image by Georges Biard
With the Oscars set to take place this weekend, Krystal takes a look at some of the black actors who, over the years, should have taken an award home.
Morgan Freeman: The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
If you haven’t seen the Shawshank Redemption, then chances are you have not lived at all. Rated as one of the greatest films of all time, the film’s backbone was its narrator, a long time prisoner named Red, played by Morgan Freeman.
After starting his career in the 1950’s, Freeman became one of Hollywood’s most consistent actors in the 1980’s in films such as Lean on Me and Driving Miss Daisy. Despite the character of Red being a white Irishman in the novel and set to be played by Clint Eastwood, Freeman’s acting over shone any racial issues. He sadly lost out that year to Tom Hank’s in Forrest Gump. That didn’t slow down Freeman as he became the first black actor play the President of the United States, and God.
Angela Bassett: What’s Love Got To Do With It (1993)
image by The Heart Truth
If ever there was an African-American actress that has shaped the role of black women in Hollywood, Angela Bassett would need to be on top of that list. From her sadly overlooked portrayal of Malcolm X’s widow, Betty Shabazz, in Spike Lee’s 1992 biopic Malcolm X, to her role as a cheated wife in the 1995 classic Waiting to Exhale, Angela Bassett has only ever received one Academy Award nomination.
This nod was for her role as the music legend Tina Turner in the 1993 biopic What’s Love Got To Do With It. She played Tina Turner from the age of sixteen to her mid-forties and spent months training to dance. The scenes of her abuse at the hands of Ike Turner (Lawrence Fishburne) were the most compelling, showing her range as an actress. Despite worldwide acclaim for her accurate portrayal and the media buzz surrounding the film, she lost out that year to The Piano’s Holly Hunter, leaving everyone amazed at how she was left empty handed.
Whoopi Goldberg: The Color Purple (1985)
image by Daniel Langer
When you think of Whoopi Goldberg, you think of both comedy and drama. From the showgirl-turned-nun in Sister Act to the widow of a civil rights activist in Ghost’s of Mississippi, Whoopi has been able to challenge Hollywood’s take on black actresses.
Her first ever film role came in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film The Color Purple. She played Celie, an abused woman who lived in the depths of segregated Southern America. With her hair natural and her deep tones of brown, her performance was a stated that Hollywood no longer needed to rely on lighter-skinned actresses to promote movies. Sadly, Whoopi went away empty handed that night, as did the rest of the cast and crew who were nominated for eleven awards.
By Ali Ali
Another actor to have missed out is the brilliant Samuel L Jackson. His performance in A Time To Kill showed his depth as an actor.
I also have a problem with actors/actresses who have won oscars for roles which were undeserved eg) Cuba Gooding Jr in Jerry Maguire and Halle Bery in Monsters Ball. I also feel that actors/actresses don’t win for the performances that is deserved eg) Denzel Washington for his portrayal of Malcolm X instead for playing a shady cop in Training day.In many of his films he’s played a cop. Whoopi Goldberg for her performance in A Color Purple instead she got it for her performance in Ghost in which she played a some what comedic and non challenging role. It seems in hollywood unless you play a stereotypical role or a non challenging role you’ve got chance of an oscar or at least a nomination.
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