Angela Bassett Grateful for the ‘Ebb and Flow’ of Career
 Axelle/Bauer-Griffin |
For actors Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance — whose 3-year-old fraternal twins Slater Josiah and Bronwyn Golden were born in 2006, via surrogate – the line between work and family has been blurred. Not only does Courtney currently play Angela’s husband on ER, their characters on the show are struggling with infertility. “So far it’s working out,” Angela says. “The ebb and flow of this life has worked out.”
Noting that “when the kids came along, he finished Law & Order so he was home,” Angela says the couple feels they “are blessed” by the flexibility afforded to them by virtue of their careers. Still, the hours can be brutal! Explains Angela,
“On Monday, I have to be there at 6:00 am which means I have to get up at five, but they’re not up at 5:00 a.m. They’re not up until 7:00 a.m. I have to do a 12 to a 16 hour day and when I get home at 8:00 p.m., they’re asleep because they go to bed at 7:30. Then, on Fridays we might work until 3:00 in the morning so that’s the hard part. I’m in the house with them – the husband and the children – and I haven’t seen you all day or I haven’t seen you for two days.”
Things could always be worse, however. Actress Alex Kinsgston — who later this year will briefly reprise her role as ER’s Dr. Elizabeth Corday – shared with Angela the schedule she kept while starring on the BBC1 drama Hope Springs. “She went to to do a TV show for five months and her child stayed [behind],” Alex recalled. “She came home every six weeks or once a month for a couple of days.”
“I was like, ‘Let’s not even talk about it because I can’t imagine.’”
Angela and Courtney were married in 1997.
Source: Black Voices
- Posted on Feb 16, 09 at 5:00PM
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February 16th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Didn’t Alex’s baby almost die during child birth? Like the chord was tangled around the baby’s neck? So that’s pretty scary too. However, I love Courtney and Angela as actors and as a couple, and it is so neat to see them like this. I can’t get enough of Alex, either!
February 16th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
I have been really touched watching the two of them on ER these last few episodes, not only because of my own struggles with fertility issues, but knowing they had them as well. They are both extremely talented but I am sure some of that is not as much acting as remembering. I have really enjoyed seeing them work together as well!
February 17th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Love Angela and Courtney. I don’t watch a lot of TV so I haven’t seen either of them on ER, but I think I will have to check out the show. I think the picture of the four of them above is fairly old. I would love to see the twins now.