we should just leave space alone.

Robert Duvall (Deep Impact)

You must remember Deep Impact, as it was released about two months before the more popular Armageddon, but featured a comet being on a collision course with our precious homeworld. Robert Duvall plays the pilot for the crew that’s dispatched to (you guessed it) drill into the comet and nuke it to smithereens. The mission does not go off without a hitch, and that’s why they call this a disaster movie.

Ethan Hawke (Gattaca)

In a society where most babies are created with genetic altering to make sure they have only the best traits of each parent, a man (Ethan Hawke) who was born without that practice poses as a man who was altered so that he can reach his dream of becoming an astronaut without all of the discrimination that people like him suffer in a society where people are expected to be “perfect” to have the best opportunities in life.

Sam Rockwell (Moon)

Ok, so maybe being in space, in general, isn’t always terrible. But it definitely seems like being alone in space for an extended period could be a bad sign for your future. Such is the case with Moon, where Sam Rockwell plays the lone human operating a mining facility on the titular celestial body, who comes to a startling revelation as he nears the end of his three-year work term.

Clint Eastwood (Space Cowboys)

Clint Eastwood has portrayed a number of (basically) good guys, so it makes complete sense that he would have stepped into the shoes of an Air Force pilot who retired long ago, but ends up leading a mission of other retired pilots to fix an old Soviet communications satellite that’s in danger of crashing to Earth.

Liv Tyler (Space Station 76)

As you’ve likely noticed, there are not a lot of comedies among this bunch, but Space Station 76 is definitely one of them. This “retro-futuristic” parody stars Liv Tyler as the newly arrived station’s co-pilot, who soon comes to realize that the apparently utopian lives of those on board are hiding some very real problems.

Alan Rickman (Galaxy Quest)

Here is another comedy that’s been a cult hit pretty much since its release in 1999. Galaxy Quest focuses on the cast of a fictional Star Trek-like series who are pulled into a hilariously real war between alien races, when the kind, gentle aliens have seen their show and believe it’s a documentary.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Cloverfield Paradox)

The Cloverfield franchise grew with this 2018 entry, which stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as an engineer aboard an orbiting space station where the plan is to test a particle accelerator in the hope of using it to provide the planet with infinite energy. You know what happens, right? Things don’t go as planned.

Many of our finest actors have pretended to travel in space for our entertainment, and this list gives you a number of amazing options should you decide to launch an astronaut movie binge session.

It’s rare that superhero movies are nominated outside of the technical categories at the Academy Awards, but the Black Panther movies have been among the exceptions. In this case, we’re specifically talking about how Angela Bassett was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance as Ramonda in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the 30th of the Marvel movies in order. However, Bassett didn’t take home the golden trophy that night, and she recently recalled how she reacted to that moment, with “a supreme disappointment” summarizing things nicely.

The actress revisited this memory while speaking with Oprah Winfrey in an episode of OWN Spotlight, with the host saying that she was beside herself when Angela Bassett’s name wasn’t called during that portion of the 95th Academy Awards presentation. Bassett responded:

To be fair, Bassett had already won a Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Movie Award for her reprisal of Ramonda, among other accolades, so I can’t fault her or Oprah for thinking she was going to win the Academy Award. However, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences instead gave it to Jamie Lee Curtis for her performance as Deirdre Beaubeirdre in Everything Everywhere All at Once. It ended up being a big night for that movie, as Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan also respectively took home the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor Oscars. The other competitors in the Best Supporting Actress category were Curtis’ Everything Everywhere All at Once costar Stephanie Hsu, The Whale’s Hong Chau and The Banshees of Inisherin’s Kerry Condon. 

This was Angela Bassett’s second time being nominated for an Academy Award, the first time being for Best Actress in What’s Love Got to Do with It back in 1994, and she was also the first actor to be nominated for a performance for a Marvel movie. Despite the disappointment of not winning for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, she knew it was important to handle the loss with grace “for myself and for my children who were there with me,” adding:

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was Bassett’s third time playing Ramonda, following her debut as the character in 2018’s Black Panther and cameoing in Avengers: Endgame the year after. The sequel saw the technologically-advanced country’s Sovereign Queen regnant still coping with the death of her son T’Challa, while also trying to convince her daughter Shuri to resume research into recreating the heart-shaped herb so that Wakanda will have a Black Panther again. As if those things weren’t bad enough, then the conflict with Namor broke out, and Ramonda drowned in her kingdom’s palace while saving Riri William’s life. 

Angela Bassett certainly didn’t hold back with this performance despite originally being “mortified” by her character’s story, but alas, the Academy Award just wasn’t hers to win this time around. The good news is that she’s being presented with an Academy Honorary Award. You can see that happen on the 2024 TV schedule when the 96th Academy Awards air this Sunday on ABC. Remember that you can also use a Disney+ subscription to stream Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and other MCU content.

Millie Bobby Brown has had quite a bit of success on Netflix, and not just with Stranger Things. The actress charmed audiences as the titular character in two Enola Holmes mysteries, and up next she’s starring in the epic survival fantasy Damsel alongside actors like Angela Bassett, Robin Wright, and Shohreh Aghdashloo as the voice of the dragon. Critics have seen the film before it becomes available to those with a Netflix subscription, and they are not in agreement on whether we should add this one to our watch lists.

Damsel sees Elodie (Millie Bobby Brown) agree to marry a handsome prince, only to learn that his family intends to kill her in a ritual sacrifice. She doesn’t die and chooses to fight back, using her wits and survival instinct to escape the fearsome dragon and those who wish her dead. ScreenRant’s Alex Harrison says the weak script strands the actors and robs the movie of its potential. The critic rates the movie just 1.5 stars out of 5, writing: 

Nick Schager of The Daily Beast says “Skip This,” because although Millie Bobby Brown is formidable as the “scrappy” princess, the rest of the project is a paint-by-numbers, predictable fairy tale adventure. Schager continues: 

Other critics recognize the film’s faults but feel the lead actress and the message push it into passable territory. Mireia Mullor of Digital Spy rates it 3 out of 5 stars, admitting the script could have been stronger but complimenting its entertaining adventure and twist on traditional fairy tales. Damsel is a celebration of female empowerment, and even when painted with a broad brush like in this movie, that’s worth a weekend watch, Mullor says, continuing: 

Peter Debruge of Variety says the choice to eliminate “in Distress” from the film’s title is an important one, and a message that’s embodied throughout the “pleasantly disruptive” fantasy flick. Millie Bobby Brown has no trouble falling into this role, Debruge says, writing: 

Nell Minow of RogerEbert.com rates Damsel 3 out of 4 stars, saying that some sections of the movie play out like a video game, with some scary surprises and a twist at the end that makes this worthy of a movie night at home. Minnow writes: 

It sounds like some critics think the twist on the classic fairy tale and the message of the damsel not needing a prince to save her from distress make this a worthy enough endeavor. Others, however, see too many faults adding up to be able to recommend the upcoming Netflix movie. 

If you’d like to check this movie out, you can do so starting Friday, March 8, on Netflix, and be sure to check out our 2024 movie schedule to see what other films are headed our way soon. 

9-1-1 will soon arrive in primetime in the 2024 TV schedule, but not on its original home network of Fox. The hit drama was cancelled by Fox and then immediately picked up by ABC back in Spring 2023. Now, after delays due to the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike, the Season 7 premiere will kick off with Athena (Angela Bassett) and Bobby (Peter Krause) about to have their long-delayed honeymoon ruined. Ahead of the episode, Bassett opened up about the challenges of the job and what she hopes her kids learn from her hard work.

Angela Bassett has starred on 9-1-1 since the series premiere back in 2018, and Athena Grant has endured despite everything from family turmoil to near-death experiences on the job at the LAPD. The show itself as endured turmoil as well, including COVID production complications, a network switch, and strikes in the entertainment industry. The actress hasn't slowed down despite all the challenges, which include leaving for work before sunrise and getting home after sunset. This means time away from her two kids with husband (and fellow actor) Courtney B. Vance, but she shared with People what she hopes her twin son and daughter take away from their mom working hard for her success, saying:

"But also I hope that what will come out of that is that they see a mama, a woman, a Black woman achieving her dreams, having success.They’ll see that hard work pays off. And they’ll be about that life for themselves."

There's certainly no denying that Angela Bassett's hard work has paid off, as she has been nominated for an Academy Award twice (and made history with one of the noms) on top of other performances that were worthy but unrecognized at the Oscars. She was awarded an honorary Academy Award earlier this year for her contributions to the film industry over a career spanning more than thirty years so far.

When it comes to television, she has had memorable runs on American Horror Story, ER, and even BoJack Horseman, to name just a few, in addition to her nearly 100 episodes of 9-1-1. With the seventh season, 9-1-1 is set to reach the 100-episode milestone. The show arrives on ABC on Thursday, March 14 with Athena's life in very real danger. It's hard not to worry about the character after the newly-released trailer, not least because of her dramatic voiceover. Take a look:

Honestly, I wouldn't blame Athena and Bobby if they just never try to take a trip ever again, because what are the odds that the honeymoon cruise they finally got around to taking happened to be hijacked and seemingly capsize? Assuming that both characters survive what goes wrong on their trip, it looks like fans are set for another exciting season of 9-1-1 with a whole lot of very hard work by Angela Bassett.

Tune in to ABC on Thursday, March 14 at 8 p.m. ET for the Season 7 premiere of 9-1-1, and revisit earlier seasons ahead of the premiere with a Hulu subscription. The network is giving the show a strong push, as Thursdays – with Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 – are generally very strong for ABC.

How many times have you watched an incredible acting performance and looked up to see how many awards it won only to find out that the Oscar went to someone else that year? It’s shocking how many times this has happened over the years for some of the greatest actors and actresses of all time. Here are 32 times an incredible performance didn’t win an Academy Award for one reason or another.

Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction)

Though he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction, Samuel L. Jackson’s name wasn’t called at the 67th Academy Awards. This is nothing against Martin Landau’s performance from Ed Wood, but Jackson’s foul-mouthed and righteous hitman is an all-time great character that should have been recognized.

Robert De Niro (Taxi Driver)

Robert De Niro received an Oscar nomination for his career-defining portrayal of Travis Bickle in Martin Scorsese’s 1977 psychological thriller, Taxi Driver, but the unhinged and memorable performance wasn’t enough to win Best Actor. It’s hard to be mad, as Peter Finch’s Academy Award-winning turn in Network is the stuff of legend.

Harrison Ford (Witness)

One of the best actors without an Oscar, Harrison Ford has only one Academy Award nomination to his name, the 1985 crime thriller, Witness. Though not Ford’s most iconic character, his take on Philadelphia detective John Book as he goes to great lengths to protect a young boy is nothing short of amazing.

Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption)

Morgan Freeman gave the performance of a lifetime as Ellis Boyd “Red” Redding in The Shawshank Redemption. If the movie would have come out any other time besides 1994, a year dominated by Forrest Gump, there’s a good chance the aging prisoner and accomplished smuggler would have earned Freeman an Oscar.

Bill Murray (Lost In Translation)

Bill Murray’s portrayal of cynical, washed-up actor Bob Harris in Lost in Translation will forever be one of the comedian’s most beloved roles. While Sean Penn’s performance in Mystic River is more than deserving of an Oscar, it’s a shame the iconic comedian didn’t get properly recognized for a once-in-a-decade showing.

Whoopi Goldberg (The Color Purple)

Whoopi Goldberg showed off a more dramatic side with her lauded portrayal of Celie Harris-Johnson in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 adaptation of The Color Purple. It’s absurd that the emotional, dynamic, and powerful performance didn’t win Goldberg a much-deserved Oscar, which went to Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful, instead.

Ralph Fiennes (Schindler's List)

Schindler’s List features one of the best Ralph Fiennes performances with his portrayal of Nazi work camp commandant Amon Goeth in Steven Spielberg’s 1993-defining film. And while the movie won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Fiennes’ unforgettable turn was not among them. Instead, he lost out to Tommy Lee Jones from The Fugitive.

Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie)

If you’re looking for one of the best New York City movies, Tootsie has you covered. If you’re looking for a movie featuring an acting performance that should have won an Oscar but didn’t, Sydney Pollack’s 1982 comedy has you covered there as well. Seriously, how Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal of Michael Dorsey wasn't awarded is something we just don’t get.

Denzel Washington (Malcolm X)

Denzel Washington eventually won a Best Actor Oscar for his unforgettable turn in Training Day, but the actor was robbed nearly a decade earlier after not winning the big prize for his take on the titular Civil Rights leader in Spike Lee’s Malcolm X.

Florence Pugh (Little Women)

Florence Pugh was already a rising star at the time of Little Women’s release, but her portrayal of Amy March in Greta Gerwig’s coming-of-age drama took her to new heights. Though she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars, Pugh lost out to Laura Dern from Marriage Story.

Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained)

Here’s something wild to think about – Jamie Foxx not only didn’t win an Oscar for his performance in Django Unchained, he wasn’t even nominated for Best Actor. Admittedly, it was a stacked list of actors – Daniel Day-Lewis, Bradley Cooper, Hugh Jackman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Denzel Washington – but not even being named is just something.

Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

The Wrestler felt like Mickey Rourke’s big redemption arc, more so than the character he portrayed in Darren Aronofsky’s great wrestling movie. Despite pushing himself to the breaking point from both a physical and emotional standpoint, Rourke lost out to Sean Penn’s take on Harvey Milk in Milk.

Michael Keaton (Birdman)

Michael Keaton gave the performance of a lifetime in the 2014 mind-bending drama film, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), one that seemed to channel the actor’s past in such a way it felt like an autobiography. However, stealing the show as Riggan Thomson, a.k.a., Birdman, wasn’t enough, as the prize went to The Theory of Everything’s Eddie Redmayne instead.

Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird)

Saoirse Ronan has been nominated for an Oscar on four separate occasions, but not a single win, which is something. One of the performances that deserved an Academy Award the most was that of Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson in Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird. The portrayal of a confused high school senior on the verge of entering the next stage in her life lost out to Frances McDormand in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Tim Curry (Clue)

Tim Curry’s portrayal of Wadsworth in Clue, a butler or undercover FBI agent depending on which ending you watch, is a role that is beloved by fans of the classic murder mystery comedy. However, it wasn’t recognized at the Academy Awards or other ceremonies, which is the real crime.

Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl)

Rosamund Pike’s take on Amy Elliott-Dunne earned the sole Academy Award nomination for David Fincher’s Gone Girl, a nod that was more than deserved. However, the incredibly nuanced and dynamic performance failed to win the Best Actress Oscar, which went to Still Alice’s Julianne Moore instead.

Jimmy Stewart (Rear Window)

Jimmy Stewart is one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors of all time and his portrayal of L. B. "Jeff" Jefferies in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window is one of the his top-tier performances. However, his take on an injured photographer who uncovers a murder mystery didn’t even get a nod at the Academy Awards.

Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind)

Kate Winslet gave one of her most powerful and unique performances in the 2004 sci-fi dramedy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Her take on Clementine Kruczynski, a woman who had all memories of her ex-boyfriend wiped from her brain, was rich, beautiful, and iconic, but just wasn’t enough to win Best Actress.

Al Pacino (The Godfather)

Al Pacino put himself on the map with his portrayal of reluctant crime boss Michael Corleone in The Godfather. The gradual evolution of the character over the course of the film’s three-hour runtime should have been enough for an Oscar, but like co-stars James Caan and Robert Duvall, who were also nominated for Best Supporting Actor, he didn’t get the win.

Gloria Swanson (Sunset Boulevard)

Gloria Swanson’s "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." line from Sunset Boulevard is one of the most iconic quotes in all of Hollywood and part of an Oscar-worthy performance. While Swanson was nominated for her take on aging film star Norma Desmond, she didn’t take home the top prize.

Jack Nicholson (The Shining)

Though considered one of Jack Nicholson’s best roles, his portrayal of Jack Torrance in The Shining didn’t result in an Oscar win. In fact, Nicholson wasn’t even nominated for the unforgettable performance. 

John Cazale (The Godfather Part II)

John Cazale’s Fredo Corleone in The Godfather Part II is one of cinema’s great tragic figures as well as one of the late actor’s best characters. What’s even more of a travesty is the fact that the late actor didn’t even receive an Oscar nomination for his efforts. Tragically, Cazale would never receive an Academy Award nomination prior to his shocking death in 1978.

Angela Bassett (What's Love Got To Do With It?)

Angela Bassett received her first Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Tina Turner in What’s Love Go to Do with It?, but the miraculous turn as one of American music’s most famous and influential figures didn’t earn her a Best Actress win. 

Edward Norton (American History X)

Reformed neo-Nazi Derek Vinyard is one of Edward Norton’s most controversial and complex characters of his career, and the American History X performance earned him a Best Actor nod at the 71st Academy Awards. However, Roberto Benigni from Life Is Beautiful ran away with the top acting prize.

Ingrid Bergman (Casablanca)

Somehow, Ingrid Bergman, who was astonishing as Ilsa Lund in Casablanca, not only didn’t win Best Actress at the 16th Academy Awards, she wasn’t even nominated for her iconic portrayal of a woman caught between two men and two different lives in the 1943 black-and-white classic.

