Angela Bassett Recalls Filming Violent Scenes For 1993 Tina Turner Biopic, Says It Was ‘Emotionally Draining
The article contains references to rape and abuse.
Angela Bassett, renowned for her captivating performances, has recently opened up about the challenging experience of filming violent scenes for the iconic 1993 biopic What’s Love Got to Do with It, where she portrayed the legendary Tina Turner.
Bassett’s portrayal of Turner was both physically and emotionally demanding, as she delved into the tragic aspects of Turner’s tumultuous life.
Angela Bassett on the emotional toll of filming What’s Love Got to Do with It
In a candid revelation, Angela Bassett, now 65, shared the emotional toll of embodying Tina Turner’s character, particularly during the portrayal of harrowing scenes involving domestic violence.
Bassett emphasized that these scenes were not merely acts of performance but deeply immersive experiences that resonated with her spirit. She stated, as retrieved via PEOPLE, “It’s not playtime or acting. You assess a part of your spirit in the portrayal when you really connect.”
Recalling those days as her early days on set, Bassett shared, “I was a newbie on the scene, I don’t have so much influence or say. But I had an advocate who would join me by my side and we would say, in a firm and delicate way, ‘We got it.'” Bassett vividly remembers the anguish of filming a scene where Ike violently assaults Tina, pushing her against a fish tank and subjecting her to rape. The gravity of portraying such violence, particularly the act of rape, deeply affected Bassett, leaving her emotionally drained and profoundly impacted by the weight of the narrative.
