Angela Bassett Says Playing The President Is Just Like Being A Mom
Angela Bassett may be ruling the big screen as the President of the United States, but when it comes to managing real life, the Black Panther star says motherhood is the best training ground.
While speaking to PEOPLE at the New York premiere of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning on May 18, Angela, 66, shared a secret to her commanding presidential presence: being a mom. “I think being a mom really actually helps, ’cause you have constituents. You listen sometimes, but they need to adhere. You have veto power,” she stated.
It’s a hilarious yet deeply accurate comparison — and it makes sense. Between raising her twins, Bronwyn and Slater, and leading onscreen nations in both the new Mission: Impossible film and Netflix’s Zero Day, Angela’s been balancing diplomacy, direction, and discipline for years.
But it’s not all pretend power plays. Angela is hoping her roles as president will do more than entertain. “Whenever I’m portraying them, I’m hoping and waiting for the day where life will imitate art. We’re not there yet, obviously,” she said. Her dream? To help audiences imagine a world where seeing a woman in charge — even of a country — feels completely normal.
She added, “Maybe [it’s] for some people to see representation. We always talk about that idea of seeing yourself in film and theater, seeing what’s possible, human interaction. So I think … the film is aspirational in its way, so one day, one day. We’ll get there.”
And while Angela continues to command the screen, back at home she’s watching her kids prepare to take on the real world. “We’re looking to see how they enjoy working for a living,” she said with a smile, revealing that her twins have internships lined up this summer. “Some have long hours, some are in the business. We’ll see how they feel about it afterwards, because it all seems so glorious and glamorous so we’ll see after they really go to work.”
Despite the long hours and early mornings that come with parenting, Angela has always embraced the journey. She previously appeared on Today, where she revealed that when she dropped her twins off at college, it wasn’t the tearful goodbye most might expect.
“You know what, no tears. Just lots of joy,” she shared. “You think you’re going to cry, and because you think you are going to do that, it doesn’t happen.” She recalled how exciting college was for her and how happy she was to see her children experience that same joy.