Paul Giamatti (Sideways)

In a perfect world, Paul Giamatti would have won the Oscar for Best Actor in Alexander Payne’s Sideways, but alas, that is not the reality in which we live. Miles Raymond is one of Giamiatti’s best characters and carried the movie about two friends on a wine trip they’ll never forget.

Henry Fonda (12 Angry Men)

An amazing courtroom drama, 12 Angry Men is still arguably one of the best movies of all time. While its star, Henry Fonda, received a Best Picture nomination as a producer, his dynamic and rich portrayal of a juror who insisted on getting things right didn’t earn him an acting nod, which is a real miscarriage of justice.

John Goodman (The Big Lebowski)

You can add John Goodman to the list of great actors who have never received an Oscar nomination, which just doesn’t make sense. It’s especially maddening when you consider his legendary portrayal of Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski, a character loosely based on John Milius, per Far Out Magazine.

Joaquin Phoenix (Walk The Line)

Joaquin Phoenix has since won an Oscar, but his portrayal of Johnny Cash in James Mangold’s 2005 biographical drama, Walk the Line, was more than deserving of the top acting prize at the Academy Awards. What’s interesting is the fact that Phoenix was beat by his future The Master co-star, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won for his take on Truman Capote in Bennett Miller’s Capote.

Ellen Burstyn (Requiem For A Dream)

A little more 25 years after winning an Academy Award for Best Actress thanks to her outstanding performance in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Ellen Burstyn had another shot at capturing an Oscar with her turn as Sara Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream. Her take on a woman battling unchecked depression, anxiety, and a diet of weight loss pills gave audiences one of the most incredible and sympathetic characters of the early 21st century. Unfortunately, this also happened to be the same year Erin Brockovich was released. 

Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood)

There Will Be Blood is remembered more than a half-decade after its release because of the Academy Award-winning performance by Daniel Day-Lewis, but one of the three-time Oscar winner’s castmates was also deserving of recognition. Paul Dano’s Eli Sunday (he also played the smaller part of Eli’s twin brother, Paul) is one of the more fascinating characters of modern cinema, and he should have received an Oscar for his troubles. Dynamic is an understatement for this overzealous, petty, and temperamental preacher.

Robert Shaw (Jaws)

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 summer blockbuster, Jaws, won three Academy Awards – Best Filming Editing, Best Original Dramatic Score, and Best Sound – but Robert Shaw, who acted his tail off as the boat captain, Quint, wasn’t recognized. This shameful act by the Academy, especially after watching the USS Indianapolis monologue, still stings nearly 50 years after the fact. That scene alone deserved a Best Supporting Actor nomination and win.

Many of these actors won an Academy Award either before or after these movies and performances we just covered, but it’s just wild to think about how some of these roles didn’t take home the big prize at the Oscars.

It is not unusual for an actor just starting out in the business to film scenes for a movie that, ultimately, never see the light of the day. In fact, it's not out of the ordinary for that same thing to happen to an established A-lister either. See for yourself by taking a look at some of the biggest stars you did not realize were almost in some of your favorite film, if not for the magic of editing.

Ana De Armas (Yesterday)

Yesterday is a universe-altering movie that takes place in a reality in which the Beatles never existed. Coincidentally, there exists an alternate cut of the film featuring Ana de Armas as a Late Late Show guest Himesh Patel’s Jack Malik romantically sings “Something” to. Per writer, Richard Curtis explained that the character was cut to avoid making Jack’s relationship with Ellie (Lily James) any more complicated. Though De Armas did appear in the trailer, and fans pursued legal action against Universal over the marketing.

Kevin Costner (The Big Chill) 

In one of the best movies of the ‘80s, The Big Chill, a group of friends reunite for the funeral of their friend, Alex, who was supposed to be played by the future Oscar-winning star and director of Dances with Wolves (pictured), Kevin Costner. Star Jeff Goldblum told Yahoo! that the Yellowstone cast member was “wonderful” in a flashback scene that was ultimately cut from the 1983 ensemble dramedy, in which his character finds himself reluctant to carve a Thanksgiving turkey and ruin its perfection.

Christopher Lee (The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King)

One of the most important characters from the Lord of the Rings movies, Saruman, is not in the third installment, The Return of the King. Per Ain’t It Cool News, Peter Jackson felt his scene — which was originally shot for The Two Towers — served as more of a wrap-up to the previous film than a suitable beginning for this one. While appearing at University College Dublin, Saruman actor Christopher Lee shared how shocked he was to learn his scene from the Best Picture Oscar winner — in which he stands off against the Fellowship — was cut before recommending the crowd “buy the extended DVDs.”

Harrison Ford (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial)

Steven Spielberg told EW that, as a favor to him and writer Melissa Mathison (also his then-girlfriend), Harrison Ford shot a scene for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial as Elliot’s (Henry Thomas) school principal that can be found on YouTube today. It never made the final cut of the 1982 box office smash, but know that had it been included, the star of the Indiana Jones movies (pictured) still would have gone mostly unseen as the camera never shows his face.

Andy García (Dangerous Minds)

Andy García told BlogTalkRadio (via Express) that when he was approached to star in 1995’s Dangerous Minds as a love interest for Michelle Pfeiffer’s inner city teacher, Louanne Johnson, he openly expressed that he found the role unnecessary. Still, the star of Father of the Bride (pictured) shot the scenes that were written for him (but not included in the initial script). But they were indeed removed from the final cut.

James Gandolfini (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)

The late James Gandolfini shot scenes for 2011’s Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close as a man Sandra Bullock’s widowed character meets at a 9/11 victims support group meeting. The Sopranos cast member (pictured) was even credited on the Oscar-nominated drama’s poster. According to the LA Times — his role was removed following a poor test audience reception.

Eric Stoltz (Back to the Future)

One of the most infamous examples of an actor cut from a movie — save one frame — is Eric Stoltz, who led the Back to the Future cast for about a month before director Robert Zemeckis and others realized his “intense” approach to the role was not working. As Collider recalls, Zemeckis got approval to reshoot most of the movie and replace Stoltz with their initial choice, Michael J. Fox, whose performance in the time travel movie classic as Marty McFly is iconic.

Ashley Judd (Natural Born Killers)

In a sequence cut from Natural Born Killers (which can be found on YouTube), Ashley Judd plays Grace Mulberry — the sole survivor of Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory Knox’s (Juliette Lewis) mass teenager murder. She appears in court to be personally cross-examined by Mickey, who then stabs her to death with a pencil on the stand. In an interview for Metrograph, director Oliver Stone recalls removing it for its “length, and violence,” but now believes the “touching” scene belongs in the controversial 1994 satire.

Tobey Maguire (Life Of Pi)

In 2012’s adaptation of the novel, Life of Pi, the title character (portrayed as an older man by Irrfan Khan) recalls his unbelievable story of survival to a writer, played by English actor, Rafe Spall. However, according to USA Today, the role was originally played by Tobey Maguire until director Ang Lee decided the sSpider-Man star (pictured) was too distractingly recognizable and opted for reshoots. 

Chris Cooper (The Ring)

Anyone who ever wondered who Naomi Watts’ Rachel passes the curse tape along to at the end of The Ring should know it was Chris Cooper. The Oscar-winning star of Adaptation. (pictured) told Sci-Fi Wire (via MovieHole) that he shot bookend scenes for the 2002 horror movie classic. One establishes his character as a serial killer and the other shows him receiving the tape. Both were cut for disrupting the flow.

Shailene Woodley (The Amazing Spider-Man 2)

The Amazing Spider-Man franchise was meant to introduce of Shailene Woodley as Mary-Jane Watson to Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker. Per MovieWeb, the Divergent star did shoot a cameo for TASM 2, which was later cut so she could officially debut in the next film — a plan ruined when the franchise was cancelled completely.

Robert Pattinson (Vanity Fair)

Before Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson played lovers in Water for Elephants, they played mother and son in the 2004 period drama, Vanity Fair. But the then-teenage actor — who went on to hit it big in Twilight (pictured) — was cut from the move, which he discovered while attending the premiere, according to his 2017 W Magazine interview.

Skeet Ulrich (Cursed)

The 2005 werewolf movie, Cursed, marked a reunion for director Wes Craven, writer Kevin Williamson, and original Scream cast member Skeet Ulrich that audiences never saw. According to MovieHole (via Killer Movies), Ulrich — also known for Riverdale (pictured) — was removed in lieu of studio-optioned rewrites and reshoots. But in 2022, the Scream fan site, Hello Sidney, revealed his role via stills from an unreleased director's cut.

Michael Biehn (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)

Despite Kyle Reese' death in 1984’s The Terminator, Michael Biehn reprised the role in the 1991 sequel, which is now regarded one of the greatest action movies of all time. However, according to ScreenRant, the sequence — in which he comes to Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) in a dream — was cut from Terminator 2: Judgment Day to maintain a tighter pace, but was later restored for an extended special edition. 

Angela Bassett (Mr. & Mrs. Smith)

Technically, Angela Bassett is in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but her part as Brad Pitt’s boss was originally meant to be more than an uncredited voice role. On YouTube, you can find deleted scenes from Doug Liman’s 2004 romantic action-comedy with the two-time Oscar nominee appearing in person alongside Keith David as Father.

Adrien Brody (The Thin Red Line)

Several major actors had their roles were either severely trimmed or completely removed from Terrence Malick’s 1998 war epic, The Thin Red Line, like including Mickey Rourke and George Clooney, as ScreenRant recalls. However, Academy Award-winner Adrien Brody’s character, Cpl. Fife, was the central lead of James Jones' original novel and had even done press for the film when he discovered right before the premiere that he was barely in it, per The Independent (via Eskimo).

Mick Jagger (Fitzcarraldo)

Mick Jagger’s underrated acting skills were praised by Werner Herzog (per Playboy, via The Local), who cast the rock star in his 1982 adventure film, Fitzcarraldo. Unfortunately, according to Far Out, multiple problems facing the production — including star Jason Robards’ dysyntery, as the New York Times reported — caused a delay that interfered with The Rolling Stone's touring schedule. Thus, Herzog was forced to recast Robards’ title role with Klaus Kinski and write Jagger’s character out entirely.

Matt Damon (Ocean's 8)

Ocean’s 8 had some fun cameos from members of Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven cast — namely Elliott Gould’s Rueben and Shaobo Qin as Yen — but we almost saw more. In addition to the late Carl Reiner telling Vanity Fair he filmed a scene with Sandra Bullock, THR reports that Matt Damon's cameo as Linus Caldwell from the 2001 heist favorite (pictured) was taken out due to “editorial and storytelling reasons,” as director Gary Ross claimed. The article does, however, mention a petition to remove Damon following comments he made about the #MeToo movement and Harvey Weinstein scandal.

Michelle Monaghan (Constantine, Syriana)

When Michelle Monaghan spoke to MovieHole to promote Mission: Impossible III, it was mentioned that she was removed from two different movies released in 2005: Constantine and Syriana. The fantasy comic book movie did preserve one of her scenes, but she's nowhere to be found in Steven Soderbergh’s Oscar-winning political drama, which already had many storylines to juggle, as Monaghan herself mentioned.

Tim Roth (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

Tim Roth is in many of Quentin Tarantino’s best movies — including Pulp Fiction (pictured) — and came very close to joining 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. But Tarantino was orced to remove Roth's part to avoid a five-hour runtime. Roth did share in an interview with Uproxx that he appreciated, at least, being mentioned in the credits as “cut.”

Ellen Pompeo (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind) 

As a video essay by Film Radar demonstrates, if Ellen Pompeo role’s in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind had not been removed, we would have seen Michel Gondry’s trippy romantic sci-fi dramedy in a whole different light. In deleted scenes, the Grey’s Anatomy star plays Naomi — the woman Jim Carrey’s Joel left for Clementine (Kate Winslet) and whom he reconciles with after his memory wipe. Though he leaves her again when he meets Clementine on the train, unaware he has done this before.

Paul Rudd (Bridesmaids)

The Bridesmaids cast included plenty of funny people, but did you know Paul Rudd was also part of it for a moment? Director Paul Feig told EW he “felt bad” cutting the Ant-Man actor’s darkly funny cameo as Annie’s (co-writer Kristen Wiig) deranged blind date, but did so to shave down the runtime and avoid distracting from Annie’s love triangle with Ted (Jon Hamm) and Rhodes (Chris O’Dowd).

Katherine Langford (Avengers: Endgame)

In a deleted scene from Avengers: Endgame, immediately after Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) “snaps” Thanos (Josh Brolin) away, he is given the chance to say one final goodbye to an older version of his daughter, Morgan (Katherine Langford), in the Soulworld. At least the sequence’s omission gives Langford a chance to play a different Marvel character at some point, hopefully.

Uma Thurman (Savages) 

The 2012 crime drama Savages could have been touted as a reunion between John Travolta and Uma Thurman, who first worked together on Pulp Fiction (pictured), had the latter’s role as Ophelia’s (Blake Lively) mother not been removed. Director Oliver Stone revealed to Huff Post that Paqu was actually one of several character from Don Winslow’s novel did not make it into the movie due to time constraints.

Amy Poehler (Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy)

When mentioning her axed cameo as a bank teller in 2004’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy with Vulture, Amy Poehler admits she correctly predicted the movie was already too long to keep her scene, which also featured fellow SNL star Maya Rudolph as a gang leader. Thankfully, the Parks and Rec cast member did appear in the 2013 sequel alongside her buddy, Tina Fey.

Rachel Weisz (To The Wonder)

In 2012, Rachel Weisz spoke to La Stampa (via EW) about how she had the pleasure of working with Terrence Malick on To the Wonder, but would “not have the pleasure of seeing [her] work.” For unknown reasons, the Oscar-winning star of The Constant Gardener (pictured) was removed from the romantic drama starring Ben Affleck and Olga Kurylenko. And she wasn't alone, as IndieWire later reported that Barry Pepper, Michael Sheen and Amanda Peet were also missing from the final cut.

Viggo Mortenson (The Purple Rose Of Cairo)

One of the first movies Academy Award nominee Viggo Mortenson worked on was Woody Allen’s 1985 fantasy rom-com, The Purple Rose of Cairo. The star of the Lord of the Rings movies (pictured) spoke to ABC News' Peter Travers about how his frustrating experience shooting the film turned out to be meaningless since he was edited out the movie after it was released.

Matthew Fox (World War Z)

The 2013 adaptation of Max Brooks’ World War Z was plagued by rewrites and reshoots that resulted in an entirely new third act from what was intended. As a result, Lost cast member Matthew Fox’s role as a paratrooper was scaled down to just one line of dialogue, which may have been disappointing for the self-proclaimed fan of the OG book, per Huff Post.

Jack Whitehall (Frozen)

In a clip shared to Jack Whitehall’s official YouTube channel, the British comedian shares with an audience how his one-line role as a troll in Disney’s Oscar-winning animated film, Frozen, was reduced to a non-speaking part. The Jungle Cruise cast member and star of Clifford the Big Red Dog (pictured) goes on to say that, after discovering his line was removed when he first saw the movie, a friend of his found a photo of him at a Frozen press junket and meme-ified it. 

James Van Der Beek (Storytelling)

Tom Solondz’s 2002 anthology dramedy, Storytelling, consists of two segments dealing with various challenging topics, but there were original three. As EW reported, the omitted third chapter starred James Van Der Beek — known for being part of the Dawson’s Creek cast and Varsity Blues (pictured) — as a high school football player discovering he's gay.

Sienna Miller (Black Mass)

Before the 2015 crime thriller released, it was already confirmed tha Sienna Miller had been cut from Black Mass. She was cast as Catherine Greig, who had a relationship infamous gangster, Whitey Bulger (played by Johnny Depp in the film). Director Scott Cooper admitted to The Boston Globe that it was a difficult decision to remove the English actor -- then best known for American Sniper (pictured) -- but it ultimately “came down to narrative choices.”

Jena Malone (Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice)

Following previous rumors that she would play Robin, Jena Malone’s comic book movie debut in Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice actually never made it to the big screen. Luckily, her role as head S.T.A.R. Labs scientist Jenet Klyburn — first revealed in leaked footage —  would be included in the 2016 DC movie’s three-hour “Ultimate Cut."

So if your friends ever quiz you about has or hasn't starred in major movies, this list should provide you with some interesting loopholes.

When you look at the landscape of Hollywood A-List actors, it’s hard to believe how many haven’t been nominated for an Oscar. Even crazier is looking back on previous nominees like Meryl Streep and Gary Oldman’s careers and seeing where their first brush with golden glory came from. That’s what we’re gathered together to do today, as we look back on a who’s who of acting talent, and those first projects that put them on The Academy’s map! 

Meryl Streep - The Deer Hunter

Where does one begin when talking about Meryl Streep’s own personal golden dynasty? Well, if you want to start at the beginning, you’d take it all the way back to 1978. That’s when Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter put Ms. Streep on the Academy’s radar for the first time. At the time of publication, Streep is the most nominated person at the Academy Awards, thanks to a whopping 21 nods.

Daniel Day-Lewis - My Left Foot

The year 1990 marked an important moment for iconic actor, and three-time Academy Award winner, Daniel Day-Lewis. The now-retired thespian found himself winning on his first time out, with his nomination for the role of Irish writer and painter Christy Brown in My Left Foot. His portrayal of Brown, who created art while living with Cerebral Palsy, was only the beginning of a legacy involving method acting, which led to several more nominations and wins in the process.

