TIME 100 The most influential people in the world - TITANS

LIONEL MESSI, BEYONCÉ, SHOU ZI CHEW, LAURENE POWELL JOBS, PADMA LAKSHMI + MORE

- Erin McMullen

ANGELA BASSETT

At the top of her game

BY TINA TURNER

Someone's going to play me in What's Love Got to Do With It? I was a little bit skeptical when work began on the 1993 film. First of all, who are they going to find to sing, dance, and act like me? Then, I looked up, saw Angela, and immediately started to smile.

Angela, the first time we met, you didn't look, sound, or move like me that came later after you worked so hard to make it happen. But even then, I could see that the young woman standing before me had strength, determination, and big, big dreams, just like me.

"She's perfect," I said, and I was right. You never mimicked me. Instead, you reached deep into your soul, found your inner Tina, and showed her to the world.

That's your gift, becoming your character with conviction, truth, dignity, and grace, even when it's painful, and takes everything you have and more. It's not just acting, it's being. Whether you're Tina Turner or the Queen of Wakanda, we believe in you because you believe in yourself.

You honor all the women you play, just as you honored me. And you're still perfect.

Turner is a Grammy-winning singer

Karen Lynch

EXPANDING ACCESS

By Kenneth C. Frazier

As president and CEO of CVS Health, Karen Lynch is on a mission to make health care simpler, more personalized, and more affordable. When you work with Karen, as I have on the American Heart Association CEO Roundtable, you can't miss her authenticity, candor, and drive to make a positive and profound difference.