Angela Bassett as Leticia Musgrove
Movie: Monster’s Ball (2001)
Played by: Halle Barry
When Bassett passed on Monster’s Ball it was about principles. She told Newsweek, “I wasn’t going to be a prostitute on film… it’s such a stereotype about black women and sexuality.” One has to live by a moral code no matter what. Bassett was probably right, but Barry didn’t mind taking the Academy Award’s Best Actress win; a first for black actresses.