Amy Adams - Junebug

Let’s put aside the fact that Amy Adams and Arrival were failed by awards boards in the 2016- 2017 season. Outside of that grudge that some still hold dear, Adams has a total of six Oscar nominations to her credit. That’s pretty amazing, with the first nod coming from her performance in 2005’s Junebug. With that noted, we can go back to grousing about how she deserves to be at seven nods, thanks to Denis Villeneuve’s brain-breaking masterpiece.

Leonardo DiCaprio - What’s Eating Gilbert Grape

While Leonardo DiCaprio could finally call himself a winner as part of 2016’s Academy Award nominees, the path to that victory for The Revenant kicked off in 1994. A hot young talent, DiCaprio’s first nomination was for his role alongside Johnny Depp in the drama What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Turns out, when it was winning time for Leo, the answer to that question was, “A bear.”

Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side

One of America’s sweethearts, Sandra Bullock can be counted as a member of the First Timer's Club. Her first nomination was also the one that won her the trophy, as the 2010 Academy Awards yielded a golden win for her role in The Blind Side. Despite the recent controversies and lawsuit from Michael Oher that have hit that film’s story about the football player and the Tuohys, this is a hard-earned win, and the first of two nominations so far for Ms. Bullock. 

Tom Hanks - Big

We all know that Tom Hanks is Academy Award-winning royalty, as America’s Dad has six nominations and two wins under his belt. Looking back at the fact that his first competition for Oscar glory came from 1988’s Big, it’s an impressive feat for happening so early in Hanks’ career as an actor. It’s even more stunning when you take into account that it was for a comedy performance, which isn’t as prevalent at the Oscars as one would hope.

Viola Davis - Doubt

Despite the title of the film she was first nominated for, there was absolutely no Doubt when it came to Viola Davis’ status as an Oscar contender. Her first round came in 2008, through that very film mentioned; and she would eventually be nominated three more times, at the time of this publication. Her first win came in 2016 after she starred with fellow Oscar titan Denzel Washington in the film adaptation of Fences. (It's also worth mentioning that this actress is also in the elite club of EGOT winners.)

Peter O’Toole - Lawrence Of Arabia

Tied with Glenn Close for the most Oscar nominations without a win, the late great Peter O’Toole banked his first Academy Awards nod with the movie you’d most expect. Thanks to the director David Lean’s 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia, O’Toole began a dance with Academy voters that only saw him net a 2002 Honorary Academy Award. 

Jodie Foster - Taxi Driver

In the world of Disney actors turned Academy Award contenders, Jodie Foster will always be one of the most notable in that field. At the age of 15, Foster saw her first nomination through her only Best Supporting Actress nod to date. The eventual victor for films like The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs, Jodie first competed for Oscar glory through the role of child prostitute Iris Steensma in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. 

Morgan Freeman - Street Smart

Even movies with Oscar buzz can become buried in the sands of time. Just ask Morgan Freeman, who first saw himself nominated at the Academy Awards in 1987 for Street Smart. A crime drama starring Christopher Reeve as an ambitious reporter profiling Freeman’s pimp character Leo “Fast Black” Smalls Jr., it’s a movie that most wouldn’t remember; especially when compared to the other films the prestigious actor would be nominated for.

Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth

Playing royalty almost feels like a shortcut to winning big-time gold. However, Cate Blanchett is one of those exceptions that sets the rules. While she would later win trophies for The Aviator and Blue Jasmine, Blanchett’s first bid for an Academy Award came in 1999, thanks to the titular role in director Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth. 

Anthony Hopkins - The Silence Of The Lambs

Horror is one of those genres that doesn’t seem to get much love on the awards circuit. However, when the results are something as chilling as director Jonathan Demme’s adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs, containing Anthony Hopkins’ equally unsettling performance as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, it’s hard not to take notice. Score another First Timer’s Club victory, as Hopkins took home the gold his first time up.

Charlize Theron - Monster

Portraying the criminal mind provides such an allure for actors and auteurs alike. A case proving that point was Charlize Theron’s portrayal of convicted killer Aileen Wuornos in Patty Jenkins’ film Monster, her first nomination out of three at the time of this writing. Theron won the Best Actress trophy on the first try in 2004, all thanks to this tale of true crime. 

Christian Bale - The Fighter

Able to disappear completely in any character he plays, Academy Award winner Christian Bale has four nominations to his name. Equally split between Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor accolades, his first roll of the dice in 2011 landed him a win in the former category; thanks to David O. Russell’s The Fighter. 

Kate Winslet - Sense And Sensibility

The works of Jane Austen are another one of those sources that seem to periodically score nominations at the Oscars. Kate Winslet’s first is part of the proof, as the first of her current total of seven Academy Award nominations (and one win) came from 1995’s Sense and Sensibility. Ms. Winslet’s heart would go on to win Best Actress…in 2009, for Stephen Daldry’s The Reader.

Denzel Washington - Cry Freedom

Let’s see if King Kong knows this piece of movie trivia. Actor Denzel Washington has had 10 Oscar nominations, with two wins coming from that pool. While most would be tempted to cite his win for Glory as the first time he was nominated, that is incorrect. Washington’s first Academy Awards ceremony happened two years earlier in 1988, for his part in the film Cry Freedom. 

Kathy Bates - Misery

Frightening characters can make for the most golden of dreams, as was proven with 1991’s Academy Awards. Kathy Bates took home her first award on her first nomination, through the role of Anne Wilkes in Rob Reiner’s Misery. A “brilliant” adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, this fan favorite is one of many that’s seen the famed horror author’s work turning in some of the most well-regarded films and performances of all time.

George Clooney - Good Night, And Good Luck/Syriana

Here’s a wild story: George Clooney’s first Oscar nominations came from not one, but two films he was involved with. 2006’s Academy Awards saw the ER veteran land and win Best Supporting Actor for his role in Syriana, while one of CinemaBlend’s 100 best movies of the 2000s, Good Night, And Good Luck., netted him a Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay nod in that same contest.

Helen Mirren - The Madness Of King George

Did you know that half of Helen Mirren’s four Oscar nominations came from playing royalty? Surely most know of Mirren’s win in 2007 as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen. But, dear readers, another queen marked the start of Dame Helen’s Academy Awards history. Her Best Supporting Actress nod in 1995 for The Madness of King George would be her initial foray into this circuit, playing Queen Charlotte to Nigel Hawthorne’s titular monarch.

Judi Dench - Mrs. Brown

Dame Judi Dench is another regal figure that practically screams “Oscar” when you see her. Another member of the club of actors winning as royalty, Dench would win in 1999 for her as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love. That was only on her second try, because in 1998 Dame Judi received her first nomination, playing Queen Victoria in the film Mrs. Brown.

Dustin Hoffman - The Graduate

And here’s to you, Mr. Hoffman; Oscar came a’calling very young. At 30 years old, Dustin Hoffman saw his first Academy Award nomination through starring in 1967’s The Graduate. What may be more surprising than the actual 6-year age gap between himself and co-star Anne Bancroft is that his first Oscar win would take place 12 years later, with 1980’s Kramer vs. Kramer.

Susan Sarandon - Atlantic City

Five nominations and one win are actor Susan Sarandon’s Academy Award legacy, at the time of this writing. But her first nomination was from an Oscar-buzzed title that most folks may not remember: 1981’s Atlantic City. With nominations in “The Big Five” categories, Sarandon and the film at large walked away empty-handed that year.

Russell Crowe - The Insider

Before his name was Maximus Decimus Meridius, Russell Crowe found himself heading to the Oscars under a different moniker: Jeffrey Wigand. Nominated for the first time in 2000, Crowe’s role in Michael Mann’s whistleblower drama The Insider gave the Australian actor his first golden thrill ride. One that he’d repeat in 2001, and win for through the strength and honor of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator.

Angela Bassett - What’s Love Got To Do With It

Surprisingly, Angela Bassett only received her second nomination as part of 2023's Academy Awards, thanks to Marvel Studio’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Bassett’s first nomination came from playing royalty of a different type, as her lead role in the Tina Turner biopic What’s Love Got To Do With It saw her walking the Oscar red carpet in 1994.

Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Count this as another shocker in Oscar nominations history: Gary Oldman only received his first Academy Awards nomination in 2012. You’d think the Bram Stoker’s Dracula actor would have had more than the three nods and one win he currently holds. However, his dreams of golden splendor only started after he played George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. 

Julia Roberts - Steel Magnolias

With three nominations and one win, Julia Roberts’ odds of firing you up or making you cry with her Academy Award-nominated projects are officially even. Her first time in the race came in 1990, in the dramedy classic Steel Magnolias. For those of you who haven’t seen the film, we’ll leave it to you to find out which bucket this particular nom falls into on your own time.

Al Pacino - The Godfather

Some roles are such an indelible part of an actor’s career, they just had to land an Oscar nomination for it. Al Pacino is certainly one of those cases, as he would turn his first Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Godfather into a Best Actor nod in The Godfather Part II. Both stem from his portrayal of Michael Corleone, the favorite son who descended into darkness and power.

Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married

“It came true.” Those three words marked the end of Anne Hathaway’s journey to Oscar gold, with her second nomination and first win for Best Supporting Actress in Les Miserables. But the beginning of Ms. Hathaway’s Academy Awards journey was in 2009, when she was nominated for Best Actress in Rachel Getting Married. 

Matt Damon - Good Will Hunting

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck both won their first Oscars for Best Original Screenplay, thanks to 1998’s Good Will Hunting. But much like other members of the First Timers Club in this list, Damon’s first victory was also his first time at the dance. How ‘bout dem apples indeed.

Jennifer Lawrence - Winter’s Bone

The second time was the charm for Jennifer Lawrence, as her role in Silver Linings Playbook made her a winner in 2013. That wasn’t too long after her initial foray into Oscar victory, which came in 2011 thanks to her lead role in the neo-noir gem Winter’s Bone. Who’d expect any less from the eventual "girl on fire" that would lead The Hunger Games to box office domination?

Ben Affleck - Good Will Hunting

Sailing on the same current as his writing partner and longtime buddy Matt Damon, Ben Affleck’s first Oscar nomination came from his co-authoring of Good Will Hunting. And to think, if Damon and Affleck’s hijinks involving the script hadn’t worked, we may never have seen either contributor go on to the storied careers they enjoy today.

Samuel L. Jackson - Pulp Fiction

Fans of Samuel L. Jackson are about to engage in some harsh language, as the current MCU star only has one Academy Award nomination. While it’s rightful for his Best Supporting Actor-worthy role in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, the man’s gone on to deliver several other powerhouse performances worth at least a nod or two. This is something that not even the tastiest beverage could wash away.

As an actor, you never know where that first win or nomination is going to come from. And when you're an A-lister as iconic as the people we've just discussed, those initial impressions are all the more interesting to look at as time goes on. Who knows where these blockbuster draws will find their next brush with golden glory, and how it will compare to these humble beginnings? 

The list of Best Picture winners is short, and exclusive, which means that even some of the most acclaimed, decorated, and generally well-liked actors of all time haven't taken home the grand prize at the Academy Awards. You might be surprised by the number of celebrities we have listed below — many of which have Oscars of their own — that have never starred in a Best Picture winner.

Denzel Washington

As one of a few actors who have two Oscars to their name, you might assume that some of the best Denzel Washington movies were also guaranteed a Best Picture win, right? Surprisingly, the star of Glory and Training Day has never made a movie that won the Academy's big prize, but at least he can say that King Kong still ain’t got nothing on him.

Heath Ledger

If what many consider to be one of the Academy’s greatest mistakes (awarding Crash Best Picture over Brokeback Mountain in 2006) had not happened, Heath Ledger’s name would not be on this list. However, the late Australian actor still left behind a stunning legacy only so many actors can dream of. Notably, he won a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as the Joker in one of the best superhero movies, The Dark Knight.

Christian Bale

Five of Christian Bale’s best movies have been nominated for Best Picture (The Fighter, American Hustle, The Big Short, Vice, and Ford v. Ferrari), but to no avail. At least his performance in The Fighter — David O. Russell’s 2010 boxing biopic — earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Robert Downey Jr.

It is already hard enough to believe that Robert Downey Jr. has only two Oscar nominations (for Chaplin and Tropic Thunder), and that none of his many great movies outside of the MCU have achieved the highest honor, either. However, things could change at the 2024 Oscars, given his stunning work in the Oppenheimer cast and the promising chances for Christopher Nolan’s glowing biopic.

Toni Collette

Toni Collette is an extraordinarily talented actor with the accolades to prove it, including an Oscar nomination for 1999’s The Sixth Sense. However, the classic M. Night Shyamalan movie is also one of a few Toni Collette movies to be nominated for Best Picture (also including 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine), but she hasn't been in a winner yet.

Will Smith

From TV sitcoms to sci-fi blockbusters to critically acclaimed biopics, Will Smith’s filmography is pretty extraordinary, but it does not include Best Picture winners. If that does change for him soon, he may be unable to celebrate the honor in person. This is because he has been banned from future ceremonies for the next decade after slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars — which also happened to be the night he won Best Actor for King Richard.

Harrison Ford

Two of Harrison Ford's most iconic characters were featured in two Best Picture Nominees -- the original Star Wars movie, where he played Han Solo, and the first Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark -- but neither of them won. At least Ford, who does have an Oscar nomination for fellow Best Picture nominee 1985’s Witness, can say those films, among others, made him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time.

Scarlett Johansson

Some of the most significant films of Scarlett Johansson’s career were Best Pictures nominees — such as her breakthrough role in one of the best movies of the 2000s, Lost in Translation, and her dual Oscar-nominated performances the same year for Jojo Rabbit and Marriage Story. Of course, none of these films took home the top prize.

Ryan Gosling

There was a time when it seemed like Ryan Gosling would not be eligible for a list like this when we thought La La Land won Best Picture in 2017. However, it turned out to be a case of mistaken envelopes and the real winner was Moonlight. The Barbie cast member was also in the nominated film The Big Short, and there are sure to be more Ryan Gosling movies getting Oscar consideration.

Glenn Close

Glenn Close is one of those actors whose longtime losing streak at the Academy Awards — eight nominations, zero wins — continues to baffle audiences. Add on the fact that none of her best movies have won Best Picture either and the notion becomes simply unspeakable.

Jennifer Lawrence

The Academy loves Jennifer Lawrence — nominating her four times and awarding her the Best Actress Oscar for 2012’s Silver Linings Playbook. However, they seem to like her just a bit more than Jennifer Lawrence’s best movies, none of which have received the Best Picture award.

Julia Roberts

I suppose Julia Roberts’ multiple nominations and one win — for Erin Brockovich — had me convinced that she had been in a Best Picture winner at some point. In truth, said biopic from 2000 is actually the only Best Picture nominee among Roberts’ filmography so far, and it lost to Gladiator.

Meg Ryan

Would you believe that Meg Ryan has never been nominated for an Academy Award? Well, what if I told you that none of her movies — which include some of the best romantic comedies of all time, like When Harry Met Sally — were considered for the top prize either? Some talents just do not get the recognition they deserve.

Laura Linney

Curiously, Laura Linney has been nominated for her performances in 2000’s You Can Count On Me, Kinsey from 2004, and 2007’s The Savages — none of which even received Best Picture nominations. She has been in a Best Picture nominee though — Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River — however, that did not win either.

George Clooney

For a while, George Clooney’s filmography seemed to consist primarily of Best Picture nominees, such as Syriana (for which he won Best Supporting Actor) and Good Night, and Good Luck (which also earned him nods for writing and directing). However, in terms of the Best Picture category, that’s all any of them ever amounted to being; nominee.

Samuel L. Jackson

With a resume as lengthy and renowned as his, you would think Samuel L. Jackson has been in at least one Best Picture winner but he has not… yet. He has starred in quite a few Best Pictures nominees — many of which are Quentin Tarantino movies like Pulp Fiction, for which he received his sole Oscar nomination.

Hugh Jackman

Tom Hooper’s 2012 adaptation of Les Miserables earned eight nominations including one for Best Picture and and another for Best Actor for Hugh Jackman, but those categories were not among the three it did win. At least the Australian X-Men movie star has had the honor of hosting an Oscar ceremony before.

Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt has won a Golden Globe for Gideon’s Daughters, a Screen Actors Guild Award for 2018’s A Quiet Place, and three BAFTA nominations for The Devil Wears Prada, a special “Rising Star Award” from the same year, and The Girl on the Train. However, never has the Academy given her a nod, nor have any of Emily Blunt’s movies even been nominated for Best Picture.

Jake Gyllenhaal

The fact that Jake Gyllenhaal has only been nominated for an Oscar once — for Best Supporting Actor in 2005’s Brokeback Mountain surprisingly enough -- is crazy. To learn that said LGBTQ+ romance movie is the only film of his to receive a Best Picture nomination is equally baffling.

Matthew McConaughey

Mathew McConaughey has starred in two films nominated for Best Picture — Dallas Buyer’s Club, for which he won his Best Actor Oscar, and The Wolf of Wall Street — which were both released in 2013. Even with favorable odds like that, neither acclaimed drama took home the gold that year.

