Angela Bassett Net Worth: How She Went From Being Paid the ‘Minimum’ to Making $450K Per Episode on 9-1-1

She did the thing. As one of the highest-paid television actresses ever, it’s understandable why fans are curious about Angela Bassett’s net worth and her 9-1-1 salary per episode.

Bassett plays Athena Grant-Nash (née Carter) — a patrol sergeant for the Los Angeles Police Department — in 9-1-1, FOX’s following the police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other emergency personnel with the LAPD and Los Angeles Fire Department.  Bassett is also an executive producer on the series, as well as its spinoff, 9-1-1: Lone Star, which is set in Austin, Texas. 9-1-1, which premiered in 2018, is created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear, who worked with Bassett in FX’s American Horror Story.

In an interview with Deadline in 2018, Bassett explained how she trained to play a police officer on 9-1-1. “I did meet with a sister who’s been a lieutenant on the force in L.A. for about 28 years, getting the opportunity to sit down with her and really capturing a vibe,” she said. “To sit with this woman and just have a meal, talk about experiences, about family…If you didn’t know she was a cop and that there was a Glock on her hip at the restaurant, you just wouldn’t imagine. She was so gentle and sweet, and you just wanted to be friends right away.”

She continued, “That was really informative and welcome—our day-to-day consultant was able to make that happen. He’s there every day to make sure that I’m doing right in the way that I handle a gun, and I’m safe with it, and I look legitimate.” She added, “He made sure that I was able to get with a sister who came up through the ranks when there were very few women coming through the police academy, so you’re talking about those sort of experiences. Also, getting to go out with her in the streets, it was wonderful seeing the camaraderie and the respect between her and the other officers. She was a Black female and they were male, various cultures, but to see that regard that they had for her was intriguing, especially knowing that when she came through, she was one of two women coming through the academy. I was imagining what those years must have been like.”

So how much does Bassett make on 9-1-1? Read on for what we know about Angela Bassett’s net worth and her 9-1-1 salary per episode.

What is Angela Bassett’s 9-1-1 salary per episode?

What is Angela Bassett’s 9-1-1 salary per episode? Bassett makes $450,000 per episode on 9-1-1, according to a 2021 report by Deadline. The magazine reported at the time that Bassett — who plays Athena Grant-Nash and is an executive producer on 9-1-1 — signed a new deal ahead of season 5, along with seven other series regular cast members.

Bassett’s deal was for $450,000 per episode, which makes her the highest-paid cast member on 9-1-1 and one of the highest-paid actresses of color ever in a network drama series. Given that season 5 had 18 episodes, Bassett’s deal made her $8.1 million for that season. Peter Kraus, who plays Robert “Bobby” Nash, is the second-highest-paid cast member on 9-1-1- and received a 25 percent raise to $300,000 per episode. Jennifer Love Hewitt, who plays Maddie Buckley, is the third-highest paid cast member on 9-1-1, though Deadline didn’t confirm how much she makes.

The five other series regular cast members — Alisha Hinds, who plays Henrietta “Hen” Wilson; Rockmond Dunbar, who plays Michael Grant; Kenneth Choi; who plays Howard “Howie”/”Chimney” Han; Oliver Stark, who plays Evan “Buck” Buckley; and Ryan Guzman, who plays Edmundo “Eddie” Diaz — received 25 percent raises to $80,000 per episode for season 5 and $100,000 per episode for season 6. Hinds, Dunbar and Choi were the were the last to negotiate their contracts, with Choi being the final cast member to sign his deal.

Stark — who started as at a much lower per-episode salary for season 1 because he had far less credits than his co-stars— was the only supporting cast member to receive a raise from season 3 to season 4, which was almost double his previous salary to get him on the same level as Hinds, Dunbar, Choi and Guzman. He received a 25 percent increase from season 4 to season 5 to maintain parity with his co-stars.

