Angela Bassett is gearing up for her life as an empty nester — alongside husband Courtney B. Vance — as their twins will soon be heading off to college.
The celebrated actress walked the red carpet at the season 7 premiere of her drama 9-1-1 in Los Angeles on Monday, and opened up about how it feels to see her kids — son Slater and daughter Bronwyn — turning 18 back in January.
“Oh I’m feeling very sad about it,” she said with a laugh. “I’m excited for them, I’m sad for me.”
As her kids go on college tours and try to find the right educational fit for them, Bassett has had to face the reality of sending her adult children off into the world to fend for themselves, and she admits it’s kind of a lot to take in.
“I might have to go to therapy,” she said. “Just do a little bit.”
Both Bassett and Vance attended Yale School of Drama — which is where they first met years before sparking their long-lasting romance — and the Black Panther actress admitted she’s trying to low-key sway their kids in that direction.
“I’m pushing it but not too loudly,” Bassett shared. “I’m pushing it by keeping my mouth closed for now.”
In the meantime, before any decisions are finalized, Bassett is busy working on the new season of her procedural drama, 9-1-1, which moved from FOX to ABC for its latest season, and Bassett says the stakes this year are “incredibly high.”
Bassett reflected on her time on the show — where she’s played LAPD Sergeant Athena Grant-Nash since the series began — and addressed how she’ll know when it’s the right time to step back from the series.
“When [Athena’s] too old for these streets, to keep them safe,” Bassett said.
While she admitted that she doesn’t feel that time is coming soon, she said, “A hundred went by pretty quickly… So maybe a hundred more? I mean we have the best cast, best crew and really, it flew by. It’s a pretty amazing feat, but it went by in a flash.”
Season 7 of 9-1-1 premieres Mar. 14 on ABC.
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