Angela Bassett is finally getting her Oscar, and Mel Brooks is picking up another gold statute.
“Black Panther” star Bassett, 64, and Brooks, 97, the comedic legend behind “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein,” will be granted honorary Oscars by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the academy announced Monday.
Film editor Carol Littleton (“E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial”) will also receive an honorary Oscar. And the Sundance Institute’s Michelle Satter will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. The four Oscar statuettes will be presented at the Governors Awards event on Nov. 18.
“The Academy’s Board of Governors is thrilled to honor four trailblazers who have transformed the film industry and inspired generations of filmmakers and movie fans,” Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement.
Bassett has been nominated for two Oscars in her illustrious career, supporting actress for last year’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and best actress for her portrayal of Tina Turner in the 1993 biopic “What’s Love Got To Do With It.”
Speaking to USA TODAY following her most recent nomination, Bassett said she would tell her younger self to be patient about winning an Oscar.
“I’d probably say, ‘Just hang in there, girl,’ ” she said. ” ‘Take care of yourself, be grateful and just don’t give up. It’s going to be a long time coming maybe, but keep it all in perspective. It’s only doing good work that’s going to potentially get you there.’ “
Producer, writer and actor Brooks, who began his career writing comedy routines for Sid Caesar’s television shows, won a best screenplay Oscar for his first film “The Producers” (1967). He is a rare breed of EGOT-winners, having won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award. Brooks also received two other Oscar nominations, for writing the lyrics to John Morris’s “Blazing Saddles” song and another screenwriting nod for “Young Frankenstein,” which he shared with Wilder.
“Mel Brooks lights up our hearts with his humor, and his legacy has made a lasting impact on every facet of entertainment,” Yang said.
Littleton’s name might not be as immediately recognizable as the celebrities being honored alongside but has been working behind the scenes with top filmmakers for nearly five decades. The 81-year-old Oklahoma native worked frequently with both Lawrence Kasdan and Jonathan Demme, editing films like “Body Heat,” “The Big Chill,” “Swimming to Cambodia” and “The Manchurian Candidate.” She received her first and only Oscar nomination for “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” the only film she’s edited for Steven Spielberg. She’s also married to cinematographer and former Academy president John Bailey.
Contributing: Associated Press
