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Home • Celebrity

Angela Bassett Would Probably Be 'Black Panther's' Erik Killmonger If This Audition Tape Were Real

By Britni Danielle · Updated December 6, 2020
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More than a month after hit movie theaters, Black Panther is still going strong. After breaking box office records when it was released, the film has now raked in more than $1 billion globally and is on track to bring in even more this weekend.

While fans await their next trip to Wakanda in Marvel Studios’ next film, Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther’s stars are still having fun with the movie’s iconic characters.

Recently, Angela Bassett stopped by Buzzfeed’s morning news show AM to DM to talk about the impact of the film. While there, Bassett — who play T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) mother, Queen Ramonda, in Black Panther — flipped the script and put her own twist on the film’s villain, Erik Killmonger.

Though Killmonger was brilliantly played on screen by Michael B. Jordan, Bassett brought her own brand of badassery to the character.

We asked Angela Bassett to audition as Killmonger and IT'S. SO. GOOD. #WakandaForever pic.twitter.com/3XKWBGsXpR

— AM2DM by BuzzFeed News (@AM2DM) March 15, 2018

During her AM to DM interview, Bassett also confessed she was caught off guard (and very impressed) by Jordan’s memorable, “Hey Auntie” line in the film, which may have been improvised.

“He entered the throne room with such disrespect, right? Looking good, but with such disrespect,” Bassett told host Saeed Jones. “We’re sort of put off then he utters that, which I think was an improv on his part.”

Angela Bassett was just as shook by Michael B. Jordan's "Hey auntie" line in #BlackPanther as everyone else 😂 pic.twitter.com/pWoKnGwnzc

— AM2DM by BuzzFeed News (@AM2DM) March 15, 2018

“At the premiere, when he utters that, the whole room just went up and enjoyed it so — I among them,” Bassett continued. “It was beautiful.”

Full interview: @ImAngelaBassett talks "Black Panther" and how she chooses her roles pic.twitter.com/vAYQ28PW0v

— AM2DM by BuzzFeed News (@AM2DM) March 15, 2018

Check out Angela Bassett’s entire AM to DM interview above.