Sometimes it’s funny to remember who was in what movie for a short period of time, but recalling that Angela Bassett was in Kindergarten Cop was a trip down memory lane that might make a lot of people wonder how they never noticed it. Realistically it’s not too hard since this was only the second movie she’d been featured in at all, the first being F/X. Angela started out on TV the year before her movie career began, so it’s not hard to think that it was easy to go without noticing her since she hadn’t been around for that long. Plus, there is the idea that Kindergarten Cop, as cute and memorable as it was, didn’t manage to impress the critics even though it was a financial success and people still talk about it today. A lot of critics actually came down on the show for the simple reason that it was a bit too much for children in terms of content but had a dumbing-down effect with adults. Those that had been fans of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s for years appreciated the attempt at humor, but it was still a little too ham-handed for many folks that wanted to see either action or comedy, or a pleasing mix of the two. Dolph Lundgren actually tried to create a second Kindergarten Cop, but as it can be guessed his efforts weren’t really appreciated by a lot of people since fans might actually be amazed to hear of the attempt.
Angela’s career actually started out fairly quiet but started ascending in a big way through the 90s as she took on more and more notable roles and started making a name for herself in Hollywood. There were definitely a few bumps in the road here and there as she continued forward, much as there are for a lot of actors, but she managed to push through them as her reputation grew and grew with each passing movie and TV role. Fans of American Horror Story have enjoyed her in a few roles at this point, but none so much as Marie Leveau, the dreaded voodoo queen that was first introduced in Coven and then came back for Apocalypse. As far as movies go, Angela has hit it big with several and been there to collect a paycheck along with her costars on others. Likely as not she cares a lot about her role as an actress and has a lot of love for her craft, but like anyone else might say, it’s a job, a career, and something that has lasted for a long time and allowed her to rise quite far in life. For some actors, it might be a fun job, but it’s still a job, and everyone has to start somewhere. There are worse movies to start on that Kindergarten Cop since thankfully this project was well-liked by many and there was a good chance that anyone connected with it might have a better opportunity to advance should they be smart enough to take it.
A noted blockbuster on a person’s resume can go a long way no doubt to securing further roles, even if a person is only credited as an extra. Plus, the fact that Angela already had some experience going into the movie didn’t hurt either. Like any job, there are times that it’s all about who you know, and times when it’s what you’ve done and how well you can deliver. In some cases, it’s both since in show business just knowing someone isn’t always the ace in the hole that people might think it is. There are plenty of people that know people in the business, but unless an individual has the actual talent to go along with the connections there’s no guarantee that they’re going to find work that will take them that far. Being able to act does make a big difference in the business and being able to deliver on cue does separate the moderately good actors from the exceptional ones. That’s a lot to glean from one small role in a movie that a lot of people would need to watch in order to remember, but it’s enough to think that she might have been looking forward to future roles while she was peddling the drink cart down the aisle. Some actors get by on little roles until they can find something bigger, others get by on little roles their entire careers. Those that think big and are willing to start small often find that building a reputation is difficult, but it’s worth it.
Take the time to watch Kindergarten Cop again and you’ll see her for a brief moment. At the very least it will help you to appreciate the fact that she stuck around and made something of her career.Angela Bassett
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