Angela Bassett Makes History As Highest-Paid Black Actress In TV History

Angela Bassett has officially raised the bar with her new broadcast TV deal. After successfully negotiating a pay raise for her role in the drama series “9-1-1,” the iconic Angela Bassett made history as the highest-paid actress in television history. According to Deadline, Bassett will be taking home a whopping $450,000 an episode.

“That is believed to be among the top salaries on network television for any actor — male or female — and could be the highest ever for an actress of color on a broadcast drama series,” reported Deadline.

In addition to leading the show’s cast, Bassett also executively produces episodes for the series and its spinoff “9-1-1: Lone Star.”

With the expectation of more season renewals, Bassett could see herself rising in the ranks of TV’s highest-paid actresses in no time, reported ETonline.

Scandal leading lady, Olivia Pope, played by actress Kerry Washington and Viola Davis’ character, Annalise Keating, of How To Get Away With Murder, are also recognized as high-earning Black women actresses in TV dramas. TVLine reported that with the incredible success of Scandal, Kerry Washington made $250,000 an episode, and Viola Davis may have earned close to $450k around the series’ ending.

Bassett’s role, Athena Grant, continuously draws fans back to the screen for her blunt, dedicated, and accomplished personality. As a Los Angeles Sergeant and mother of two, viewers of the show get to witness how Athena balances major responsibilities.

According to Fox, “The series explores the high-pressure experiences of first responders — including police officers, firefighters, and dispatchers — who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking, and heart-stopping situations. These emergency responders must try to balance saving those who are at their most vulnerable with solving the problems in their own lives. The show draws from real-life, high-pressure experiences of first responders who regularly face heart-stopping situations that are often unpredictable, intense, and uplifting at the same time.”

Angela Bassett has had a long and successful acting career, and her net worth reflects that. It is reportedly about $25 million in 2023, combined with her husbands’ Courtney B. Vance. Throughout her career, she has won 16 NAACP Image Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She has also been nominated for two academy awards for Best Supporting Actress in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

For the film, there were reports that the veteran actress made about $350,000 for her role. 

According to Celebrity Net Worth, she was also paid $250,000 for What’s Love Got to Do With It, $2.5 million for Waiting to Exhale, and $3.5 million for Supernova. 

Updated 7/21/2023

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