Taye Diggs revealed that Angela Bassett was not impressed by his performance in Rent prior to their pairing in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, shedding light on a pivotal moment in his early career. This admission about Bassett’s initial reaction adds a layer of emotion and reflection to Diggs’s journey, highlighting how the focus keyword,
“Angela Bassett unimpressed by Rent performance,”
played into his path toward his film debut.
Bassett’s Reaction to Diggs’s Rent Appearance
Before sharing the screen in 1998’s How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Taye Diggs learned that Angela Bassett, best known for her role in What’s Love Got to Do With It, did not find his portrayal of the landlord in the Broadway production of Rent particularly striking. Diggs explained on Keke Palmer’s podcast, Baby, This is Keke Palmer, that his agent informed him about Bassett attending a performance but leaving unimpressed. He reflected on his Rent role as being the least notable among the main characters, which he felt might have contributed to Bassett’s lukewarm response.
“Angela Bassett went and came to see Rent and she wasn’t impressed,”
—Taye Diggs, Actor
Minor Role in Rent and Early Career Doubts
Diggs recounted his perception that Rent, though acclaimed, offered him limited exposure. He described how the musical was a destination for industry professionals to scout young talent, but his own role was not substantial compared to the rest of the main cast. This realization led him to believe that Rent would not provide the breakthrough moment he hoped for, prompting him to focus on making the most out of the opportunity until a bigger break arrived. Eventually, that break came with How Stella Got Her Groove Back.
“Rent was that show where everybody was like, ‘Okay, well, come see these kids in Rent,'”
—Taye Diggs, Actor
“And they were like, ‘Okay, well, we have this young man who’s auditioning.’ ‘How can I see him?’ Okay, come see the show Rent. And I had the smallest role in Rent of the main characters. So I was like, ‘Okay, this isn’t going to be. I’m not going to get any jump off of this. I’ll just ride it out as hard as I can. And then the next thing, that’ll be my jump off. And luckily, that’s what it was, Angela Bassett in How Stella Got Her Groove [Back].”
—Taye Diggs, Actor
Bassett Noticed Diggs in a Soap Opera Role
Surprisingly, Angela Bassett’s interest in working with Taye Diggs was sparked not by his stage work but by his television performance on the soap opera Guiding Light, where he portrayed Sugar Hill. Diggs shared that Bassett saw a different side to his acting in that role, one that resonated more with her and ultimately led to him being considered for their film together.
“She saw the soap opera and I was playing this character on Guiding Light called Sugar Hill,”
—Taye Diggs, Actor
“And she saw a little bit of sexiness in Sugar Hill and then she was like, ‘Okay, bring him in.’
—Taye Diggs, Actor
Reaching a Career Milestone
How Stella Got Her Groove Back marked Diggs’s transition from stage to film, a turning point that felt overdue. He recalled feeling dissatisfaction with his career progress at that point. Despite being part of Rent, his peers like Idina Menzel and Jesse Martin had already found significant success, intensifying Diggs’s frustration and ambitions for bigger stardom.
“For a while, you know, I really wasn’t really enjoying where I was [in my career],”
—Taye Diggs, Actor
“I was expecting to get How Stella Got Her [Groove Back]. I was expecting it. Like, it came too late for me.”
—Taye Diggs, Actor
“Idina [Menzel], she had got a record deal, Jesse Martin had got a TV show,”
—Taye Diggs, Actor
“I was the last one to hit. So I was like, ‘Damn, y’all!’ I’m like, in my head I was like, ‘I’m more talented than all y’all! I’m the last — what’s going on?'”
—Taye Diggs, Actor
“Finally, I got How Stella Got Her Groove Back, and I was like, ‘Okay, now we at the party. Let’s go,'”
—Taye Diggs, Actor
Ambitions Beyond Stella and Long-Term Success
Taye Diggs acknowledged that achieving his film debut was not the endpoint he envisioned for his career. Inspired by the crossover potential of actors like Will Smith, Diggs hoped for even greater fame and influence, aiming to use his identity to appeal to a broad audience while remaining authentic to himself.
“I was like, ‘Okay, well, what’s next? What’s next?'”
—Taye Diggs, Actor
“Because at the time it was, I was like, ‘Okay, I wanna be the next Will Smith.’ Because I was looking in. You know what I mean? I was like, ‘I want that.’ Because he’s just Black enough where he can be Black, but not threatening to the white people — he could cross over.'”
—Taye Diggs, Actor
Legacy and Impact of Early Experiences
While Diggs never reached the same level of global fame as Will Smith, his career flourished, with notable appearances in films such as Brown Sugar, Equilibrium, Chicago, The Wood, Go, and a film adaptation of Rent. The story of Angela Bassett unimpressed by Rent performance illustrates the mix of disappointment and resilience that shaped his progression from Broadway to Hollywood. Diggs’s journey highlights how initial setbacks and unremarkable roles can pave the way for future achievement and emotional growth, setting the stage for the ongoing impact of his work in the entertainment industry.
