Academy Award nominee Angela Bassett first made a name for herself portraying historical figures - from Betty Shabazz in Malcolm X to Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with It. She is a prolific actress who has starred in dozens of Hollywood films and television shows such as Mission Impossible: Fallout, Black Panther, and American Horror Story. Her most recent roll is voicing the evil Decepticon Shatter in Bumblebee, a movie about the lovable Transformer Bumblebee and the young woman he befriends.
Screen Rant: Congratulations. It's exactly what I wanted from a Transformers movie, all these years.
Angela Bassett: Is that right?
Screen Rant: Hundred percent, hundred percent. This is always what I've wanted.
Angela Bassett: You wanted some heart. You want some heart, right?
Screen Rant: Yeah.
Angela Bassett: Okay.
Screen Rant: I mean it was great. I got the emotion. I connected with Bumblebee as well. Something I would've never imagined is you playing a Transformer though.
Angela Bassett: Me either.
Screen Rant: How did that all come about?
Angela Bassett: Just got a call. And they said, “You get to play a villainous, a Decepticon, first female robot.” He sent me a one-sheet and see what she looked like. She was uhh, she looks fierce, tall, foreboding, impenetrable. I said, “Hmm, I kind of dig it.”
Screen Rant: How did you like playing the villain? Because it's not something we usually get to see from you.
Angela Bassett: I know. But I want to play a villain. I'm not used to it. So, it's unexpected. So, I like that.
Screen Rant: So, Dropkick and Shatter have-- they're like these intergalactic bounty hunter Decepticons that come to earth. Do you know anything about their backstory and why they're there?
Angela Bassett: I do not. [chuckles]
Screen Rant: Well me neither. So, it all makes sense.
Angela Bassett: There's certain, hunting him down and get some information out of him about the other Autobots. About where they are. But how they came to be and why they're so evil…
Screen Rant: Talk to me about playing the villain though. How much fun was it just getting in the booth and letting loose and just kind of doing a villainous character?
Angela Bassett: You know, there are just no boundaries. You can really have just fun, with more. More is better, more is more, and more is better. So, you don't have to be subtle about it. But it was just delightful. What's your mustache really about?
Screen Rant: Why do you think so many people connect with Transformers? Even though it's such a far-fetched idea, but it just so much fun.
Angela Bassett: It’s probably that idea of is there life out there? You know, beyond the stars. Are they aware of us? Are they stronger than us? Are they friendly?
Screen Rant: That was so fun too. So many of those tropes like, “Take me to your leader.” I thought that was well written. It was played very too. If you can transform into any vehicle, what would you want to transform into any vehicle?
Angela Bassett: Probably a jet of some sort. I just want to get there quickly. I want to go far and I want to go fast. I do like to go fast.
Screen Rant: That's a great answer. So, obviously you're portraying a villain in this. Does this spark your interest in wanting to portray more villains now? Because it's just so freeing for you I guess.
Angela Bassett: Most definitely.
Screen Rant: Really?
Angela Bassett: Yes.
Screen Rant: That's awesome. I can't wait. And also, can you talk to me about Travis Knight actually? Because he's from stop motion animation to doing something like this. Talk to me about some of the direction that he gave you doing this.
Angela Basset: You know, he was very helpful. I mean, it was interesting because it's later in the process. When I come aboard to do my Shatter thing and I happened to be working in New York and he was very far away.
He was in Seattle at the time. So, of course we couldn't be in the same room. So, that was interesting. But he was on with technology, he was on little television screen, but I think it was black and white. So, we were able to communicate that way. And he was just very, very helpful to me in terms of, “give it to me this way” or “try this or try this.” Because knowing the landscape of who she is, of the story, because it was just a big one to wrap your head around. The idea of the Decepticon. You say, this is your childhood, you grow up with it. But it's like a lot of that was new for me. But the idea of being such, a successful franchise, being the first time has spent, a female robot and a female protagonist in Charlie was something that I could applaud and get behind. So I wanted to be a part of it. He was absolutely amazing to work with.
Screen Rant: Well you did a great show. Thank you so much.
Angela Bassett: Thank you.
