Angela Bassett Pays Tribute To Tina Turner

Angela Bassett, who famously portrayed Tina Turner in the 1993 biopic What’s Love Got To Do With It, paid tribute to Turner with a special eulogy on social media. “How do we say farewell to a woman who owned her pain and trauma and used it as a means to help change the world?” Bassett wrote of the “Queen Of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” whose family announced her passing today.

Bassett’s full tribute is below:

How do we say farewell to a woman who owned her pain and trauma and used it as a means to help change the world? Through her courage in telling her story, her commitment to stay the course in her life, no matter the sacrifice, and her determination to carve out a space in rock and roll for herself and for others who look like her, Tina Turner showed others who lived in fear what a beautiful future filled with love, compassion, and freedom should look like. Her final words to me – for me – were “You never mimicked me. Instead, you reached deep into your soul, found your inner Tina, and showed her to the world.” I shall hold these words close to my heart for the rest of my days. I am honored to have known Tina Turner. I am humbled to have helped show her to the world. So on today, while we mourn the loss of this iconic voice and presence, she gave us more than we could have ever asked. She gave us her whole self. And Tina Turner is a gift that that will always be “simply the best.” Angels sing thee to thy rest…Queen.

One month ago, Turner paid tribute to Bassett for TIME‘s 100 Most Influential People Of 2023 list: “Angela, the first time we met, you didn’t look, sound or move like me — that came later after you worked so hard to make it happen. But even then, I could see that the young woman standing before me had strength, determination and big, big dreams, just like me.”

For their performances, Bassett and Laurence Fishburne (who portrayed Ike Turner) received nominations at the 66th Academy Awards for Best Actress and Best Actor, respectively. Bassett also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy Or Musical.