WATCH: Angela Bassett Breaks Down Power, Politics And ‘Zero Day’

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The legendary actress steps into the Oval Office as President Evelyn Mitchell, and reveals how she brought depth to her role in Netflix’s gripping new series.

Transcript

00:00Whatever, as you can imagine, the tenacity that it would take to even rise, to be able

00:07to sit behind that desk, to even have the idea that this were possible and to go for

00:14it.

00:15Probably when many thought otherwise.

00:17My name is Okla Jones with Essence Magazine.

00:25Hello Miss Bassett.

00:26I hope all is well.

00:27Hi there.

00:29For my first question, I wanted to ask you, you've played so many commanding roles throughout

00:35your career, but now you're portraying a sitting U.S. President.

00:39What aspect of President Mitchell's character resonates with you the most, specifically

00:43as a black woman in this powerful position?

00:50I think her calm demeanor, calm, cool, her intellectual capacity to hold so many thoughts

01:00and ideas and concerns within, in the palm of her hand.

01:07As you can imagine, the tenacity that it would take to even rise, to be able to sit behind

01:13that desk, whatever strength, the strength that she had to develop or that was innate

01:20that she could withstand, you know, slings, arrows, barbs, and still persevere, to even

01:30have the idea that this were possible and to go for it.

01:34Probably when many thought otherwise.

01:38I wanted to add on to that question a bit regarding your past roles.

01:42Roles that come to my mind is Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen, and Mission Impossible

01:48to a certain extent as well, too.

01:50For you as an actress, what's so intriguing about these political thrillers?

01:54Well, I, you know, like anything, it's just, it's another genre.

02:01It's something that it's, you know, usually because politics plays such a big role in

02:08I guess in our daily lives, especially now that we have a 24-hour news feed and CNN and

02:13all the like, it's like, it's on like on television all day long, like, you know, as well as other

02:21forms of entertainment, you know, we have cast of characters, you know, that we shake

02:27our head to or that we, you know, buy into who resonate with us or those who do not.

02:36And so it's interesting to see this and just get a, you know, it can, we can scream at

02:42the screen, you know, like, it's incredulous what you're saying.

02:46And so this is just, you know, forming it in an entertainment sort of package.

02:54And it, and we have, we come to a sort of a conclusion and wrap it up at the end so

02:59we can be satisfied.

03:01Whereas in real life, maybe it's ongoing and ongoing and far reaching.

03:07And I believe this is your second time working with Robert De Niro.

03:11What was it like collaborating with him on this particular project?

03:14Oh gosh, it's been 24 years since we worked together and, and, you know, seeing each other

03:21from that time to this.

03:24So it was really satisfying to have, you know, his first foray into television, you

03:30know, into television with the six part miniseries and for it to be called to come aboard, join

03:39with incredible writer, director, just a cast that's just stacked with notable, notable

03:46talent.

03:47It was just really an honor to be involved, to sit across from him, sitting president,

03:53former president, you know, to dialogue with him in the scenes, still as generous an actor

03:58as he, as I found him the first time, but you know, I had far less nerves this time.

04:04Well, Ms. Bassett, it was a pleasure and an honor to be speaking with you and I really

04:10appreciate you.

04:11Thank you so much for your time.

04:13Appreciate it.

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