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman has been nominated for three Oscars, and she took home one in 2011 for Black Swan. Darren Aronofsky’s twisted tale of ambition gone too far is also the actor’s only film to be nominated for Best Picture.

Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman is one of those actors who was overdue for his Oscar for a long time before he broke the streak with his transformative performance as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Before (and after) his win, the British actor appeared in just a couple of Best Picture nominees — namely Oliver Stone’s JFK and David Fincher’s Mank.  

Amy Adams

The fact that none of Amy Adams’ movies have earned a Best Picture Oscar — despite six being nominated, including American Hustle and Arrival — is not particularly shocking. What is shocking is that the actor also has six nominations of her own and has never won any of them.

Angela Bassett

Years after she was nominated for an Academy Award as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got To Do With It, Angela Bassett made history as the first actor to receive an Oscar nomination for a Marvel movie performance (as Queen Ramona in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever). Yet, her first Marvel movie, 2018’s Black Panther, is her only Best Picture nominee. 

Jeff Bridges

In addition to taking home an Oscar for Crazy Heart, Jeff Bridges has many Best Picture nominees under his belt, from 1971’s The Last Picture Show to Hell or High Water from 2016. Not a single one of them took him the grand prize, but I think the Academy’s biggest misstep in regards to acting legend was not nominating him for playing The Dude in The Big Lebowski.

Michael Caine

Despite two Academy Award wins to his name (one for 1986’s, Hannah and Her Sisters, and the other for 1999’s The Cider House Rules) Michael Caine cannot say he has starred in a Best Picture. Unfortunately, since the 90-year-old actor told The Telegraph that he is “sort of retired now,” he may never receive that honor.

Robin Williams

The late Robin Williams led a tremendous, widely beloved career that really made us laugh, through movies like 1993’s Mrs. Doubtfire, as well as cry, like with his Academy Award-winning performance in Good Will Hunting. That 1997 favorite and 1989’s Dead Poets Society are the only two Best Picture nominees he starred in.

Halle Berry

Halle Berry gave a landmark performance in 2001's Monster's Ball which earned her a historic Best Actress Oscar win. However, that film was not nominated for Best Picture, and neither has anything else the actor has starred in.

Sean Penn

Sean Penn has won Best Actor twice -- first for 2003's Mystic River by director Clint Eastwood and second for the title character of the powerful 2008 biopic, Milk. Neither of those acclaimed dramas got a Best Picture win, leaving the Fast Times at Ridgemont High cast member empty-handed in that particular regard.

Sandra Oh

With 13 Emmy nominations to her name, former Grey's Anatomy cast member Sandra Oh is better known as one of the greatest modern actors from the small screen. That would explain why her otherwise impressive big screen career -- which includes Alexander Payne's Best Picture-nominated Sideways -- does not include any grand prize winners at the Oscars at the moment.

Bradley Cooper

The otherwise bewildering fact that none of Bradley Cooper's many Oscar-nominated performances -- such as in 2012's Silver Linings Playbook or 2014's American Sniper -- nor his many Best Picture-nominated films -- including the two aforementioned films -- have resulted in any wins is not particularly a concern of mine. What I am surprised, and concerned, about is the snub for directing A Star is Born, which hopefully gets made up for when the upcoming Netflix movie, Maestro, comes out.

Viola Davis

I am happy that we live in a world in which an actor of momentous talent such as Viola Davis has been recognized and rewarded by the Academy with her Oscar win for 2016's Fences. That alone makes me, at least, content with the fact that there are still no Best Picture winners on her resume as of today.

Perhaps there will come a day when the names on this list change drastically and many of the actors above can say they have been in a Best Picture Oscar winner. For now, just keep cross your fingers and keep your hopes up for the next ceremony.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1's excellent cast is filled with stars who appeared in previous installments of the action-forward series – including Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, and Henry Czerny – but one familiar face missing from the ensemble is Angela Bassett. There were plans to bring the Oscar-nominated actor back as Erika Sloane, the character she played in Mission: Impossible - Fallout, but the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately prevented that from happening.

So what was her part going to be? That's a question that has been asked of writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, and answered. Speaking with Variety, the filmmaker spoke about the return of Erika Sloane that didn't come together, and he explained that she was going to be featured in the early scene in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 where members of the intelligence community gather to discuss the dangerous artificial intelligence known as The Entity. Said McQuarrie,

Angela Bassett's Erika Sloane surely would have fit right into that meeting alongside Henry Czerny's Eugene Kittridge and Cary Elwes' Denlinger, and it would have been fun to have her presence enhance the depth of canon in the scene given her history in the franchise. If one wants to look at her absence from the most positive point of view, however, it can be pointed out that she gets spared being knocked unconscious by the smoke bomb that is activated by an infiltrator (that's as spoiler-y as I'll get for those of you who have not yet seen the film).

Fortunately, just because Angela Bassett's Erika Sloane isn't in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 doesn't mean that her time with the franchise is at an end. Obviously there's at least one more title on the way (Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 2, which is presently scheduled for release in June 2024), and there is no plan to have that film be the finale. Addressing the potential to see Sloane again in a future Mission: Impossible sequel, Christopher McQuarrie said,

For now, fans can go see Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 and at least appreciate the Angela Bassett Easter egg that comes in the form of a portrait that can be spotted hanging on the wall during Denlinger's meeting. The movie is now playing in theaters everywhere, and you should certainly make an effort to see it on the biggest screen possible to get the most out of it.

Warning: spoilers for Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One are in play. If you haven't been read into this latest mission just yet, you've been warned. 

As most fans will recall, the prolonged production of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One saw this summer’s would-be blockbuster encounter several delays. As part of that, fans saw the shifting production restrictions ultimately tabling actor Angela Bassett from returning to the franchise, as previously planned. 

While this sadly meant that Mission: Impossible - Fallout’s Erika Sloane wasn’t seen in action in the latest Tom Cruise-led sequel, there is still an easter egg for those who miss the character. And it has kind of a hopeful meaning if you read into it the right way. This is the last call for anyone who is trying to avoid spoilers, as we're about to jump into some secrets of Dead Reckoning Part One to guess what might be coming in Part Two.

Where Erika Sloane’s Character Was Left At The End Of Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Before we go too far, let’s take a quick look at where Angela Bassett’s character was left in Mission: Impossible - Fallout’s ending. Without accessing your Paramount+ subscription, you’re probably asking yourself, “Was it even possible for CIA Director Erika Sloane to return for another round of mayhem?” The answer to that question is yes, it absolutely was.

Director Sloane was not only alive at the end of writer/director Christopher McQuarrie’s second time at the M:I helm, but she was also a newly won ally to the cause of the Impossible Mission Force. So naturally, when it came time to talk up Mission: Impossible 7’s production, the question of whether Bassett would be returning or not came up often. 

As far out as November 2020, with production stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Angela Bassett claimed she was returning, and even “had the pages” for Erika Sloane’s return in hand. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop events from taking a turn that would eventually see her sidelined. 

Why Angela Bassett’s Erika Sloane Had To Skip Mission: Impossible 7

Flashing forward to July 2021, a new update on Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One saw Angela Bassett admitting that she would not return for the next installment. Without disclosing the entire scenario, the actor, who would go on to reprise her role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, stated that “COVID took me out, literally. Or kept me out, how about that?"

With a new answer to the question of whether or not Ms. Bassett would be returning now on the books, a new query started to form. More specifically, if CIA Director Sloane wasn’t going to appear in Mission: Impossible 7 and Angela Bassett was teasing that she hoped to be in M:I 8, what sort of events would bridge her character’s absence in the first half of Dead Reckoning’s story? That, dear readers, is where this easter egg from he latest entry comes into play. 

Dead Reckoning Part One’s Erika Sloane Easter Egg, And How To Find It

In the pre-title opening to Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, a lot happens before the credits even roll. A tense submarine sequence introduces us to the threat of “The Entity,” and Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has some rather exciting reunions with Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) and CIA Director Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny). The latter occasion is where you’ll be able to find the Angela Bassett easter egg we’re hinting at.

While Denlinger (Cary Elwes), the director of National Intelligence, is having his briefing with The Community’s various chiefs, a portrait can be spotted on the wall in his office. Sure enough, it’s a photo of Erika Sloane looking pretty official. This happens pretty early on in the movie and, while it’s out in the open, you could miss it if you don’t know what to look for.

With this easter egg, and the return of Kittridge as CIA director/IMF go-between in this sixth sequel to Ethan Hunt’s Mission: Impossible story, there's something interesting now in play. In fact, if Angela Bassett does return for the eighth installment, she may have found herself promoted in a pretty awesome manner. 

How Angela Bassett Could Return To The Mission: Impossible Series

One of the most standard touches to an office of intelligence in a movie like Mission: Impossible 7 is a portrait of an authority figure. Most likely, as we’ve seen in The X-Files and plenty of other espionage-based franchises, that picture tends to be of whoever is serving as U.S. President at the time. In the case of Fox’s hit paranormal conspiracy drama, Bill Clinton was seen quite often during the heyday of Agents Mulder and Scully.

With that logic in play, there’s a chance that when Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two debuts on the 2024 movie schedule, Angela Bassett’s Erika Sloane may be the sitting president. It would make a lot of sense as, in Eugene Kittridge’s rundown of the IMF’s operations, it’s mentioned that they answer directly to the commander-in-chief. Who better to ally Ethan Hunt and his team, as the potential President Sloane would have the authority to override any potential traitors in the intelligence community?

And as we saw in Dead Reckoning Part One’s ending, at least one such party outed themselves before their untimely death. (A moment of silence for the death of the traitorous Denlinger.) Ethan Hunt and all parties loyal to him are going to need all the friends they can get. So now not only is Angela Bassett one of the Mission: Impossible actors I’d like to see return for the next round, but I'd also be down to see her return in a very important way. 

It’s all speculation connected to a small easter egg, of course but, if it turns out to be true, that’s just one more reason to look forward to the release of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two. With Part One starting its theatrical run, there’s plenty of time between now and the slated June 28, 2024 release date for its direct sequel to iron out these sorts of details. 

American Horror Story is one of those shows that has run for some time, and over that timeframe, there have been many stories, characters, and so much more – and I’ve been there to see it all.

The Ryan Murphy-created series has had twelve seasons that have taken place in a multitude of different locations. The cast has always changed, bringing in new actors and characters for each story. But, there are several actors for this anthology series who have been in many seasons, which is what we’ll be going over today.

Evan Peters (9)

There are a few people I instantly think of when American Horror Story pops up in my mind, and one of them is Evan Peters.

The actor has been making even more of a name for himself the last few years, starring in shows such as Dahmer, where he was praised for his performance for Jeffrey Dahmer, as well as being a major part of the Mare of Easttown cast, which led to him winning an Emmy.

Believe it or not, Peters has been in nine seasons of AHS. This includes Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, Cult, Apocalypse and Double Feature. He’s arguably one of the most known names from this series, and for good reason – his acting has always been fantastic.

Sarah Paulson (9)

The next person I always think of when it comes to this show is Sarah Paulson. There’s plenty to watch if you love Sarah Paulson, but she’s also appeared in nine seasons like Peters. Her seasons are Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, Cult, Apocalypse, and Double Feature.

It’s been some time since we’ve seen either of these two actors in a season, but maybe, in the future, we just might be able to see them return.

Lily Rabe (9)

Lily Rabe is another actress who has been in many seasons of American Horror Story – nine to be exact, just like Paulson and Peters. Her seasons are Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, Apocalypse, 1984, and Double Feature.

Rabe has also appeared in a few other projects, including her part in the Love & Death cast and in Presumed Innocent in 2024, but I always loved her in AHS.

Francis Conroy (8)

Francis Conroy is another actor who's been in the show since the very first season. Her seasons are Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Roanoke, Cult, Apocalypse, and Double Feature.

My personal favorite season of hers was Coven. There’s just something about her playing Myrtle Snow that always makes me love her even more. It’s also been a few years since we have seen her in the show, so hopefully she'll return before much longer.

Denis O’Hare (8)

The next actor on this list that we’re going to talk about is Denis O’Hare, who has been in a total of eight seasons. O’Hare has played a variety of roles across his seasons so far, which are Murder House, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, Double Feature, NYC, and Delicate.

O’Hare was also a part of the Season 2 cast of American Horror Stories, another Murphy-created show, so it’s clear that he’s a pretty big mainstay in the series.

Emma Roberts (6)

Emma Roberts is the first actress on this list that wasn’t featured in the first season, but her characters have certainly made an impact on AHS. Roberts has appeared in a total of six aired seasons so far.

These are Coven, Freak Show, Cult, Apocalypse, 1984 and Delicate. Personally, I have always loved Roberts in this show. While it’s awesome that she has been doing her own thing and appearing in many small horror films, such as Nerve, it’s great to see her in the latest seasons.

Billie Lourd (6)

Billie Lourd was another actress who didn’t start appearing in American Horror Story until much later on, but is steadily becoming one of the most reliable actresses for the series.

Her parts in the show include seasons such as Cult, Apocalypse, 1984, Double Feature, NYC and Delicate. making her overall total so far as five. Lourd, in my eyes, is becoming another awesome Scream Queen.

Leslie Grossman (6)

Leslie Grossman also came a little later in AHS’s lifespan, but her characters have truly made a serious impact, from some that you literally hate more than anything to characters that are truly sinister.

Grossman’s appearances are in Cult, Apocalypse, 1984, Double Feature, NYC and Delicate.

Adina Porter (5)

Porter is one of those actresses who has been around since the beginning, but she had such a long hiatus from the series that you wouldn’t have ever expected to see her again.

She first appeared in Murder House way back in 2011, but then didn’t appear again in the series until Roanoke. She had parts in two later seasons – Cult and Apocalypse, and then also appeared in Double Feature.

Kathy Bates (5)

I honestly think Kathy Bates has become another queen of horror since she had such an iconic role in Misery back in the 1990s – and truthfully, there have been so many amazing Kathy Bates movies since then. But, believe it or not, I was actually first introduced to Bates in American Horror Story, way back when I was a wee little girl.

Alright, well, maybe not little, but a teenager. Either way, Bates has appeared in a total of five seasons: Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, and Apocalypse. Truthfully, she’s one of the few actors from the earlier seasons that I miss the most, because she was always a force on screen, but I suppose I can just return to older seasons to watch her.

Jamie Brewer (5)

Jamie Brewer’s characters were always the ones that I genuinely loved the heck out of, because they are either incredibly creepy or some of the sweetest people ever – talk about a spectacular range. Brewer has appeared in a total of five seasons.

These are Murder House, Coven, Freak Show, Cult and Apocalypse. She also appeared on American Horror Stories, but what I wouldn’t give to see her again in the new season. I always loved watching her on screen, no matter what role she performed.

Finn Wittrock (5)

Finn Wittrock is one of those actors that truly made a mark when he was on the show. He is, yet again, one of the few on this list who was not in the original season (Murder House), but his characters in American Horror Story have truly become legends of their own, and his seasons are some of the best.

Wittrock has appeared in a total of five seasons: Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, 1984, and Double Feature.

Jessica Lange (5)

Another actress that I believe everyone thinks of when it comes to American Horror Story is Jessica Lange. While she was only in five seasons, Lange was arguably the main character of the first four seasons, creating very compelling stories and giving performances that truly rocked the world of television horror.

The actress is a legend who has been in many movies and television shows throughout her decades in the industry, but her time in AHS will always be remembered as great. Her seasons are Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, and Apocalypse. While I doubt we’re going to see Lange in another, it’s always incredible to revisit some of the best seasons of the show with her performance in them.

Angela Bassett (5)

Last, but not least, we need to talk about Angela Bassett. The actress has been swimming in movies the last few years, becoming a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and even earning a historic Academy Award nomination for her role in it. There are so many awesome Angela Bassett movies from earlier in her career, like Vampire in Brooklyn, Waiting to Exhale, Malcolm X, and many more.

Bassett had pretty big roles for five seasons (Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Cult, and Apocalypse), where she played a few characters that I still think about to this day. While she may have only been in a handful of seasons, she truly made her mark on the show, and I miss her dearly.

With so many incredible actors, it’s not that surprising to see how many have appeared in multiple seasons of the series. While Season 13 is confirmed, we don’t know who the actors that are coming back will be, but we’ll be sure to update this when that’s confirmed. I’ll just go back and rewatch some of the older seasons to relive the glory days.

Unfortunately, it’s well-documented that Hollywood has a tendency to be sexist and ageist as told by various women in the industry over the years. As we continue to observe Women’s History Month this year, we’re looking at the actresses across movies and television currently working today that have carved out a place for themselves despite the status quo favoring younger actresses, whilst it's the norm for the male actors to enjoy careers well into their 60s, 70s and beyond. 

It was reported a few years back by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media that while characters over 50 make up a fifth of characters on television, only a fourth of them are played by women (via Buzzfeed). With that in mind, there’s a gender gap with opportunities being favored for older men much more than women. Thankfully, these actresses have found a way to thrive in Hollywood after turning 50.  

