Entertainment

Q&A: Angela Bassett Talks Playing Boss in ‘Rainbow Six’ Game

Published

11 years ago

June 16, 2015

This undated photo provided by Ubisoft shows actress Angela Bassett during a motion capture session for her character, in the video game, Rainbow Six: Siege. The actress and filmmaker is taking on the mantle of “Six,” the codename for the leader of the elite counter-terrorism group depicted in “Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six.” (Colin Young-Wolff/Ubisoft via AP)

DERRIK J. LANG, AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Angela Bassett is taking on the mantle of “Six,” the codename for the leader of the elite counter-terrorism group depicted in the video game series “Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six.”

Bassett was unveiled Monday during a Ubisoft news conference at E3 as the latest “Six” in the upcoming “Rainbow Six: Siege” installment of the publisher’s long-running shooter series. The character has always been portrayed as male in past “Rainbow Six” games, as well as in Clancy’s original novel.

“We’ve known for quite some time we’ve been looking to cast a female actress for ‘Six’ this time around,” said “Rainbow Six” animation director Scott Mitchell. “Angela Bassett was one of our top choices from the beginning. We were looking for someone who could deliver a strong, commanding performance.”

In the game, players will portray one of several international operators under the command of Bassett’s character, akin to “M” in the James Bond franchise. It’s a formidable position that’s not entirely foreign to the veteran actress. On film, Bassett has played the head of the Secret Service in “Olympus Has Fallen,” a CIA chief in “This Means War” and an ambassador in “Survivor.”

However, the technical requirements for capturing Bassett’s virtual performance for “Rainbow Six: Siege,” were all new to the “American Horror Story” star. She donned a motion-capture suit and performed within a high-tech sphere comprising hundreds of cameras focused on her facial experiences.

“It was a layering technique, which is very different from film, but it was very, very interesting,” Bassett said.

Ahead of her E3 debut, Bassett spoke with The Associated Press about her part in the game, which is set for release Oct. 13:

AP: Why were you interested in this role?

Bassett: I don’t have much experience with video games, especially not at this high level. Whenever I get an opportunity to go in another direction, I do. I’m very aware of media and women in the media and the way we come across. I thought this would be a very strong look, as a woman and as a black woman. For myself, it’s a way to keep current. I just wanted to have an opportunity to be part of something like that.

AP: Were you aware of the many criticisms how women and African-Americans are portrayed in games?

Bassett: I wasn’t at first. I have a cousin who is very much into this world. He told me this would be a big, big, big deal. I said, “Really?” There have been opportunities in film where the part was a male, and they’ve changed it for me, and I’ve been able to bring it to life. I’ve always liked that. This was another opportunity to do that. To hear that in this world, women are not usually in this role, that was very exciting news to me.

AP: How did you interpret the role of the deputy director of Team Rainbow?

Bassett: I’ve often played that sort of character — the boss, the head, the one in charge. I’ve done it in various movies. In that respect, it was familiar to me, but the world of games, how they put it all together, that was a totally different and exciting to me. I was like a kid on the first day of school. I had lots of questions.

AP: What did you think when you saw your character? The resemblance is uncanny.

Bassett: I was amazed. It looks dead on. I knew exactly each step I went through, so it’s interesting to see that’s what they came up with. I hope movies don’t go this way. I like interacting with people.

AP: What’s your personal experience with games? You said you aren’t that familiar, but did you at least play “Pac-Man” back in the day?

Bassett: I did! I did play “Pac-Man,” which I guess is like Tic-Tac-Toe compared to “Rainbow Six.”

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang.

___

Online:

http://rainbow6.ubi.com

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Oakland Post: Week of October 7 – 13, 2026

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October 13, 2026

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Oakland Post: Week of September 30 – October 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 30 – October 6, 2026

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October 4, 2026

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From Historic Memories to New Possibilities: Oakland Celebrates Coliseum 60

More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on Friday, September 18, for Coliseum 60, an event marking six decades of sports, entertainment, employment, and community memories at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex. Held 60 years to the day after the Coliseum first opened, the celebration featured cultural performances and a mini-documentary highlighting its history. Speakers reflected on the venue’s significant role in the community and its future possibilities. Read more to learn about the individuals and stories honored during this special event.

