Queen of Rock & Roll, Tina Turner, Was Not Easy To Portray Says ‘Black Panther’ Star Angela Bassett, 65, Hard Work’ Portraying Tina Turner Who Battled Intestinal Cancer
Queen of Rock & Roll, Tina Turner, Was Not Easy To Portray Says ‘Black Panther’ Star Angela Bassett, 65, Hard Work’ Portraying Tina Turner Who Battled Intestinal Cancer
Resilience and Determination Amid Health Challenges
“What’s Love Got to Do with It” actress Angela Bassett, 65, says portraying the late Tina Turner was “hard work” due to her troubled yet resilient life as a superstar singer. Turner passed away in May 2023 of natural causes at 83, although she managed to beat an intestinal cancer diagnosis a few years earlier.
Intestinal cancer is a rare type of cancer that forms in the tissues of the small intestine. The National Cancer Institute says risk factors for this type of cancer includes a high-fat diet, Crohn disease (causes inflammation in digestive tract), celiac disease (digestive disorder triggered by gluten).
Turner’s mental health struggled during some of the more turbulent times in her life causing post-traumatic syndrome (PTSD). This condition develops when “a person has experienced or witnessed a scary, shocking, terrifying, or dangerous event” Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration SAMHSA says
Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal surgeon and oncologist from Weill Cornell Medicine, shared with SurvivorNet how stress can influence cancer. When there is an excess of stress hormones going on, “your body has a hard time recovering and cancer takes advantage of that.”
Bassett’s mom passed away in 2014 of heart failure, which is a condition where the heart does not pump blood as well as it should. As a result, fluid backs up in the body, and the organs in the body do not get as much blood as they need. When chronic heart failure lasts for a long period of time (typically more than six months), it can impact organs like the kidneys, liver, and lungs.
Actress Angela Bassett, 65, shares what it was like to portray the late Tina Turner in “What’s Love Got to Do With It” in a sit-down interview with Oprah on her “OWN Spotlight” series. Bassett, a two-time Academy Award-nominated actress who also starred in the hit film “Black Panther” said playing Turner was “hard work.”
Turner passed away at age 83 last year of natural causes. However, her publicist told The Washington Post she did suffer from a “stroke, kidney disease and other ailments.” Her youngest son, Ronnie Turner, passed away at age 62 from metastatic colon cancer in December 2022, Billboard reported.
Bassett played Turner in the 1993 film “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” which chronicles Turner’s life up until that point. The movie also sheds light on Turner’s abusive marriage with her husband, Ike Turner.
“There was so much required to fulfill that assignment to portray that magnificent individual,” Bassett told Oprah Winfrey during an interview shared on Instagram.
“It was hard work. Her life was hard work, but she persevered. You talk about resilience. Very few like that,” Bassett continued.
Bassett is no stranger to health setbacks, as her mom passed away in 2014 of heart failure.
Heart failure is when the heart does not pump blood as well as it should. As a result, fluid backs up in the body, and the organs do not get as much blood as they need. When chronic heart failure lasts for an extended period (typically more than six months), it can impact organs like the kidneys, liver, and lungs.
Resilience to Survive Intestinal Cancer, a Stroke and Kidney Disease
Turner was an iconic singer and songwriter who earned numerous awards during her music career. Although she burst onto the music scene during the 1960s and ‘70s, she blossomed in the ‘80s. Notable hits like “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” “The Best,” and “Proud Mary.”
*Exclusive* Tina Turner performs during her 50th Anniversary tour at Madison Square Garden on December 1, 2008 in New York City. ***Exclusive*** (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
In 2016, she was diagnosed with intestinal cancer, a rare type of cancer that forms in the tissues of the small intestine. The National Cancer Institute says risk factors for this type of cancer include a high-fat diet, Crohn’s disease (causes inflammation in the digestive tract), celiac disease (digestive disorder triggered by gluten), familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), which is an inherited condition that can lead to many non-cancerous polyps in the colon.
She underwent treatment and had part of her intestine removed, and by 2018, Turner announced that she had beaten the cancer.
Turner also suffered kidney failure. The kidney pain was so unbearable at one point that she had admittedly considered assisted suicide. Fortunately, that did not occur, and her second husband gave one of his kidneys to Turner.
As previously mentioned, her youngest son was diagnosed with colon cancer and passed away from the disease.
NEW YORK CITY – MARCH 18: Tina Turner and Elton John at the “Tommy” movie press conference at the Plaza Hotel March 18, 1975 in New York City. (Photo by Bobby Bank/WireImage)
In October 2013, Turner suffered a stroke, she wrote in her memoir “Today Show” reports. She also lived with high blood pressure, and Turner said in her book, “both [her] mother and sister had it.”
Turner also struggled with her mental health over the years. In a 2021 documentary on her life, she said, “It wasn’t a good life” and that she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as reported by Reuters.
Post-traumatic stress disorder develops when “a person has experienced or witnessed a scary, shocking, terrifying, or dangerous event,” Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration SAMHSA says. Symptoms of PTSD appear in the form of flashbacks, trouble sleeping, or feeling isolated. A mental health professional can aid in managing these symptoms.
Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal surgeon and oncologist from Weill Cornell Medicine, shared with SurvivorNet how stress can influence cancer.
“There is no doubt that stress and your immune system affect your body and affect your body’s chance of healing,” Dr. Yeo says.
“Many patients are very anxious and worried that they cause their own cancer through stress or anxiety. I always tell patients, you can’t look in the past and you certainly can’t blame yourself.”
Stress impacts the body’s ability to mount an immune response. “Stress certainly decreases your immune system, and it may decrease your body’s ability to fight certain cancers,” Dr. Yeo says.
When there is an excess of stress hormones going on, “your body has a hard time recovering, and cancer takes advantage of that,” Dr. Yeo adds.
In the wake of Turner’s passing in May 2023, she received an outpouring of support from her fellow music artists, entertainers, and dignitaries worldwide.
Understanding Intestinal Cancer
According to the National Cancer Institute, small intestine cancers come in five different types.
Adenocarcinoma
Sarcoma
Neuroendocrine tumors
Gastrointestinal stromal tumor
Lymphoma
Common symptoms and signs of intestinal cancer may include:
Unexplained weight loss
A Lump in the abdomen
Abdomen pain
Bloody stools
Treatment options may include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Clinical trials also offer patients additional treatment options, including immunotherapy.
Clinical trials allow patients to try a treatment before it’s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which can potentially be life-changing for patients. Despite the great benefits of clinical trials, they also come with risks (like potential side effects that are not fully understood yet). People interested in participating in clinical trials must first talk with their doctor to see if they would be a good fit.
For help finding a clinical trial that’s right for you, try our easy-to-use Clinical Trial Finder.