Michelle Yeoh 

Recently, at the 2023 Oscars, the ceremony actually celebrated numerous actresses that are thriving after 50, including Best Actress winner, Michelle Yeoh. The Everything Everywhere All At Once lead accepted the award not only as the first Asian actress to win in the category, but as a “beacon” of hope for more women her age to be seen in major roles. As she accepted the trophy, she said: "Ladies, don't let anybody tell you you are past your prime." 

Yeoh has been over 50 in Hollywood for over a decade now, and is enjoying an exciting era in her career by finding key roles in successful movies like Crazy Rich Asians and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, or finding empowering roles in recent TV series like Star Trek: Discovery and The Witcher: Blood Origin. 

Jamie Lee Curtis

Yeoh’s Everything Everywhere co-star Jamie Lee Curtis also took home an Oscar for the movie in the Best Supporting Actress category after over 45 years working in Hollywood. Curtis was a teenager when she found her breakout role in Halloween, but decade after decade she has continued to be cast in exciting roles, especially after turning 50. In Curtis’ fifties and sixties the actress has revived her role as Laurie Strode in a new Halloween trilogy, starred in Knives Out and has a wealth of roles on the horizon, including Borderlands and Haunted Mansion. 

Angela Bassett 

Curtis’ fellow nominee in the Best Supporting Actress category in 2023 was Angela Bassett, for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, who also remains a working icon into her mid-sixties. Aside from starring as Queen Ramonda in the Marvel franchise, the actress continues to lead the network series 9-1-1 along with appearing in multiple seasons of American Horror Story and recently being part of the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Helen Mirren

One of the most iconic actresses to consistently nab interesting roles for herself following turning 50 is Helen Mirren. The British talent hit the milestone in 1995, before she’d made some of her most beloved and best movies, like 2001’s Gosford Park, 2003’s Calendar Girls or her 2006 Oscar-winning performance in The Queen. Mirren has continued to play leading roles in the past decade, such as starring in the Red films, her incredible role in the Fast and the Furious movies along with leading 1923 and Shazam! Fury of the Gods within the past year. 

Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin

While I could certainly talk about Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in their own right, the fact that this pair got themselves their own hit comedy series, Grace and Frankie, in their late seventies (across seven seasons, no less) deserves to be celebrated. These two have modeled, brought life to and joked about the lives of older women who are best friends, and we’re so blessed it exists. The pair hit 50 in the late ‘80s and thrived, remaining booked and busy. Among the 2023 new movie releases, they are in back-to-back movies together, too, 80 For Brady and Moving On. 

Rita Moreno

One of Rita Moreno’s first roles was in 1952’s Singin’ in the Rain. Seventy years later her career is still very much popping, between starring in Netflix’s sitcom, One Day At A Time, and voicing the role of Carmen Sandiego for the original animated series. This year, Moreno also starred in 80 For Brady and has joined the Fast and the Furious franchise as Dominic Toretto’s grandma. 

Sally Field

Speaking of 80 For Brady leads, Sally Field has continued to remain relevant and very much respected in Hollywood at the age of 76. From being nominated for an Oscar for her role in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln to bringing new life to Aunt May in The Amazing Spider-Man movies, or starring in critically acclaimed movies like Hello, My Name Is Doris and Spoiler Alert, Field has continued to impress after a massive first half of her career. 

Emma Thompson

In the nearly 15 years that Emma Thompson has been over 50, she has accomplished a lot. She gave a powerful performance as P.L. Travers in the sweet Saving Mr. Banks' movie alongside Tom Hanks, she gave Cruella a formidable foe of her own in the titular 2021 Disney prequel, and tackled the usually taboo topic of exploring sexuality past one’s “prime” and filmed nude scenes for Good Luck To You, Leo Grande. 

Ming-Na Wen

When Ming-Na Wen turned 50 back in 2013, she was just getting her start playing Melinda May on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, a badass and highly-skilled operative she continued to play for over 100 episodes. Since finding success with that series, which is now her most famous role outside Mulan, Wen has joined the Star Wars universe as Fennec Shand, a female bounty hunter and master assassin. 

Catherine O’Hara

Catherine O’Hara is well-known to an entirely new generation than those who grew up seeing her in movies like Best In Show, Beetlejuice or Home Alone, thanks to her beloved role in Schitt’s Creek as Moira Rose. O’Hara will go down in history as playing one of the funniest TV characters in a big role she found well after 50. 

Jane Lynch

Jane Lynch booked her most popular role of Sue Sylvester on Glee right as she was turning 50 and played the character for six seasons before finding all sorts of work in showbiz otherwise. She notably voices the role of Calhoun in the Wreck-It Ralph movies, along with having major roles in the hit shows The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Party Down and with hosting 75 episodes of the original celebrity game show, Celebrity Game Night. 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

The Seinfeld star not only found herself a whole other well-loved TV show to lead and produce after 50 with HBO’s Veep, which she also won nine consecutive Emmy awards for, but she’s a major player in the Marvel universe now. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has been consistently quick on her feet on the comedy front and proved to be an impressive dramatic actress as well, with roles in films like Enough Said. 

Jennifer Coolidge

Then, there’s Jennifer Coolidge’s recent comeback for The White Lotus that has the actress literally everywhere right now. Along with the 61-year-old recently winning her first Emmy for her hilarious role as Tanya McQuoid, Coolidge has had loads of projects she has stolen the show in, in the past couple of years in particular, like Promising Young Woman, The Watcher and Shotgun Wedding alongside Jennifer Lopez.

Jessica Lange 

Four decades after Jessica Lange became a star for roles like her Oscar-nominated work in Tootsie and Frances, she is still a huge name, particularly thanks to her move to TV in collaboration with Ryan Murphy on his numerous shows. Lange always provides strong performances in her ever-changing American Horror Story roles, along with portraying Joan Crawford in Feud. 

Allison Janney 

Allison Janney is another actress who got wide recognition for being in one of the best-regarded TV shows of all time, The West Wing. After starring in 155 episodes of the drama, Janney has continued to explore all sorts of interesting characters across her career, especially after 50, whether it be in the sitcom Mom, winning an Oscar for her chilling mother role in I, Tonya or her booked 2022 that put an additional three movies under her belt. Janney is even more famous now than she was when she was a younger actress. 

Julianne Moore 

A new role from Julianne Moore is never too far away these days. The 62-year-old actress has accomplished a lot over 50 and has even been in with the kids because of her key role in the Hunger Games franchise or starring alongside Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard in the recent indie, When You Finish Saving the World. Moore has starred in so many great movies just within the past decade that it can be hard to recall she’s also the same actress from Boogie Nights and Far From Heaven. 

Tilda Swinton 

We don’t have enough female character actors in the world, but Tilda Swinton embodies someone new so frequently that we can barely imagine what she’s like in real life. The majority of Swinton’s best roles have occurred since she turned 50, such as We Need To Talk About Kevin, or her numerous times working with Wes Anderson and Bong Joon-Ho. 

Viola Davis

Viola Davis is one of the most acclaimed actors of our time right now and it feels like she’s also just getting started. Recently, the actress did just about every stunt as a warrior and leader in The Woman King and has become the most-nominated Black actress in Academy Awards history. 

Meryl Streep 

I mean, it’s Meryl. What else do we have to say? The 73-year-old actress has always been magnificent on screen no matter her age and has proven her great talent and ability to be a chameleon on the screen again and again. Since turning 50, Streep has starred in all-time great movies like The Devil Wears Prada, Mamma Mia, and Iron Lady, and looking forward, she's about to guest star in Only Murders In the Building. 

It’s great to see so many women have broken through and found roles for themselves after 50 in the industry. It really comes down to great roles being written for women of all ages for their opportunities to exist. 

Let me tell you something that truly changed my life as a young girl – women in movies. There are so many blockbuster films that I watched as a kid and fell in love with because of not only the content I was viewing, but the badass actresses I was watching on the screen. From sci-fi horror movies to dystopian young adult films, I have and will always be in love with these amazing actresses who put their all into leading these blockbuster movies to success – or having standout roles that I truly can’t forget. Here are some of my favorites, from Viola Davis to Sigourney Weaver.

Viola Davis (The Woman King)

Obviously, we need to start this list with a killer performance from 2022, Viola Davis in The Woman King cast. She's had plenty of awesome roles before that you might recognize her from, but her portrayal of General Nanisca, of the real-life warrior women, the Agojie, did something to me and wow, I’ve never been terrified of Viola Davis kicking my butt, but here we are. If you haven’t had the chance to watch her in this fantastic Black-led film, please do so.

Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road) 

The Mad Max: Fury Road cast was filled with stars who have gone on do plenty, but everyone always talks about Charlize Theron, who portrayed Furiosa in the critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic action film. There’s a reason why there’s a prequel film coming out about her character – she was badass, a killer, and I would watch her over and over again if I could. 

Letitia Wright And Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)

After the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman in 2020, the Marvel Cinematic Universe took a different turn in the world Black Panther, putting T’Challa’s sister, Shuri, and his mother played by Letitia Wright and Angela Bassett, at the forefront. Through their strong performances in a story about Wakanda post-T’Challa, and their journey through grief, they gave compelling performances. Bassett was even nominated for an Academy Award for her role in the film. 

Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde)

If you want to talk about one of the most iconic college films of all time, Legally Blonde needs to be on that list. The story is of a former fashion student, played by the lovely Reese Witherspoon, who goes to Harvard in order to win her boyfriend back. Elle Woods is the picture perfect example of when you put your mind into something and being able to achieve it – and she did that and more once she got into that school. Witherspoon's Elle was the perfect casting. 

Zoe Saldana (Avatar Films)

Let’s be honest – when it comes to the Avatar films, we all remember Neytiri more than Jake. He’s cool and all, but Neytiri. 

In both Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water, Zoe Saldana gave an incredible performance as Neytiri, not only as a warrior but as a mother in the sequel, showing amazing emotions through a motion capture performance. 

While Zoe Saldana is known for many other amazing roles (like playing Gamora in the Guardians of the Galaxy series, and Uhura in the Star Trek franchise), showing just how much of a badass she is, there's really nothing quite as amazing as her role in these films.  

She’s right up there with Andy Serkis with these incredible motion-capture roles. You can’t help but love her. 

Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once)

If you haven’t had the chance to watch the Best Picture winner, Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, I’d highly suggest watching it, if not just for Michelle Yeoh’s incredible performance. Winning the Oscar for Best Actress, Yeoh is electric in her starring role as the matriarch of this movie’s family, and displays an impressive range of emotions and badass martial arts that makes this film fantastic. Trust me when I say every bit of time viewing this movie is worth it. 

Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games Series)

Jennifer Lawrence was someone that I grew up watching in The Hunger Games franchise, and while I am excited for the prequel film that will star another great young actress (Rachel Zegler), no one can defeat the powerful performance that Lawrence gave through all four movies. A revolutionary like Katniss, living in a world that is overcome with chaos and unfairness, and leading a war for freedom is the perfect example of what a reluctant leader is, even though she rocked her responsibilities at the same time. 

Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow)

You want to hear a fun story? When I saw Marvel’s Avengers with my dad, way back in 2012, when I was thirteen years old, I knew nothing about superheroes, only that most of the popular ones were male. Then I saw Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson) and looked up at my dad and said, “she’s a girl.”

Ever since then, my love of superheroes blossomed, but it always started with me seeing someone like me on the big screen. While I personally believe Black Widow should have happened sooner in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s no denying that Johansson delivers a stellar final performance playing the role that made me love Marvel in the first place. 

Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman)

Let’s talk about another female superhero – one I did know way back when, Wonder Woman, and how Gal Gadot is literally the perfect person to play the iconic role, both in Wonder Woman and its sequel. She had the beauty of the famous character, but was able to bring a fierceness I had never seen, a bravery that made me want to go out and be as strong as her. I’ll always be upset that the chances of her continuing to play her are low now, but I enjoyed her as the hero for the time that we got her. 

Uma Thurman (Kill Bill Vol. 1 And 2)

God, do I love a vengeful woman. There’s something about watching a girl be a complete badass and take down her enemies that I adore, and both Kill Bill movies, starring Uma Thurman, are just that. While she has been in plenty of other amazing films, her as the Bride was utter perfection and I would, hands down, dress up as her for Halloween if I could. Definitely one of Quentin Tarantino’s best – and yes, I still want to see a sequel years later. 

Sigourney Weaver (Alien)

An icon among icons; you can’t have a list like this and not bring up Sigourney Weaver. Famous for her role in the sci-fi horror film, Alien, she is the blueprint for badass female action stars. Ellen Ripley is an iconic character in every shape and form, but she could only become as historic as she is now thanks to Weaver’s portrayal. She was even nominated for an Academy Award for her performance. 

Angelina Jolie (Maleficent)

Disney villains sometimes get a bad rap, but let me tell you, I never thought I would feel bad for Maleficent, who seemed to be the pure portrayal of evil in Sleeping Beauty – that was until the live-action Maleficent, where she was portrayed by Angelina Jolie. 

I swear, anything Jolie touches ends up turning to gold, but her as Maleficent did something to me. She was able to still accurately portray that viciousness that made her such a good villain in the first place, but add so much heart to the character I never thought possible, including a backstory that truly shook me. In terms of live-action Disney villain movies, you can’t get better than this.  

Sandra Bullock (Gravity)

Fun fact – Gravity is one of the only films in my life that I ever felt sort of sick while watching – because who wants to imagine spinning around in space for hours. But that doesn’t mean Sandra Bullock’s performance wasn’t amazing. Featuring the story of astronauts who are stranded in space after their shuttle is destroyed, Bullock truly shows what terror is like with her performance, and made me quite scared of space. She even got an Academy Award nomination for it. 

Carrie Fisher (The Star Wars Movies)

While we can talk about iconic Star Wars characters like Luke Skywalker or Han Solo, let’s be honest – they wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without Princess Leia, played by Carrie Fisher. Featuring an iconic performance in all three original films, as well as the sequels later on, Carrie Fisher made young girls want to travel the galaxy and be just as brave as her, as she did for me. While Natalie Portman and Daisy Ridley also brought us iconic characters like Padme and Rey, there’s no one quite like Leia. 

Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman)

Julia Roberts is a queen of rom-coms and has truly helped create some of the best movies, and one of my favorites from her is Pretty Woman. An iconic film about a sex worker getting to live a life of luxury after being hired and falling in love with a rich man, Roberts gave the performance of a lifetime and made us all believe in love – also receiving several nominations and awards for her performance in the film. 

Neve Campbell (Scream)

Scream is probably one of the most iconic horror franchises of all time and certainly one of the best horror movies ever, but what is Scream without its final girl, Sidney Prescott? Portrayed by Neve Campbell, the actress brought the character to life for five Scream films before ultimately not coming back to the role for Scream VI. However, she became many people's favorite final girl with how she always made it out alive – with a gun in her hands. 

Meryl Streep And Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!)

Last but not least, we need to talk about Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried, both of whom are just amazing in Mamma Mia! Admittedly one of my favorite movies, these two actresses perfectly capture the relationship between a mother and daughter, while also having their own compelling storylines of finding love on a remote Greek island. You really can’t get better than them. 

These are just few performances from blockbuster movies that are led by women, and I’m sure there are some I'm missing, but if you choose to watch any of these films for any reason, you won’t be wasting your time. Every single one of them is absolutely amazing. 

While we watch the Academy Awards to celebrate the 2023 Oscar winners, we also tune in for the stunning looks worn by the nominees and presenters. This year there were lots of bold looks from the celebs as they rocked ensembles that featured bright colors, unique cuts and capitalized on today’s trends while paying homage to classic styles. From Rihanna to Florence Pugh to Dwayne Johnson there were tons of memorable looks, here are six of our favorites. 

Rihanna

Following her iconic Super Bowl performance and the surprise pregnancy announcement, Rihanna came to the Oscars in another gorgeous gown that showed off her baby bump. According to Harpers Bazaar, the singer was wearing a black, mesh, leather Alaïa dress. The gown featured three distinct elements: a black leather bra, a mesh long-sleeved top and a long black leather maxi skirt. The mesh beautifully highlighted her baby bump, and she complimented the look with an updo, simple dangly earrings and a red lip. Overall, it’s a gorgeous, bold and unique look that was totally Rihanna!

Rihanna was nominated and performed her song “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. 

Florence Pugh

Once again, Florence Pugh showed up in an unconventional, bold and daring outfit. Most recently the Don’t Worry Darling star wore a beautiful sheer skirt and sweater, and she took her style to another level at the Oscars by rocking this grey gown and black shorts. She explained to E! News that the look is: 

I love it! The romantic gown mixed with the punk rock shorts is such a mood, and proves once again why Florence Pugh is a fashion icon. 

Florence Pugh voices a character in the Oscar-nominated animated movie Puss and Boots: The Last Wish. 

Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling’s gorgeous, white deconstructed corset dress was somehow both classic and unique, making it one of my favorite bold looks. According to TMZ, The Mindy Project star was styled by Molly Dickson in this Vera Wang gown that features a corset and a sheer bodice. 

According to the article the dress was originally supposed to be black and white, however, she had requested white. It was both classic and modern with the gorgeous white and framing of the dress while the corset top added a hint of edge to the look. 

Mindy Kaling presented at the Academy Awards this year. 

Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson took a page out of Jason Momoa’s fashion book as he rocked a salmon pink silky blazer. The Rock’s suit was made by Dolce & Gabbana according to Parade, the same designer brand that made Halle Bailey’s princess sheer gown for the evening. It seems like this brand wanted to go for the light and bright colors, and I'm here for it. Complimenting the standout blazer the actor wore simple black slacks and a black bow tie, making sure all the attention was on the jacket.

He walked the carpet with Emily Blunt, and the two presented an award together. His Jungle Cruise co-star wore a sleek white gown, and the two actors complimented each other very well. 

Angela Bassett

Angela Bassett did the thing as she regally walked the red carpet in a royal purple gown by Moschino, per Harpers Bazaar. This is not the first time the Oscar-nominated actress has rocked purple on the carpet, and she is proving once again that this is her color. The gown was bold and unique. It featured pieces that elevated above the dress, adding lots of texture and layers, and the shade of purple was vibrant and stunning. The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star finished her look with a diamond snake necklace, black purse and neutral glam. Overall, this actress proved once again that she is a queen. 

Angela Bassett was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her historic performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. 

Malala Yousafzai 

Malala Yousafzai was shining on the red carpet in her sequined Ralph Lauren gown and hijab, per Marie Claire. The article notes that this gorgeous gown uses a timeless color and cut with trendy sequins to create a shimmery look, and it was amazing.

Along with the sequined gown and hijab Malala had on dangly white earrings and a classic red lip. 

Malala Yousafzai was nominated for the Documentary Short Film Stranger at the Gate. 

These are only six of the amazing looks from the night, and there were so many more from all the nominees and presenters. Overall, the looks from the night were gorgeous, classic, and bold and showed the ways fashion can evolve. 

The Elvis voice has become quite the point of conversation this awards season. Many, including Austin Butler, have weighed in on why and if he still talks like the titular rockstar he played. Now, another actor on the 2023 Oscar nominee list is giving her two cents on the matter. Angela Bassett has also played a music icon with a distinct voice, and she explained that while she understands why her fellow nominee hasn’t lost his accent, it’s possible, and you have to  “bid it farewell” at some point.  

Following her nomination for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Bassett was reflecting on her career with The New Yorker, and she spoke about the time she played Tina Turner. The journalist brought up Austin Butler and Elvis considering he’s also a nominee, and how both actors had to do a lot of work on their accents. The actress reflected on her time playing Turner, and how hard it was to lose her accent. She sympathized with Butler, and how he hasn’t lost his accent yet, saying:

I totally get why Bassett is able to relate so deeply to what Butler is going through, and also why she seemed fairly adamant that he needs to let it go at some point. She played Turner in the 1993 movie What’s Love Got to Do with It. This served as a pivotal moment in her career as she went on to win a Golden Globe for her performance and nab her first Oscar nod, sound familiar? It should, because Austin Butler has gone through essentially the same thing this year. 

Considering how distinct Elvis’ voice is, admittedly it’s a bit odd that Butler is still talking like The King. However, he also lived in the role for three years while making the movie. So, when you use an accent for so long, as he’s said, it naturally becomes a part of you. 

While Butler has been on the awards circuit and still seems to have the Elvis accent, it’s been confirmed he’s not using it on his upcoming project. His Dune: Part Two co-star Dave Bautista explained the Elvis voice is not used in the highly anticipated sequel on the 2023 movie schedule. So, he may be using it now, but it won't be present on the big screen the next time we see him acting.

So, it sounds like the accent might be on its way out, and as Bassett said, Butler seems to be bidding it farewell.

If you would like to see why Butler has the voice he has now and an Oscar nomination, you can stream Elvis with an HBO Max subscription. You can also check out Angela Bassett’s performance that earned her a historic Academy Award nod by watching Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with a Disney+ subscription.

For the first time in Marvel Studios' history, an actor’s performance is being recognized by The Academy as Angela Bassett was recently nominated for her work in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The 2023 Oscar nomination follows the legendary actress winning her second Golden Globe last month for the supporting role as well. As we anticipate the upcoming award show, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s Jonathan Majors has shared his thoughts on the actress' historic nomination. 

As Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror is set to be introduced in the MCU in the Ant-Man sequel next weekend, the actor spoke about Bassett's recent nomination at the movie’s premiere. Here are his thoughts on the actress' performance in Wakanda Forever being recognized at the Oscars:  

While speaking to The Wrap, Majors gave big props to Angela Bassett for her performance as the mother of T’Challa in the recent Black Panther sequel. He shared that her performance took a “high level” of talent to achieve, and he believes the nomination allows the Academy to really “broaden” the range of movies they award, perhaps upcoming Marvel movies we’ve yet to see will end up on this prestigious list in the future.  

The Academy has been dealing with a lot of backlash in recent years for not nominating various genres for Oscars including MCU films, but also in other places. For example, there were numerous 2022 horror movies that deserved Oscars consideration like Mia Goth’s Pearl performance or Jordan Peele’s film Nope, especially in the Best Visual Effects and Best Cinematography categories.

Additionally, Angela Bassett is the only Black woman to be nominated in a performance category despite there being a lot of buzz for Viola Davis in The Woman King and Danielle Deadwyler for Till. Bassett was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category alongside Hong Chau for The Whale, Kerry Condon for The Banshees of Inisherin as well as Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu for their performances in Everything Everywhere All At Once. 

Previously, the first Black Panther became the first Marvel film to be nominated for Best Picture in 2019 along with being recognized in six other categories. The movie ended up winning Best Original Score, Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. This year, Wakanda Forever is up for four other Oscars: Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects and Best Original Song with Rihanna’s first new track in years, “Lift Me Up.” 

We’ll see how the Best Supporting Actress award shakes out when The Oscars air on ABC on Sunday, March 12. In the meantime, you can see Jonathan Majors’ in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in theaters starting February 17. 

It’s no secret that Hollywood and the awards celebrating it have historically lacked diversity, especially when it comes to recognizing Black women. The ongoing trend of predominantly white actresses being nominated for Oscars continues, with Angela Bassett being the only Black woman to be recognized for an acting performance this year for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with her historic nomination. Before we look forward to the 2023 Academy Awards and beyond, let’s look back at the history that has been at the Oscars in terms of recognizing Black actresses. 

When the 2023 Oscar nominations were revealed, movie fans immediately pointed out the 2023 Academy Awards’ various snubs, including two especially incredible performances by Black women that should have had a shot at the Best Actress category, Viola Davis in The Woman King and Danielle Deadwyler in Till. With that in mind, here’s what you need to know about the past 95 years. 

Hattie McDaniel Is The First Black Actress To Be Nominated For (And Win) An Oscar

Over the nearly 100-year history of the Academy Awards, only ten golden trophies have been given out to Black women for acting performances. The first time the Oscars nominated a Black actress was in 1939 for Gone with the Wind, a movie that nearly swept every category at the 12th Academy Awards. Hattie McDaniel won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role as a house servant named Mammy in the romance epic. The second Black actress to be nominated for an Oscar was Ethel Waters for 1949's Pinky, and the first Black actress nominated for Best Actress happened for Dorothy Dandridge, with her 1954 titular role in Carmen Jones. Here's every winner thus far:

We'll break down some of these wins further as we go through more of the history of the Academy Awards. 

It’s Been Rare For More Than One Black Woman To Be Nominated In A Single Year

When it comes to nominations, it’s been very uncommon for the Academy to nominate more than one performance by a Black actress in a single year. It occurred for the first time during the 45th Academy Awards in 1973, when Diana Ross’ performance as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues and Cicely Tyson’s role in Sounder were both nominated in the Best Actress category. Liza Minnelli won over them that year for Cabaret. 

Overall, there have been eight times in Oscars history where more than one Black actress has been nominated in a single year: 1973, 1986, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022. The good news is that in the past few years it’s been an increasingly more common occurrence. The most Black actresses nominated in one year happened at the 2017 award show, when Ruth Negga was up for Best Actress and Viola Davis, Naomie Harris, and Octavia Spencer were all up for Supporting, and Davis won for her performance in Fences.  

1985’s The Color Purple Was Significant For Black Actress Oscar Nominations

Speaking of multiple Black actresses getting recognition for their work in a single year, 1986 was a massive year for that at the Academy Awards. At the 58th ceremony, Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple led nominations alongside Out Of Africa, both earning 11 each. Among the movie’s nods were three performance nominations for Black women, with Whoopi Goldberg getting on the list for Best Actress, and Margaret Avery and Oprah Winfrey being nominated for Supporting. While none of them actually won, it was the first time multiple African-American actresses from the same film had been in the running. 

Halle Berry Is The Only Black Best Actress Winner Ever

At the 2002 Oscars, Halle Berry took the stage to accept her award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, becoming the first Black actress to win the honor, saying her win was door being "opened." Over 20 years after that milestone moment, Berry’s performance in Monster’s Ball remains the only time a Black actress has taken home the award. The Academy has a clear tendency to nominate Black women in supporting roles and shut them out when it comes to leading roles. 

Viola Davis Is The Most Nominated Black Actress In Academy Awards History

Over the years, the Academy has nominated numerous actors more than once, with Meryl Streep earning a record 21 Oscar nominations and three wins. A ton of other actresses have been nominated again and again, including Katharine Hepburn’s 12, Bette Davis’ 10, Cate Blanchett, Geraldine Page, Judi Dench and Glenn Close each having eight, and so forth. When it comes to Black actresses that have been nominated for multiple awards, just four actresses have multiple nods.

Viola Davis has been nominated the most, with four nominations and one win, followed by Octavia Spencer’s three nominations and one win, and lastly, Angela Bassett and Whoopi Goldberg’s two nominations each. Goldberg won for Ghost in 1991 and Bassett could win her first this year for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. 

Octavia Spencer Is The Only Black Actress To Be Nominated Two Years In A Row

Along with Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer has been an actress to break through the Academy’s patterns with her three nominations over the years. Spencer was first nominated for her supporting role in The Help in 2012, before having back-to-back years where she was nominated again in the same category for Hidden Figures and The Shape of Water in 2017 and 2018. With those nominations in mind, she’s not only the first to be nominated two years in a row, she’s also the first to be nominated twice after already winning. 

Angela Bassett’s Wakanda Forever Nomination Is Historic For Marvel

That brings us to this year at the Oscars. Angela Bassett was the only Black actress to be nominated for an acting award this year for her part as Queen Ramonda in the Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Forever. The supporting role nomination is a huge deal because it could give Bassett her first Oscar. Additionally, it opens the door for Marvel Studios because it is the first time an actor in one of the franchise’s movies has been nominated for their performances. 

Black women have historically been underrepresented for acting awards on Hollywood’s biggest night. To see how this year’s Academy Awards shake out, you can tune in to the 95th Academy Awards on ABC on March 12. And, check out the 2023 TV schedule to keep track of upcoming award shows. 

Over a decade in, the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to be a powerful force in the entertainment industry, and is showing no signs of slowing down. Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was one of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies ahead of its release, and fans are still dissecting every frame of the acclaimed sequel. The legendary Angela Bassett's character had an expanded role in Black Panther 2, although she tragically perished at the hands of Namor during the second act. And Bassett revealed the texts that friends sent her after learning of Queen Ramonda’s death.

Fans were shocked when Ramonda was killed off during Black Panther 2, and Angela Bassett has been open about how she personally fought against that emotional plot twist. It ultimately moved Shuri’s story forward in a significant way, making way for her to become the next Panther. Although it turns out that Bassett’s loved ones felt similarly to her, as she shared while speaking with THR about her role in Wakanda Forever:

Same, though. After seeing Angela Bassett’s Black Panther character take the spotlight in Ryan Coogler’s sequel, it was truly heartbreaking to see her die during Namor’s assault on the Wakandan City. Still, I don’t blame the Waiting to Exhale star and her friends for having such a strong reaction to her being killed off in Wakanda Forever.

Ryan Coogler had a difficult task in crafting Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in the wake of Chadwick Boseman’s passing. The women of the franchise came to the forefront of the narrative, and Angela Bassett’s performance has been universally acclaimed. In fact, she earned an Oscar nomination, and has been getting a ton of accolades throughout Awards Season. And Ramonda's death might have very well influenced the emotional impact of her performance. 

What is perhaps the most upsetting about Ramonda’s death in Black Panther 2 is the fact that we’ll presumably see no more of Angela Bassett in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Then again, no one is ever really gone in Wakandan Culture. After all, Shuri saw a glimpse of her late mother in the Ancestral Plane during her final battle with Namor.

There are a ton of questions that fans were left with following Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s release, including who would be leading the fictional country following Ramonda’s death. It was also revealed that T’Challa had a son, which should have an influence on that plot point in particular. We’ll just have to wait and see what Ryan Coogler has up his sleeve, and if Shuri and company appear in future Marvel movies like Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is streaming on Disney+ now, and the next MCU movie hitting theaters in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania on February 17th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Halle Berry made Oscar history 21 years ago when she became the first Black woman to win the Best Actress award. Now as a group of legendary actresses made their way onto the list of 2023 Academy Award nominees over two decades later, the actress who took home a trophy for Monster’s Ball in 2002 is congratulating all the badass ladies for their excellent work. 

The actress started out her congratulatory Instagram story post, by sending her love to all the nominees, but specifically the ladies:

She then started calling out and congratulating specific actresses, starting with her “deserving” friend Angela Bassett. 

Bassett made history with her nomination for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This is because if you’ve seen the Marvel movies in order, and paid attention to the last decade and change of Academy Awards nominees, you’ll notice no Marvel actors have been nominated for their performance, until this year. The actress behind Queen Ramonda got her second Oscar nomination ever for her performance in Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther sequel, and Berry, who is both a Marvel and Oscar alum was quick to congratulate her colleague for one of Bassett’s best movies. 

The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever love didn’t end there, as Berry also congratulated Ruth Carter, who picked up a Costume Design nomination. This is Carter’s fourth nomination, she has received recognition for her work on the costumes for 1993s Malcolm X as well as 1998s Amistad, and won the Oscar in 2019 for Black Panther. 

I could totally see Carter picking up her second Oscar this year for Wakanda Forever, and Berry seems to agree, as she posted:

Like Berry, Michelle Yeoh is making Oscar history. The actress picked up her first-ever Oscar nomination for Best Lead Actress for her outstanding performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once, making her the first Asian to be nominated in this category.

While Yeoh’s co-stars Stephanie Hsu and Ke Huy Quan (who should be the frontrunner for Best Supporting Actor) both nabbed nominations too,  Berry noted Yeoh specifically (as well as Jamie Lee Curtis, but we'll get to that). This is because if she wins, this EEAAO star will make history, just as her fellow Bond girl did all those years ago. The actress wrote: 

Berry also gave a shout-out to Oscar legend Cate Blanchett, who picked up her eighth Oscar nomination for her performance in Tár. Todd Field’s film was welcomed with good reviews, and those critics noted early on that Blanchett was a frontrunner for an Oscar this year. If she wins it would be her third Academy Award.

In her post, Berry simply added some white hearts showing love for the legendary actress:

The X-Men actress was among many to congratulate Jamie Lee Curtis on her first Oscar nod. Following Curtis’ emotional response to the nomination in Best Supporting Actress, Berry chimed in noting just how deserving she is of the recognition. 

Much like Berry, many are celebrating Curtis’ nomination for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Many are also keeping the excitement alive for Stephanie Hsu, who was nominated in the same category for the same film, which was one of the biggest surprises of this year’s nominations. 

It’s so amazing to see women supporting women, and to see a legend like Halle Berry showing her love for all these phenomenal ladies. And, while there may be some historic wins this year at the Academy Awards, let us not forget what happened in 2002 when Halle Berry made history herself. You can check out her speech here:

Hopefully, as the awards season continues, we’ll see more from these actresses, including Berry, because it’s so empowering to see these amazing women supporting each other and making history.

You can tune in to celebrate these badass ladies and the other nominees on March 12 when the 95th Academy Awards air at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. 

Awards season continues to heat up, as last night’s Critic’s Choice Awards served as another step on the path toward this year’s Oscar hopefuls. Winning for her role in the latest Marvel movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Angela Bassett took home another trophy last night for Best Supporting Actress, moving her own odds one step closer to Oscars victory and her speech was a memorable one. 

While accepting her award, the actor shared one specific prayer when it came to the film’s continued success. During her acceptance speech at last night’s Critics Choice Awards, which made its way to Twitter, Bassett highlighted her continued hope that cinematic representation would continue to thrive after this latest hit in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  

• See: All The Marvel Movies In Order

Laying out her feelings on the matter as she closed out her remarks, Angela Bassett’s sentiment was shared as follows: 

The Black Panther series has always been a beacon of successful representation for Black heroes and characters. 2018’s first installment was a runaway box office hit, as Chadwick Boseman’s solo MCU adventure brought in around $1.3 billion upon release. That only continued with the $835.2 million showing that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever racked up last fall, and now the awards recognition continuing to pour in for Angela Bassett.  

