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00:00Whatever, as you can imagine, the tenacity that it would take to even rise, to be able
00:07to sit behind that desk, to even have the idea that this were possible and to go for
00:14it.
00:15Probably when many thought otherwise.
00:17My name is Okla Jones with Essence Magazine.
00:25Hello Miss Bassett.
00:26I hope all is well.
00:27Hi there.
00:29For my first question, I wanted to ask you, you've played so many commanding roles throughout
00:35your career, but now you're portraying a sitting U.S. President.
00:39What aspect of President Mitchell's character resonates with you the most, specifically
00:43as a black woman in this powerful position?
00:50I think her calm demeanor, calm, cool, her intellectual capacity to hold so many thoughts
01:00and ideas and concerns within, in the palm of her hand.
01:07As you can imagine, the tenacity that it would take to even rise, to be able to sit behind
01:13that desk, whatever strength, the strength that she had to develop or that was innate
01:20that she could withstand, you know, slings, arrows, barbs, and still persevere, to even
01:30have the idea that this were possible and to go for it.
01:34Probably when many thought otherwise.
01:38I wanted to add on to that question a bit regarding your past roles.
01:42Roles that come to my mind is Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen, and Mission Impossible
01:48to a certain extent as well, too.
01:50For you as an actress, what's so intriguing about these political thrillers?
01:54Well, I, you know, like anything, it's just, it's another genre.
02:01It's something that it's, you know, usually because politics plays such a big role in
02:08I guess in our daily lives, especially now that we have a 24-hour news feed and CNN and
02:13all the like, it's like, it's on like on television all day long, like, you know, as well as other
02:21forms of entertainment, you know, we have cast of characters, you know, that we shake
02:27our head to or that we, you know, buy into who resonate with us or those who do not.
02:36And so it's interesting to see this and just get a, you know, it can, we can scream at
02:42the screen, you know, like, it's incredulous what you're saying.
02:46And so this is just, you know, forming it in an entertainment sort of package.
02:54And it, and we have, we come to a sort of a conclusion and wrap it up at the end so
02:59we can be satisfied.
03:01Whereas in real life, maybe it's ongoing and ongoing and far reaching.
03:07And I believe this is your second time working with Robert De Niro.
03:11What was it like collaborating with him on this particular project?
03:14Oh gosh, it's been 24 years since we worked together and, and, you know, seeing each other
03:21from that time to this.
03:24So it was really satisfying to have, you know, his first foray into television, you
03:30know, into television with the six part miniseries and for it to be called to come aboard, join
03:39with incredible writer, director, just a cast that's just stacked with notable, notable
03:46talent.
03:47It was just really an honor to be involved, to sit across from him, sitting president,
03:53former president, you know, to dialogue with him in the scenes, still as generous an actor
03:58as he, as I found him the first time, but you know, I had far less nerves this time.
04:04Well, Ms. Bassett, it was a pleasure and an honor to be speaking with you and I really
04:10appreciate you.
04:11Thank you so much for your time.
04:13Appreciate it.