Yes, I know. Acclaimed actor, producer and director Angela Bassett isn’t exactly under the radar, having won a Golden Globe and received nominations for a gazillion other awards, including a Best Actress Oscar, during her illustrious career. And nor would you associate her with horror… unless, like me, you love American Horror Story. Because for her roles in this anthology series alone, she deserves a place in horror’s Hall of Fame. She first appeared in 2013’s Coven season, as Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau. And what a joy it was to watch her spar with fellow Hollywood royalty Jessica Lange, as supernatural rivals vying for the upper hand in New Orleans; two actors at the top of their game, trading deliciously witchy-bitchy insults in cat fights that crackled with animosity (what a delight, too, to see a major TV show with two female leads in their fifties and sixties. How often does that happen?). Bassett returned in the next season as Desiree Dupree, a performer in the titular ‘Freak Show’. With her red lipstick, bold jewellery and fur coat, she was a glamorous starlet with a secret – and she gave the role a perfect balance of vulnerability, strength and dignity. Fast forward to the Hotel season, and she was electric as former film star turned vampire Ramona Royale. And no matter that Lady Gaga’s first major acting role inevitably garnered all the attention here – Bassett only had to stalk into the frame to blow her off the screen. It all got a bit meta in 2016’s Roanoake season, when she played an actor starring in a dramatic reconstruction of terrifying ‘real-life’ events… and if you’re thinking that all these roles sound a tad far-fetched and even silly, rest assured that in Bassett’s hands they’re totally believable. Amongst the excellent AHS cast, she shines the brightest, with authority, presence and poise. Any future horror productions will be lucky to have her.
Laura Eddy writes 