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3 weeks ago

September 27, 2026

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Quixote Atkins of VillageGIVE moderates a panel discussion at the Coliseum 60 celebration at Youth UpRising featuring Keith Brown, a member of IATSE Local 107; author, historian and former Black Panther Party member Tareka Lewis; and African American Sports and Entertainment Group President Ray Bobbitt.

By Carla Thomas

More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on Friday, Sept. 18, for Coliseum 60, a celebration honoring six decades of sports, entertainment, employment and community memories connected to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex.

Held 60 years to the day after the Coliseum opened, the event carried the theme, “One Community. One Legacy. One Future. Forward Together.”

The celebration opened with the national anthem performed by sisters Anese Jade, Amina Benjamin and Zaza Benjamin. Diamano Coura West African Dance Company contributed African dance and drumming, bringing movement, rhythm and cultural expression to the program.

A mini documentary highlighted the Coliseum’s sports history and its broader role as an entertainment destination. Archival material recalled performances by Prince and Tina Turner, along with memorable games featuring the Warriors, Oakland A’s and Raiders.

“The Coliseum 60 is about much more than celebrating a building or looking back at 60 years of history,” said event organizer Quixote Atkins of VillageGIVE.

“It’s about the people who made that history possible: the families, workers, athletes, artists, community leaders, fans and generations who gathered there and created memories together.”

A panel exploring that history featured author, historian and former Black Panther Party member Tareka Lewis; stagehand and union representative Keith Brown; and Ray Bobbitt, president of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group AASEG. Lewis described her family as fourth-generation Bay Area pioneers.

“My family and Black families who arrived even earlier helped build the Bay Area, grew businesses and established culture here,” Lewis said. “This should be taught in the public schools.”

Lewis recalled Oakland’s influence on sports, music and literature, from the Raiders’ beginnings at Laney College to stars such as The Pointer Sisters and Rickey Henderson who attended Oakland public schools. She also advocated for school museums, historical timelines, entrepreneurship training and investments benefiting corridors such as Bancroft Avenue and High Street.

Keith Brown, a member of Local 107 of the International Alliance of Theater and Stage Employees (IATSE) who began working at the Coliseum in 2011, remembered the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Ice Capades, baseball bat giveaways and Nelson Mandela’s 1990 appearance.

“The special events are amazing, but it’s the workers that make the memories real for everyone,” Brown said. “They make the magic happen at the Coliseum.”

The program recognized longtime workers, including beer-stand manager Robert Preston, who served for 40 years, and Kenyatta Gentry, who worked as a vendor for 24 years and used her earnings to purchase her first apartment. Union workers Jose Gonzales and Carmen Sandoval were also honored. Speakers emphasized that Coliseum employment provided generations of residents with union wages and benefits.

Dr. Denise Saddler, the superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) was also honored. Saddler shared her family’s history of working at the Coliseum.

District 7 Oakland City Councilmember Ken Houston discussed the complex ownership arrangements involving the city, county and private interests.

“This was the most complex deal of its kind in the country,” Houston said.

Prior to moving from the East Coast, Alameda County Supervisor and Coliseum Joint Powers Authority Chair Nate Miley recalled learning about Oakland through its three professional sports teams. As an elected official and public servant, Miley fought hard to keep the Golden State Warriors, Oakland As, and the Raiders, but he is hopeful for the future.

“The story is not over for the Coliseum,” Miley said. “We’re entering a new chapter.”

Bobbitt said the departure of three teams had once seemed unimaginable, but he maintained that Oakland’s future remains bright.

“Oakland is a cultural superpower worldwide,” Bobbitt said. “We’re going to write the future where we participate and drive the redevelopment.”

Bobbitt highlighted AASEG’s four-year partnership with Castlemont High School’s architecture program, which engages students in reimagining and creating redevelopment concepts for the Coliseum property. “The youth will always move us forward. They are the future.”

In closing, Atkins said, “September 18 is the celebration, but what we build together afterward is the legacy.”