Bassett is also among the crop of 2023 Golden Globes winners, scoring her previous award for the season in that voting body’s Best Supporting Actress field as well. Reprising her role as Queen Ramonda, Wakanda Forever saw the remaining monarch of Wakanda put through tests of strength, in the wake of personal adversity and loss. That much could be felt in Angela Bassett's acceptance speech as well, with her adding this final note of tribute to her late co-star: 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever presented many challenges in the wake of Boseman's untimely passing. One specific twist that came as a result of retooling the film saw Angela Bassett respectfully pushing back against Ryan Coogler over one of the film's big scenes, so it's clear she had a big impact on (and in) the movie. Also, when it came to her performance as Wakanda’s reigning queen, Bassett’s grueling stunt scene added some physical challenges to the emotional weight of the project. A complex movie all around, the Black Panther sequel continues to make a name for itself as a Marvel movie outside of the norm of what fans typically see on the big screen.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever came together as a film that raised the stakes as a comic adventure, while also continuing to push for better diversity throughout the entertainment industry through its success. As Angela Bassett continues to be recognized for her sterling work in that picture, her message only gets clearer for all that need to hear it.

If you’re interested in streaming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, you won’t have to wait too long. February 1st marks the debut of Ryan Coogler’s latest MCU adventure, and it’ll be available in the same place you can currently watch most of all the other MCU films and TV shows. An active Disney+ subscription is all you’ll need to be ready for the return to Wakanda at your own leisure. 

Angela Bassett just made history for the Marvel Cinematic Universe at the 80th annual Golden Globes. The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever actress scored a major win at the returning award show and, among many other people, had to pay respects to her departed co-star from the first Black Panther movie, Chadwick Boseman. 

It took Angela Bassett a short while to compose herself when she took the Golden Globes stage to claim her award of Best Supporting Actress for playing Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, possibly because this was an honor she didn't expect. Bassett makes history as the first Marvel actor to earn a major performing award for a role in a Marvel film.

Once the actress had a moment to gather her thoughts, she thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press for her second Golden Globe win of her career, as well as her professional team that helped her out. She also showed love to her husband, Courtney B. Vance, and the rest of her family. Bassett then segued into a special message for the Marvel team and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever crew:   

Angela Bassett pointed to this win as a nod to Chadwick Boseman's legacy. It's a legacy that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever honored by having the character of T'Challa pass away as well. Boseman died in 2020 at age of 43 from colon cancer after battling the illness in private since 2016. 

The award was a win for Angela Bassett and the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever crew, but the actress made sure to let the fans know they're appreciated as well. In the final bit of her speech, she shared thanks MCU lovers and all they've done to help make the Marvel movies a success: 

Angela Bassett's win is major news for Marvel in general, but it could lead to even bigger headlines for the studio in 2023. While Golden Globe wins aren't always indicative of how the Academy Awards will go, Bassett might be on stage yet again later this year for the Oscars. In either case, this should be seen as a big step up for Marvel movies and fans, who have long waited to see these movies get award show recognition since Phase 1. 

I can summarize the emotion and impact of Angela Bassett's speech, but only the actress herself can truly do it justice. Take a look at the full speech below, in which Bassett kicks things off by recalling the first Golden Globe win she ever won for What’s Love Got To Do With It:

Angela Bassett absolutely crushed it in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, so it's truly awesome to see her awarded properly for it. Hopefully the wins for the Marvel film keep on rolling, and this paves the way for future Marvel films to get some award show wins as well. 

The Golden Globes are rolling right along on NBC/streaming for anyone with a Peacock Premium subscription. Be sure to stick with CinemaBlend as all the big winners of the night are announced and the celebrities continue to deliver big moments. 

Over the holiday season, a strangely dark trend started popping up on social media outlets like TikTok, where kids would jokingly tell their parents that their favorite celebrity died, and film the reaction. Eventually Angela Bassett’s son participated, telling her that actor-director Michael B. Jordan had passed. The clip quickly went viral, and now 16 year-old Slater Vance has issued a TikTok apology apologizing for the insensitive video.

Countless TikTok users participated in the fake death challenge over the holidays, filming their parents’ reaction and quickly going viral online. But things felt a little too real when Slater Vance pulled the prank on his mother Angela Bassett, scaring her into thinking her Black Panther co-star Michael B. Jordan had passed away. This is especially true considering the continued feelings of mourning surrounding Chadwick Boseman’s death. It sounds like Vance learned his lesson, deleting the clip and posting a tear-filled apology on TikTok. Check out below:

Well, that certainly sounds like a sincere apology. While the public isn’t privy to the conversations that happened between Slater and his parents Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance, smart money says they had a long talk about the power of social media. And that’s why he took the time to issue this apology to both the public and those who know Michael B. Jordan personally.

The above clip of Slater Vance has quickly started making the rounds online, and shows just how much Angela Bassett’s 16 year-old son has reflected on the prank involving Michael B. Jordan. On top of scaring her at the moment, the clip itself seemingly offended a ton of fans out there as well. While he didn’t mention Chadwick Boseman by name in this apology, one can’t help but make the connection between the real life tragedy that occurred just a few years ago. 

While Slater Vance deleted the TikTok that featured his mother and name dropped Michael B. Jordan, it still managed to get ripped and distributed on various social media outlets. That includes Twitter, where one user posted the clip featuring Angela Bassett’s emotional reaction. Check it out below,

These types of viral pranks have already been getting backlash online for being insensitive, but the Angela Bassett one is all the more emotional. Namely because Michael B. Jordan isn’t just a celebrity, but a colleague and friend. And as such, it seems all the more cruel, especially when you see the emotional reaction the Black Panther actress had to the “news.” Although clearly Slater Vance regrets going through with the prank at all, as well as putting it online. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is still in theaters now, and Angela Bassett is getting a ton of Awards Season attention for her performance as Queen Ramonda (including a Golden Globe nom). While we wait to see how it all shakes out, be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ahead. 

In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Angela Bassett’s character Queen Ramonda had one of the saddest scenes in the movie when she sacrificed herself to save the young Riri Williams as Wakanda’s palace went underwater. While the actress has spoken about calling out the film’s director Ryan Coogler for killing off her character, now she’s opening up about how grueling it was to film the big stunt sequence that went along with her character’s tragic death.  

The tragic scene not only involved emotional strength from Bassett but physical strength as well. While speaking with THR, the actress talked about how they made the scene, and went into detail about her stunt work and the “long wet, wet day” of filming. 

That sounds like a lot to wear at once. Watching the Marvel movies in order, I think it’s safe to say some of the wardrobe from Wakanda is the most ornate and opulent, especially Bassett’s costumes. Her massive gowns are gorgeous, and really highlight how regal the queen of Wakanda is, however, I’d imagine wearing the gown and a wetsuit, and being wet, would be quite difficult. Especially considering how long it took to film.

On top of everything Bassett had to wear, she also talked about how long it took to film the aquatic stunts. While the actress was initially “mortified” by Romanda’s story, and she had a hard time filming the sequence, she did note how good it turned out. She explained: 

Even though she didn’t love the idea at first, and it was hard to grueling to shoot, Bassett ended up liking how it turned out, and the moment did serve the overall plot of the story beautifully. As one of the writers said this moment is important to Shuri’s backstory, and it helps viewers understand why the young princess is on a quest for vengeance when she’s battling Namor at the end of the film.  So, even though it was tough to film on a lot of levels, it was pivotal to the Black Panther sequel.

To see this beautifully tragic moment, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is currently playing in theaters. You can also watch its predecessor Black Panther with a Disney+ subscription. And be sure to check out all of Marvel’s upcoming movies to see what superhero film you can see next in theaters. 

Ryan Murphy is one of the most notable television producers working today. He is the mastermind behind FOX's Glee, 9-1-1, and Scream Queens, and has produced a number of series for FX, including American Horror Story and American Crime Story, as well as Pose. In 2018, Murphy signed a $300 million deal with Netflix that resulted in a number of successful shows for the streamer, like The Politician, Ratched, and most recently Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and The Watcher. The latter two are a couple of the most popular series streaming right now.

There are several reasons for Murphy's success, including genre-bending entertainment, kooky characters, and outlandish storytelling that always intrigues. However, many cite his casts and frequent collaborators for tending to elevate the material. Here is a list of some of the most frequent and reliable collaborators who Murphy relies on for his fan-favorite television series.

Sarah Paulson

Sarah Paulson seems to find her way into almost every Ryan Murphy-produced endeavor. She has played a variety of characters on almost every season of American Horror Story, excluding Season 9, 1984. Her roles on the anthology series have ranged from a starring role as Ana Winters in Asylum and Roanoke, to a guest appearance in Murder House. 

She also starred in the hit Netflix show, Ratched, and American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson, for which she won an Emmy for playing lawyer Marcia Clark. In addition, Paulson played supporting roles in Feud: Bette and Joan, and American Crime Story: Impeachment, for which she received yet another Emmy nomination. The actress has collaborated with Murphy since the very beginning, when she played a guest role on Nip/Tuck. 

Evan Peters

Evan Peters is yet another darling of Murphy's. He has starred in nine seasons of American Horror Story, only excluding 1984 and New York City. Like Paulson, Peters' AHS roles have ranged from centerpiece characters like Tate from Murder House, to more experimental seasons like Cult and Apocalypse where the actor has portrayed multiple characters throughout. 

He also acted as a producer for the Double Feature season. In addition to AHS, Peters plays Stan Bowes, a member of the Trump Organization on the FX series, Pose.  Most notably, he plays the titular role in Netflix's Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination. 

Darren Criss

Darren Criss has been a Murphy favorite since his Glee performance as Blaine, the a cappella-singing love interest to Chris Colfer's Kurt. He switched things up by following that with The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, where he played the leading role, serial killer Andrew Cunanan. His performance was critically acclaimed and he swept the awards' circuit. He went on to work with Murphy again in Hollywood. In addition, Criss guest starred in an episode of AHS: Hotel.

Jessica Lange

Jessica Lange is yet another favorite. The Oscar winning actress has participated in five seasons of American Horror Story, most notably, Murder House, Coven, Freak Show, and Asylum, and makes a guest appearance in Apocalypse. She also had a starring role in FX's Feud: Bette and Joan, where she played Joan Crawford. In addition, Lange plays the cunning grandmother to Zoey Deutch in The Politician. She is also set to star in another Murphy-led project about Marlene Dietrich for Netflix, so even if she's done with AHS, there is more Lange/Murphy to come. 

Emma Roberts

Nothing says Ryan Murphy like Emma Roberts, who is yet another American Horror Story alum. She participated in five seasons of the FX show, including Coven, Freak Show, Apocalypse, and 1984, while also making a single episode appearance in Cult. In addition, Roberts was the lead in the sorority horror show, Scream Queens, which ran for three seasons. 

Kathy Bates

Kathy Bates is yet another Oscar winner who caught Murphy's eye. The Misery actress starred in five seasons of American Horror Story, including her iconic, bone-chilling character in Coven, for which she won an Emmy, and the fan-favorite evil concierge, Iris, in Hotel. Bates also continued her collaboration by playing Joan Blondell in Feud: Bette and Joan.

Dylan McDermott

Dylan McDermott is another familiar face for Murphy fans. The actor is one of the original stars of American Horror Story, and participated in five seasons, including AHS: Asylum. He is best known for his performance as the father of a problematic family in Murder House, which the season is centered around. He also plays a scandalous gas-station owner in the Murphy-produced Hollywood and makes an appearance in Netflix's The Politician.

Angela Bassett

Angela Bassett is another favorite of the creator's. She is the star of FOX's 9-1-1, where she plays the badass Athena Grant. She has also made an appearance on the spin-off show, 9-1-1: Lone Star. In addition, Basset has been in a grand total of five seasons of American Horror Story. Most notably, in Coven, she portrays a fictionalized version Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. She reprised the role for Apocalypse. 

Finn Wittrock

Finn Wittrock has found his way into numerous Murphy projects, including five seasons of American Horror Story. He made his AHS debut in Freak Show, where his incredibly disturbed character earned him an Emmy nomination. He has gone on to appear in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story and Netflix's Ratched. In addition, he plays a supporting role in the Murphy-directed television film, The Normal Heart. 

Patti LuPone

Nobody loves Broadway like Murphy, so it makes sense that Patti LuPone would be featured in many of his projects. LuPone participated in two seasons of American Horror Story, Coven and NYC, as well as more glamorous roles in Pose and Hollywood. The Broadway legend also makes a cameo appearance in Glee, where she plays herself.  

Matt Bomer

Who doesn't love Matt Bomer? Ryan Murphy sure does. The White Collar star has made a number of appearances in the showrunner's projects, including three seasons of American Horror Story. He had small roles in Freak Show and Stories, and most notably had a major role as Lady Gaga's lover in Hotel. Bomer has a major role in The Normal Heart and Boys in the Band, and makes brief appearances in The New Normal and Glee. He also got behind the camera, directing an episode of American Crime Story: Versace. 

Leslie Grossman

Leslie Grossman has worked with Ryan Murphy since the early days of Nip/Tuck. The actress had minor roles in his short-lived series, Popular, and The New Normal, and additionally starred in five seasons of American Horror Story, and has had leading roles in every season she's been in. She continues to be apart of the show, and was a definite stand out in the Season 11 cast.

Jim Parsons

When Jim Parsons left The Big Bang Theory, he made it a point to work with Ryan Murphy. The actor has had starring roles in films like The Boys in the Band and The Normal Heart, and plays the predatory manager to Rock Hudson in Netflix's Hollywood. The role was something very different for Parsons, but Murphy has a talent for drawing out performances from actors playing against type. 

Billie Lourd

Billie Lourd is another young actress Murphy has taken under his wing. The Star Wars actress started her collaboration with the producer in Scream Queens, where she played one of the killer sorority girls. She subsequently starred in six seasons of American Horror Story, playing a main role in most, including NYC, the most recent season. 

Connie Britton

Before The White Lotus, Connie Britton was a staple in the Ryan Murphy Universe. She is most known for her performance as Vivien Harmon in Murder House, a role she reprised in Apocalypse that landed her an Emmy nomination. She was also a fan favorite in 9-1-1, where she played a 911 operator. In addition, she played Faye Resnick, a friend of Nicole Brown Simpson in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. 

Lea Michele

Some would say Ryan Murphy made Lea Michele a star when he cast her as Rachel Berry in the musical teen comedy, Glee. She became one of the most recognizable stars from the show, and the role earned her both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. She also dawned a neck brace as an unconventional sorority girl in Scream Queens. 

Clearly Murphy has his favorites, and continues to work with the same reliable, talented actors in order to make his projects as binge-worthy as possible. Other notable collaborators include stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts, Frances Conroy, Lily Rabe, Adina Porter, Cheyenne Jackson, Neil Patrick Harris, Jane Lynch, and John Stamos. For more information on where to check out some of these iconic projects from these iconic stars, make sure to check out our Ryan Murphy streaming guide, as well as the 2023 TV premiere dates.

Since its introduction in the MCU, Black Panther has remained a fan favorite corner of the shared universe. The generations of fans were thrilled when Wakanda Forever finally hit theaters last month, and continued the story of the beloved fictional country. And Black Panther 2’s director and writer both recently explained why the sequel killed of Angela Bassett’s Queen Ramonda.

The cast of Ryan Coogler’s original Black Panther featured outstanding talent, including the one and only Angela Bassett. Her role was greatly expanded in Wakanda Forever, before sacrificing herself to save Riri Williams during Namor’s assault. Bassett has been honest about pushing back against this plot line, but it ultimately did serve the movie’s plot. Writer Joe Robert Cole recently explained the thought behind Ramonda’s death during Black Panther 2’s Artisans Screening Series conversation (via Variety), and why it was important to Shuri’s story about grief and forgiveness. As he shared:

Points were made. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a meditation on grief, particularly showing how Letitia Wright’s Shuri was still unable to properly move on from the passing of her brother T’Challa. And these emotions reach a boiling point when her mother is also taken from her, inspiring the Wakandan Princess to recreate the heart-shaped herb and become the next Panther.

Given just how powerful Angela Bassett’s performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was, there were no doubt plenty of fans who were disappointed to see her killed off during the acclaimed sequel. But no one is really ever gone in Wakandan Culture, and Ramonda was able to appear to Shuri from the Ancestral Plane during her final battle with Namor– ultimately helping her decide on forgiveness and granting him mercy.

Of course, Black Panther director/co-writer Ryan Coogler also has thoughts about the contents of Wakanda Forever, including the decision to kill Angela Bassett’s signature character. At the same appearance he confirmed that the Oscar nominated actress did indeed push back on this plot twist, but it ultimately was important to the story he was trying to tell. As the Creed filmmaker explained,

Ryan Coogler had to greatly change the story of Black Panther 2 following the unexpected death of Chadwick Boseman in the summer of 2020. And these comments by the acclaimed director show just how methodically he approached his work on Wakanda Forever, and servicing the story of Shuri in particular. It took almost the entire movie for her to finally embrace the mantle of the Panther, and it was directly connected to the death of her mother.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is still in theaters now and continuing to make money at the box office. The next MCU movie hitting the big screen is Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania on February 17th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. Although we shouldn’t expect to see Angela Bassett return to the MCU anytime soon. 

Spoilers ahead for Black Panther 2.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe provided plenty of surprises during Phase Four, both on the small and silver screens. Throughout the last slate of content, perhaps the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movie was none other than Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The acclaimed blockbuster is still making a ton of money at the box office, and brought the women of the franchise into the spotlight. This includes the great Angela Bassett, who recently recalled being “mortified” over Queen Ramonda’s story in Black Panther 2.