Bassett was asked about her $450,000-per-episode salary on 9-1-1 in an interview with InStyle in 2022, where she explained that she’s “never” been “solely” motivated by money but is glad to be “paid fairly.” “Everyone wants to keep the lights on, but I’ve never been motivated solely by money or fame. For me, it’s always and only been for the joy of following my dreams,” she said. “That’s what makes me feel alive. Now, it’s good to be paid. That is one thing that I’ve said to myself since early on in my career. I mean, I literally would say, ‘I want to work in roles that can change me and change the conversation. I want to work consistently. And I want to be paid fairly.’

She continued, “It’s about knowing your worth and standing on it. Being in positions and places where your worth is appreciated is a good thing. I’m glad that it can influence others. There is a bit of me that’s from a generation where we don’t talk openly about things like that. But I understand what generation this is today.”

Bassett also confirmed that there isn’t any competitiveness between her and her other 9-1-1 cast members. “I love to support my sisters, and I cheer for them. I cheer for their successes. I cheer for the mark they make and every effort they make,” she said. “We are a reflection of each other. I’ve always been that actor who gets excited to see other actors at auditions. Because a lot of times you might find yourself as the only Black woman, or one of a few. It’s wonderful with 9-1-1 that I get to work with Aisha [Hinds] because I was such a big fan of hers watching Underground.”

She continued, “And then for them to bring in Marsha Warfield to portray her mother, who I grew up watching on Night Court. Regina [King] is my sister, and I am so peacock-proud of everything she does. I’m so proud of Halle [Berry] for making her directorial debut [with the Netflix movie Bruised]. Whatever a woman’s doing, I’m supporting and applauding her. Because we don’t feel 100% every day. We need to be able to look out and find inspiration.”

Bassett also told Essence in October 2022 about being one of the highest-paid actresses of color on network television. “As RiRi said, ‘Pay me what you owe me.’ We all should be compensated fairly, and that was one of my mantras. I would say to myself, I want to work. I want to work consistently, and I want to be paid fairly, and that has happened,” she said.

What is Angela Bassett’s net worth?

What is Angela Bassett’s net worth? Angela Bassett’s net worth is $25 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Along with her salary on 9-1-1, Angela Bassett’s net worth also includes what she made on shows like American Horror Story and The Jacksons: An American Dream, as well as movies like Malcolm X, Notorious, Boyz in the Hood, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which earned her an Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category in 2023.

As for her other movies, Celebrity Net Worth reports that Bassett made $3.5 million for 2021’s The Score; $3.5 million for 2000’s Supernova; $2.5 million for 1995’s Waiting to Exhale; and $250,000 for 1993’s What’s Love Got to Do With It, which is credited as her breakout role and earned her a Golden Globe Award and her first Oscar nomination.

In an interview with Essence in October 2021, Bassett explained how her career changed after What’s Love Got to Do With It. “That’s perhaps when I thought, OK, I’ve made it—but then the phone didn’t ring for a year and a half after that,” she said. “You were number one. How do you remain number one? It’s not always possible. Interest in our stories ebbs and flows over time, and not always are women like me, darkened by the sun, cast as the lead. So you have to look for other opportunities, where you can have a voice and make your mark and say something.”

Still, despite her success, Bassett told Essence that money isn’t “always” what she looks for when starting a project. “Listen, even after What’s Love, I’ve done projects where you’re getting paid the minimum. The whole thing, they’re going to pay you $5,000. I think I did that last year. I’ve directed where it’s like, are they even paying me? I don’t know. I’m not checking for it, because I’m learning,” she said. “It’s not always about money. Sometimes it is, and a lot of times I’ve turned things down because the project’s not right, or the situation’s not right, or the story’s not right. You always want the muse to show up. As they say, all money ain’t good money.”

She also told Essence about how her working-class upbringing defined her work ethic. “I think a part of me, or part of us as Black women, is that we become used to the stress of life. It can become so pervasive, so every day, that it’s just what it is—with the work, and the husband, and the family, and all that. That pulls on you,” she said.

9-1-1 airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. on FOX.

For more on 9-1-1 cast salaries per episode, check out the gallery below to see how much the rest of the stars make on the popular TV series.