Friday, March 29, 2024

Angela Bassett Talks Taking Over ‘Rainbow Six’

This undated photo provided by Ubisoft shows actress Angela Bassett during a motion capture session for her character, in the video game, “Rainbow Six: Siege.” (Colin Young-Wolff/Ubisoft via AP)
This undated photo provided by Ubisoft shows actress Angela Bassett during a motion capture session for her character, in the video game, “Rainbow Six: Siege.” (Colin Young-Wolff/Ubisoft via AP)

*The incomparable Angela Bassett will star in Ubisoft’s “Rainbow Six Siege game, it was announced during a Ubisoft news conference. Bassett is the latest “Six” in the upcoming installment of the publisher’s long-running shooter series. The character has always been portrayed as male in past “Rainbow Six” games, as well as in Tom Clancy’s original novel.

Named Six, she’s the leader of your terrorist-hunting squad, doling out the intel needed to eliminate targets.

“We’ve known for quite some time we’ve been looking to cast a female actress for ‘Six’ this time around,” said “Rainbow Six” animation director Scott Mitchell. “Angela Bassett was one of our top choices from the beginning. We were looking for someone who could deliver a strong, commanding performance.”

In the game, players portray one of several international operators under the command of Bassett’s character, akin to “M” in the James Bond franchise.

The technical requirements for capturing Bassett’s virtual performance for “Rainbow Six: Siege,” was a new experience for the veteran actress.

“It was a layering technique, which is very different from film, but it was very, very interesting,” Bassett said in an interview with The AP about her part in the game, which is set for release Oct. 13. There will be a beta on September 24.

Below are excerpts from the interview, which you can read in full here.

AP: Why were you interested in this role?

Bassett: I don’t have much experience with video games, especially not at this high level. Whenever I get an opportunity to go in another direction, I do. I’m very aware of media and women in the media and the way we come across. I thought this would be a very strong look, as a woman and as a black woman. For myself, it’s a way to keep current. I just wanted to have an opportunity to be part of something like that.

AP: Were you aware of the many criticisms how women and African-Americans are portrayed in games?

Bassett: I wasn’t at first. I have a cousin who is very much into this world. He told me this would be a big, big, big deal. I said, “Really?” There have been opportunities in film where the part was a male, and they’ve changed it for me, and I’ve been able to bring it to life. I’ve always liked that. This was another opportunity to do that. To hear that in this world, women are not usually in this role, that was very exciting news to me.

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