‘9-1-1’s’ Angela Bassett Breaks New Record After Becoming the Highest-Paid Actress of Color
Angela Bassett, known for her role as Athena Grant in Fox’s 9-1-1 drama, is on track to make history as the highest-paid actress of color in a drama series.
Season 5 of the hit drama is set to premiere this fall. Negotiations with the show’s actors and actresses took place this past week, with Deadline getting an exclusive look into some of the pay raises the actors and actresses are getting.
According to Deadline, Angela Bassett is set to receive a raise “north of $450,000 an episode, [which is] believed to be among the top salaries on network television for any actor — male or female — and could be the highest ever for an actress of color on a broadcast drama series.”
Other cast members, including Peter Krause (Captain Bobby Nash) and Jennifer Love Hewitt (Maddie Buckley), also saw a momentous increase in their salaries as the second and third-highest check after Bassett.
As news broke out about Bassett making television history, people tweeted their love and support for the actress and celebrating black women’s excellence.
I love that Angela Bassett becomes one of the highest paid actress on broadcast TV the day after Rihanna officially becomes a billionaire… all during Black Women Equal Pay week. pic.twitter.com/3ps8EB7fIp
— Ola Idowu (@Ola__Idowu) August 5, 2021
Yaaas! Not only did @ImAngelaBassett negotiate a deal making her the highest paid actress of color on a broadcast drama series EVER….
— monicemitchellsimms (@monicemitchell) August 4, 2021
But as an EP of the show, she brought the cast up with her!
Fam, THIS is how you use your platform! #911onFOX https://t.co/rVfpwgI0BA
Fox’s 9-1-1 is created and executive produced by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Tim Minear. The hit drama/action series was released in January 2018 and currently has four seasons, with a fifth premiering this fall.
According to the network, “the series explores the high-pressure experiences of first responders — including police officers, firefighters, and dispatchers — who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking and heart-stopping situations.”
“These emergency responders must try to balance saving those who are at their most vulnerable with solving the problems in their own lives. The show draws from real-life, high-pressure experiences of first responders who regularly face heart-stopping situations that are often unpredictable, intense, and uplifting at the same time, ” the description continues.
Angela Bassett is one of the show’s famous stars. She is set to make history surpassing other actresses of color, including Scandal’s Kerry Washington and Viola Davis from How to Get Away With Murder.
We live to see black women working hard and getting the recognition they deserve. Season 5 of 9-1-1 will premiere Monday, September 20, at 8/7 central on Fox, but fans can stream all four seasons now on Hulu. Catch the spin-off 9-1-1: Lone Star, also available on Hulu.
Content Writer for Glitter Magazine|Journalist|