While Angela Bassett played a supporting role in the first Black Panther, the sequel gave her some super strong material to work with. But her character Queen Ramonda was also killed off at the end of the movie’s second act, making way for an all-out war between Wakanda and Talokan. The Oscar nominated actress recently spoke to Variety about her experience working on Wakanda Forever, and specifically her thoughts on the death sequence. In Bassett’s words:

There you have it. It sounds like Angela Bassett was upset about Queen Ramonda’s death in Black Panther 2 just like the fandom. And as she explains, she did make her concerns known, and tried to advocate for her signature MCU character. Although in the end this was fruitless, and sacrifice saving Riri Williams informs the movie’s third act. What’s more, Shuri is even able to see her in the Ancestral Plane during her final battle with Namor.

Angela Bassett’s comments about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever make a great deal of sense, especially the part about receiving a “gift” before Ramona’s earth. Ryan Coogler’s franchise has been universally acclaimed, and she was no doubt happy to have an expanded role in the sequel. Which may be why she protested against Queen Ramonda being killed off in the emotional sequel. Luckily no one is really ever gone in Wakandan culture.

Overall, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a meditation on grief. We watched as the movie’s characters attempted to move on after the death of T’Challa, including Shuri, Ramonda, and Nakia. That sense of grief is also what ultimately Shuri to Namor, and helped her give him mercy in that final battle. And that story is indeed benefitted by Ramonda’s sacrifice.

It should be fascinating to see where Ryan Coogler takes the story of Black Panther next. It looks like M’Baku might be the new King, although Nakia’s son Prince T’Challa could also have a claim to the throne. The leadership of the Dora Milaje has also shifted to Ayo, while Okoye and Nakia have become Midnight Angels. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is still in theaters now, remaining #1 at the box office. The next installment in the MCU is Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania on February 17th, 2023. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year. Angela Bassett herself has two projects coming down the line. 

Keke Palmer and Angela Bassett have been compared for some time now. From their physical resemblance to Palmer’s spot-on impression of the Oscar-nominated actress, fans can’t help but see some of Bassett in the Nope star. Of course, the connection goes beyond the similarities, as the Black Panther actress once played Palmer's on-screen, supportive and stern mother in the spelling bee drama Akeelah and the Bee. Both were great in the movie and, as it turns out, Palmer may have played an instrumental role in Bassett playing her mother in the 2006 classic.

The two stars reunited for a special Vanity Fair video celebrating the drama film. Keke Palmer admitted to being a huge fan of both Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne due to their work in the 1993 biopic What’s Love Got to Do with It. Fishburne had already been cast as Dr. Larrabee before his frequent co-star was cast as the title character’s mother, Tanya Anderson. Palmer recalled thinking, at the time, that it would be something if the Oscar-nominated co-stars could reunite years after co-starring in the Tina Turner biopic. During the conversation, Bassett stated that it was Palmer who got her the role:

Can you blame Keke Palmer for wanting to work with her idol? And the casting worked out, given that she, Bassett, and Fishburne gained critical acclaim for their roles and scored multiple award nominations. While no one scored an nodds from the Academy, all three actors, including Bassett, gave Oscar-worthy performances.  

The now-29-year-old True Jackson, VP alum recalled being excited upon learning that Angela Bassett was joining the indie drama. For the young actress, sharing the screen with Bassett and Laurence Fishburne was a dream come true. But once she got past being starstruck, the actress then sought to learn from her colleagues. The Hustlers star recalled what it was like watching their interactions with everyone on set, saying:

Keke Palmer seems to have taken away quite a bit from her time on the set of Akeelah. Her co-stars taught her to be professional and carry herself as such no matter how big or small the job is. And one can say that those things are partly why Palmer has had so much success. She had a phenomenal year with notable releases like Nope and Lightyear. And Angela Bassett has been booked and busy as well, between her work on Fox’s 9-1-1 and her return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Still, through it all, it's hard not to think about their 2006 collaboration, and I'm glad Palmer helped make it happen.

If you want to relive the spelling bee tension with Akeelah Anderson, you can watch Akeelah and the Bee using an Amazon Prime Video subscription.

As the expression goes, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” So when Keke Palmer does her impression of Angela Bassett, she’s really showing how much she loves the Oscar-nominated actress. The Nope actress previously went viral for doing a spot on Angela Bassett, and just recently she did it as the Black Panther actress watched. 

It’s a great moment. Keke Palmer actually worked with Angela Bassett over 15 years ago on one of her first movies, Akeelah and the Bee, where Bassett played the mother to her spelling bee champ character. So, when the actresses reunited, Bassett had to witness the impression herself. Take a look: 

Well, that couldn’t have gone better, could it? Angela Bassett told Keke Palmer that she had already seen her impression and thought it was very good, but wanted to see it live. Palmer went for it, reciting a moment from Bassett's performance in 1992’s The Jacksons: An American Dream, and then Bassett ended up getting into character with her! 

As Palmer shared, her impression started off as something she only did around Queen Latifah, who would practically demand that she do it for her, but once she did it while cameras were rolling it’s taken off even more and become one of her “most notable impressions.” Clearly, Palmer has watched the actress closely in her movies to nail Bassett’s likeness so well.

Ahead of Keke Palmer starring in numerous movies and television shows across her career, earlier this year she told CinemaBlend that Bassett’s performance in What’s Love Got To Do With It was a “big one” that heavily impacted her as a young girl. When she starred in Akeelah and the Bee at 12 years old, she got to be part of a reunion for the movie, with Laurence Fishburne playing Dr. Larabee with Bassett after they had starred in the Tina Turner biopic prior. 

In the same reunion interview with Vanity Fair, Bassett revealed that Palmer was actually responsible for the pair being costars because some filmmakers listened when they asked her who she’d like to see play her mom. All these years later, these two actresses clearly get along super well, and I hope to see them work together again. 

Keke Palmer has had an incredible year, between starring in Jordan Peele’s Nope and voicing a character in Pixar’s Lightyear. Bassett reprised her Black Panther role for Wakanda Forever, offering up another memorable performance, especially in that intense throne room sequence. 

Marvel fans want to see Keke Palmer join the MCU as X-Men’s Rogue, and the actress is on board with being part of the MCU. It’s too bad, Bassett’s Ramonda had a tragic ending in Wakanda Forever, I don't think they'd be able to collaborate in the MCU. Even if it's not in an upcoming Marvel movie, here’s hoping Palmer and Bassett work together again because their chemistry is electric. 

Spoiler alert for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Throughout Phase Four, one of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies has been Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Ryan Coogler’s sequel finally hit theaters a week ago, and it was an emotional meditation on grief, which will no doubt greatly affect the overall shared universe. The sequel put the women of the franchise in the spotlight, including the incomparable Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda. Bassett recalls calling out Coogler for one of Black Panther 2’s most tragic scenes. Yeah, you know the one.

While Angela Bassett played a supporting role in the first Black Panther movie, Wakanda Forever gave her a much more meaty role. Unfortunately, she was also killed off when Namor and his forces attacked the Wakandan City. She died saving Riri Williams, in a truly heartbreaking sequence. After all, who doesn’t want to see her in more movies? Bassett herself recently spoke to IndieWire about her character’s story in the sequel, revealing that she actually pushed back with Ryan Coogler over her death. She said:

I mean, she’s not wrong. Considering just how powerful her performance was throughout Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, I was definitely bummed to see Angela Bassett’s signature MCU character killed off in the critically acclaimed sequel. But the dead aren’t really gone in Wakandan culture, so perhaps we’ll still be able to see her in a future movie. 

Angela Bassett’s comments to IndieWire help to peel back the curtain on what it’s actually like making an epic Marvel movie like Black Panther 2. Ryan Coogler’s sophomore Marvel effort was greatly altered after the death of Chadwick Boseman, and it sounds like it was a collaborative environment for the actors to work out their feelings of grief. And it also made the Waiting to Exhale icon comfortable enough to challenge Ryan Coogler regarding Ramonda’s death.

Later in that same interview, Angela Bassett explained how Ryan Coogler reacted when she pushed back about her death in Black Panther 2. He used Wakandan lore to help justify this tragic plot twist, as she shared:

Indeed, Queen Ramonda did get to return for one more brief scene. When Shuri finally gets the upper hand on Namor and is about to kill him, she sees a vision of Angela Bassett’s character in the ancestral plane. This inspires her decision not to carry out revenge, and instead form an alliance with the Talokan. And in doing that, she saves the team carrying out the mission in the Atlantic Ocean.

Black Panther 2’s ending left the fictional country of Wakanda in a fascinating place. While Shuri is the new Panther, M’Baku was the one who challenged for the throne. Additionally, it looks like Everett Ross might be taking up residence there, after being rescued from custody for helping them. And of course, the reveal of T’Challa’s son might offer another claim to the throne.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is in theaters now and making tons of money. Be sure to check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. Just don’t expect to see any Marvel movies, as they won’t return to theaters with Ant-Man 2 in Phase Five.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is packed with emotional moments that punch directly at the heart, and there are few quite as powerful as the exchange between Danai Gurira’s Okoye and Angela Bassett’s Queen Ramonda in the Wakandan throne room. The former reports to the latter that Shuri (Letitia Wright) has been kidnapped by the warriors from Talocan, and the passion that is expressed in the moment from both performers physically pushes you into the back of your chair. It’s some of the best acting featured in the film, and that can in part be credited to the awesome collaboration between the stars.

Speaking with the cast and filmmakers of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever during the movie’s Los Angeles press day late last month, I specifically asked Danai Gurira about the scene in question – both in terms of the emotional perspective of her character and working with Angela Bassett. She began by explaining what the moment means for Okoye, as Shuri’s kidnapping is a painful failure for the character given her position as the leader of the Dora Milaje – and yet she also doesn’t anticipate the consequences that are delivered. Said Gurira,

In the context of the scene (which I won’t further spoil here), the kidnapping of Shuri is just the latest tragedy to befall Wakanda – and Okoye is already weighed down with guilt and mourning following the death of King T’Challa. It’s a hard time for her, and the horrible energy of everything explodes when it collides with the intense pain felt by Queen Ramonda, who fears that her entire family has been ripped away from her.

One could imagine that just a single take of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever exchange between the characters would be enough to wipe out the performers, but it took much more than that, and it only makes the moment in the blockbuster greater knowing the lengths to which Danai Gurira and Angela Bassett went in order to ensure the work was perfect. When the scene was being captured from multiple angles, it didn’t matter who was on camera and who wasn’t; both of them gave it their all in every take. Said Gurira,

It seemingly wasn’t something that either actor had to ask for – it was just about both of them doing their part as members of the production. She continued,

Also featuring terrific performances from Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Tenoch Huerta, and Martin Freeman, the critically acclaimed Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in theaters everywhere.

For more about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you can read our ranking of the MCU movies, and learn about the intricacies of the Marvel timeline. To learn about all of the projects that are in the works from Marvel Studios, check out our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV guides.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is not the film that it was intended to be when development first began on the sequel back in in 2018. Sure, writer/director Ryan Coogler knew that he wanted to introduce Namor The Submariner as the titular hero’s foil in the story he was crafting, but said hero was supposed to be Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa – the newly crowned King of Wakanda in the midst of his rule following the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

Sadly, the tragic death of Boseman in 2020 meant this vision couldn’t be realized, and Coogler was put in what could have been viewed as an impossible position: not only needing to re-envision what the movie would be, but work with the immense pressure to honor the memory of the beloved star. That’s not a fair situation for anyone to be thrust into, especially when emotions are still raw after a terrible loss – but that just speaks the phenomenal talent and passion of everyone involved to make the film what it is.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is not your typical Marvel blockbuster, featuring an appropriate somber atmosphere and politics-driven plotting – which isn’t to say it’s humorless. It has its fun, but mostly it’s a challenging and powerful cinematic expression of mourning that is utterly beautiful in its design and features an ensemble cast that brilliantly steps up as a collective.

After shattering opening sequences that see Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) desperately trying to save T’Challa’s life and the nation of Wakanda holding a funeral for their king, the film jumps ahead one year as Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) navigates the tricky politics that have arisen from her country being unveiled to the world. Trust still hasn’t been earned by foreign nations to share in Wakanda’s private stockpile of Vibranium, leaving Ramonda to make the decision to keep the precious metal at arm’s length. Instead of making the effort to be better international partners, the United States starts looking for it elsewhere.

Thanks to the invention of a device that can locate Vibranium, this U.S.-led mission is actually successful. A deposit is discovered in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and a drilling team is sent down to mine it… but this decision quickly leads to horror. Blue-skinned humanoids emerge from the water and kill everybody involved with the operation, and with nobody left alive to say what happened, fingers are pointed at the Wakandans.

Shortly thereafter, Ramonda and Shuri learn the truth. They are approached by King Namor (Tenoch Huerta) and told about Talocan, a Vibranium-rich nation that has secretly and peacefully existed for centuries beneath the ocean. Fearing his world’s exposure, Namor offers a threat to the Wakandan royals, demanding that they kidnap and kill the American scientist who created the Vibranium detector – a Massachusetts Institute of Technology student named Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) – or risk being destroyed by Talocan’s immense and unstoppable army.

Ryan Coogler crafts a heartbreaking and complex story to tell in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

The plotting in the first Black Panther is as remarkable as anything we’ve seen from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger raising complex questions about Wakanda’s place on the global stage given the inequalities faced by Black people around the world – and it’s the sequel’s ability to reach that high bar with its own story that makes it tremendously satisfying. Between its ensemble of protagonists, the complicated tone, and the introduction of a whole new fantastical domain, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever juggles a great number of things in its nearly three-hour runtime, but it doesn’t drop a single ball.

As a goodbye to Chadwick Boseman and T’Challa, it’s a special achievement. The movie makes the smart decision not to turn the Black Panther’s death into a plot line about succession or political destabilization, which easily could have felt exploitative. Instead, the hard emotions from the loss are primarily expressed through the arcs of the principal characters, and the individual journeys are extraordinary – with Queen Ramonda desperate to protect what remains of her family; Shuri looking to define her identity after being unable to save her brother; Okoye (Danai Gurira) trying to reaffirm her role as the protector of the royal family; and Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) distancing herself from Wakanda after the death of the man she loves. Every choice feels organic, and is all the more affecting because of it.

All of those character threads mesh brilliantly with the introduction of Namor and the world of Talocan – which is an amazing narrative thread that once again allows Ryan Coogler to express fascinating commentary about the horrors of colonization and ask big, philosophical questions. Like Killmonger, Namor is an antagonist who expresses violent inclinations (specifically his desire to see Riri Williams abducted and assassinated), but he also possesses a rational and understandable perspective that is informed by personal trauma. This is a blockbuster with a budget probably in the $200 million range that engages with the ethics and morality of pre-emptive strikes – attacking your enemy before they have the opportunity to attack you – and it succeeds at being as meditative and thought-provoking as it is thrilling.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever inspires phenomenal work from the entire cast.

Just as the moment inspires Ryan Coogler to do some of his best work, the ensemble cast in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever does a spectacular job further pulling us into this world and making every powerful emotion palpable. It’s actually difficult to identify any “main” protagonist in the film both because the arcs of Shuri, Ramonda, Okoye and Nakia are all so individually impressive and the respective actors have such phenomenal screen presence. Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong’o all have their own moments that put you in the back of your seat in expressive awe – though Bassett and Gurira both deserve special recognition for their work together in a high-tension confrontation in the Wakandan throne room that takes up special residence in one’s mind when reflecting on the movie (I won’t say more due to spoilers, but you’ll know it as you watch it).

And then there’s Tenoch Huerta. This is the actor’s first blockbuster role, he’s playing a beloved Marvel hero/antihero who has never been depicted before on-screen, and it’s a movie that has incalculable hype – and yet the pressure of all that seems to have the same effect that deep-sea pressure has on Namor: none. The character has a fascinating way of vacillating between being charming and threatening, and either way Huerta ensures that you can’t keep your eyes off of him. Furthermore, not every star can pull off zooming around a screen with Hermes-esque winged feet, but the newcomer pulls it off with badass grace.

Both Wakanda and Talocan are stunning cinematic visions brought to life by incredible filmmakers.

Not to be satisfied with just being thematically rich, telling a compelling story, and showcasing some of the most impassioned performances of year, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever also just so happens to be breathtaking in its beauty. The previous chapter in this series rightfully won Oscars for costume design, production design, and the original score, and that success evidently only drove Ruth E. Carter, Hannah Beachler, and Ludwig Göransson to respectively raise their personal bars for the sequel.

It’s a spellbinding return to Wakanda, which again comes across as utterly vibrant and real, but the introduction of Talocan additionally challenges your body’s preconceived limitations when it comes to widening your eyes as you try and take it all in. The movie does make it a challenge to grasp the full scale of its settings, and there is a remaining desire to see even more of Wakanda than the film ultimately provides, but the sights and sounds are nonetheless unique, special, and magnificent.

Given circumstances behind the scenes, it would have been understandable if Black Panther: Wakanda Forever couldn’t quite live up to the magic of its game-changing predecessor, but instead it is its equal. It’s poignant, captivating, and awesome, and a special achievement by every measure.