Angela Bassett graces Essence Magazine’s November/December 2022 Cover

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” star Angela Bassett graces Essence Magazine’s November/December 2022 Cover

The Oscar-nominated star of both the big screen and small (she’s currently one of the highest-paid actresses on tv for her role on FOX’s 9-1-1,) will return to Wakanda when “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters on November 11.

On Being One of the Highest Paid Actresses of Color on Television, Bassett said:

“As RiRi said, ‘Pay me what you owe me.’ We all should be compensated fairly, and that was one of my mantras. I would say to myself, I want to work. I want to work consistently, and I want to be paid fairly, and that has happened.”

In the sequel to “Black Panther,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye, and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.

Bassett admits to having “butterfies returning to the set” after the passing of “Black Panther” lead Chadwick Boseman.

“There are these two things that we were dealing with: the loss of our leader and trying to meet the expectations of an audience. The mantle is monumental, but it’s not so heavy that we can’t accomplish what we all gathered together to do.”

Also starring with Bassett are Lupita Nyong’o, Leticia Wright, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman and Danai Gurira.

Essence Magazine is on newsstands now.