Angela Bassett Holds Austin Butler’s Hand Ahead of Oscar Loss in Heartwarming Viral Moment
Angela Bassett sat next to Austin Butler during Oscars 95. However, the fellow nominees went viral for a heartwarming moment ahead of the announcement of one of the night’s most coveted awards, Best Actor. Bassett took Butler’s hand to comfort him as the nominees were read. Their sweet moment has since gone viral.
Angela Bassett and Austin Butler were Oscar’s sweetest pair
Angela Bassett was previously nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actress in 1994 for her portrayal of Tina Turner in the biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It. Almost 20 years later, Bassett received her second nomination as Best Supporting Actress as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The actor lost both times. In 1994, Holly Hunter took home Oscar for her work in the motion picture The Piano. In 2023, Jamie Lee Curtis bested Bassett for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Seated next to the legendary actor was Austin Butler, a first-time nominee as Best Actor for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s feature film Elvis. Butler attended the ceremony with his agent, James Farrell, as a gesture of recognition for his support over the years.
Together, Bassett and Butler appeared to strike up a camaraderie as their respective categories were announced. However, Bassett went viral for taking her support one step further to soothe a visibly nervous Butler.
Angela Bassett held Austin Butler’s hand in a heartwarming viral moment
Austin Butler appeared visibly nervous as the nominees were read in the category of Best Actor. He was up for Elvis against fellow nominees Colin Farrell, Bill Nighy, Paul Mescal, and Brendan Fraser. Sensing he might need comfort to soothe his nerves, Angela Bassett grabbed his hands.
The moment went viral for all the right reasons during Oscars 95. Many Twitter users defended Bassett, who instinctively knew how to lend her support at the titular moment.
“Angela Bassett holding Austin Butler’s hand while he’s nervous…is exactly the kind of woman I imagined she was,” wrote one follower.
“And now, I want to see Angela Bassett and Austin Butler in a movie as a private eye and her young associate who work together to solve a murder,” suggested a second user of Twitter.
“Love this shot of Angela Bassett and Austin Butler clasping hands. Can sense the support and positive vibes she’s extending to the Best Actor nominee for Elvis,” claimed a third fan.
“The way Angela was like ‘I got you, Austin, it’s stressful, I know, I got you,'” tweeted a fourth follower.
Angela Bassett previously defended Austin Butler’s ‘Elvis’ voice
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Angela Bassett previously defended Austin Butler. She claimed she understood how difficult it has been for the actor to lose his “Elvis voice” since playing the king of rock and roll in the 2022 biopic. She claimed she struggled with the same issues after portraying Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It.
“Tina’s laugh and the way she spoke took over. It took over, not as long as Elvis — maybe about four months after,” she said. “You so lived and breathed and began to see life through their perspective. You had to. They’re a part of you. I think that’s what’s going on with him.”
“You have to bid it farewell, and it’s hard to let it go because you’ve enjoyed it, you survived it, you delivered, and you’re proud of that,” she continued. “You got an opportunity and hit it out of left field. So it takes a moment to get back to regular you. But you’re different after this moment. Now you’re Austin, who did that great performance.”
Austin Butler will next be seen in the film Dune: Part Two, which will debut on Nov. 3, 2023. Angela Bassett stars as Lady Bayford in Damsel alongside Millie Bobby Brown. The film will be released sometime in 2023.
