*Angela Bassett is reflecting on her friendship with the late-great Whitney Houston as the tenth anniversary of the singer’s death approaches.
Houston and Bassett co-starred in the 1995 film “Waiting to Exhale” and they formed a close friendship outside of filming.
“You know, working with Whitney…we were all such a fan,” Bassett told Entertainment Tonight’s Kevin Frazier in 2020. “So to come to know each other, to play cards, to go bowling, to that regular simple joys of life stuff? It was great. It was an awesome opportunity.”
Bassett is remembering the music icon’s legacy in an interview with InStyle, in which the actress also spoke about how she has dealt with Houston’s death.
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“The loss can be overwhelming, but I try to remain grateful for the moments I’ve had with them and for the contribution that they’ve made to my life and to culture. Instead of leaning into the loss, I lean into the blessing that their life was and will appear to be in spirit,” said Bassett.
She added, “When you’re a person of faith, you know that we are much more than just flesh and blood. We’re spirit, heart, and soul as well. And we trust that those things remain with us.” Bassett was very close with the two stars and was meant to act with them on “Black Panther 2” and “Getting to Happy,” the sequel to “Waiting to Exhale.”
Houston died in 2012 from an accidental drowning caused by the effect of drugs, which contributed to Whitney’s heart disease, according to the coroner.
Bassett paid tribute to Houston by directing the 2015 Lifetime film titled “Whitney,” which starred Yaya Decosta as the singer and Arlen Escarpeta portrayed Houston’s ex-husband Bobby Brown.
“I pondered the regret I’d feel if I didn’t do it,” Bassett told USA Today in 2015. “It was something very personal. It was almost impossible to articulate her death in the African-American community and the community at large — her beauty, her talent, her spirit. We were in love with her. Different media outlets reached out to me then, and I couldn’t say anything. It was too soon, too raw. When this (TV movie) opportunity came, it was a gift, a way I could say what I felt about her.”
Bassett and Houston were set to reunite on the big screen once more for the “Waiting to Exhale” sequel, “Getting to Happy.”
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