Angela Bassett took home the top honors at the 2023 NAACP Image Awards. She won the award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her role in the TV series “9-1-1,”Outstanding Supporting Actress for her role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and ended the night as the recipient of the coveted Entertainer of the Year award.

The decorated actress is no stranger to preparing acceptance speeches, as this marks the third year she has won the award for Outstanding Actress.

Bassett’s breakout role in the 1993 film, “What’s Love Got To Do With It”earned the actress her first Academy Award nomination. Her portrayal as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Tina Turner, made her the standard for portraying historical Black women or factual characters.

All of her characters have a place of origin vital to the role. Whether the setting was a luxurious resort or a waterfall connecting two countries, you’re able to visit some of the same locations where the “queen of the screen” has been or inspired.

1992: “Malcolm X,” Betty Shabazz, New York

Bassett portrayed the wife of activist Malcolm X. She earned an NAACP Image Award for her role. Malcolm & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial Education Center located in New York is a cultural and educational institution that harnesses the legacies of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz. The center aims to incubate social, racial, and global justice movements. The space memorializes the humanitarian efforts and martyrdom of Malcolm X, and embodies the educational vision of Dr. Betty Shabazz.

1992: “The Jacksons: An American Dream,” Katherine Jackson, Gary, Indiana

The actress cites her childhood obsession with the Jackson 5 as her reason behind playing the role of Katherine Jackson. The family’s modest home that raised the Jackson children is now a monument that draws people from all over the world. The home, located at 2300 Jackson Street, was the launching pad for the one of best entertainers of all time.

1993: “What’s Love Got to Do With It?,” Tina Turner, “TINA – The Tina Turner Musical”

Bassett’s portrayal of Tina Turner was so authentic, it’s no surprise that the actress claimed it was one of her most difficult roles. The movie centers around the tumultuous relationship between the “queen of rock n’roll” and her former husband, Ike Turner. While Turner toured worldwide until 2009, there are countless musicals and theater tributes you can attend. The critically acclaimed, “TINA – The Tina Turner Musical” returns this year with show dates in several cities such as Houston, Greensboro, Nashville and Las Vegas.

1998: “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” Stella Payne, Jamaica

In her second collaboration with author Terry McMillian (Waiting to Exhale in 1995) Bassett plays Stella Payne, a 40-year-old professional woman who falls in love with a 20-year-old Jamaican man during a vacation. The set for the movie was the Round Hill Hotels and Villas in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The Villas have been noted as some of the best on the island.

2018/2022 – Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Queen Ramonda – Iguazu Waterfalls

In the Marvel film, Bassett plays the mother of the main character, T’Challa aka the Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Queen of Wakanda. Some of the most breathtaking scenes from the movie were shot at the Iguazu Falls, located at the Argentina-Brazil border. The waterfall flows into the Iguazu River that forms at the border of the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Paraná and can be reached via hiking trails on either side.