In National Geographic magazine Queensan all-female production team — “one of the great attractions and strengths” of the project, says narrator Angela Bassett THR — examines the behavior of animal matriarchies from Costa Rica to the Congo. Bassett, who received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Storytelling for her work on the seven-part documentary, which she also executive produces, talks about how she approaches storytelling roles and why she’s glad she finally said yes to the “inspiring” documentary series.
You initially declined this project. What made you change your mind?
The first no, it was summer. It was a break [for 9-1-1]. It had been a long season. I was looking forward to going on vacation, spending time with my family and getting some rest from work, because it’s a roller coaster. But they came back and sent me the trailer and I said, “Okay, let me focus on this project for a while and see what exactly this project is.” Once I did that, I couldn’t put it down.
How do you approach storytelling in relation to your roles in front of the camera?
I see it as a story. You have to paint pictures with your voice. There’s an inherent drama in all of that, and I try to find it and ride that wave, with the help of the director and what he has in mind, because I can be a little dramatic. (Laughs.) I might think that this is asking for more drama and they just want that subtle undertone. But this time they embraced the drama of the moment which was
captured. Sometimes the voice can take over, so [you have to remember the story]support it, lead it. This project was different from start to finish. It was a fresh perspective, and it was a testament to new voices and new energy; it was impressive.
This article first appeared in the August issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, Click here to subscribe.
