Page 14 - aruba-today-20230316

A14 PEOPLE / ARTS
Thursday 16 March 2023
‘Quantum Leap’ star Caitlin Bassett jumps from Army to TV

By MARK KENNEDY “There’s really very little arti-
AP Entertainment Writer fice there. She’s an incred-
NEW YORK (AP) — Caitlin ible person,” he says. “To
Bassett plays a woman who be catapulted into such a
jumps through time and massive part on a massive
space on NBC’s “Quantum franchise like this is pretty
Leap,” a fitting job for an unbelievable and speaks
actor who has lived many to her very unique and sin-
lives already. gular ability.”
Bassett, who spent seven Bassett was raised in Bal-
years in the U.S. Army, then timore and comes from a
attended law school and military family. Her father
later acting school, now served in Vietnam, and
finds herself on a hit TV her grandfather served in
show, a multi-career path World War II. She joined the
driven by her curiosity and military shortly after gradu-
heart. ating high school at 18.
“I think part of growing up “I originally wanted to be a
is owning what you want medic, actually, but I test-
to do and trying it and be- ed very highly and I actu-
ing like, ‘If I fail, well, that’s ally got kind of talked into
on me. But at least I tried,’” intelligence,” she says. “I’m
says Bassett, 32. so grateful I did because I
Bassett was an intelligence Caitlin Bassett attends NBCUniversal’s 2022 Upfront press junket in New York on May 16, 2022. got to peek behind the cur-
analyst in the Army, at- Bassett stars in the NBC series “Quantum Leap.” Associated Press tain of how the world works
taining the rank of staff that I never would have
sergeant, and completed quel series, Raymond Lee boxing ring in Las Vegas in The revival has been a hit, gotten working in a medi-
three combat deploy- plays the leaping scientist, 1977 and into the body of and NBC has ordered a cal field.” After her military
ments two to Afghanistan and Bassett plays his guide, a a female bounty hunter second season. Bassett service ended, Bassett
and one to Qatar. She is appearing during every in 1981. Bassett’s charac- sees it as a sort of empathy moved to New York, where
grateful to the military for leap as a hologram that ter has been given the ap- machine a weekly adver- she attended Brooklyn Law
all that it nurtured in her. only he can see and hear, propriate background of a tisement to try to under- School for two years before
“It gave experiences. It revisiting the role played by former military intelligence stand other people. deciding to pursue acting
gave abilities. It gave dis- Dean Stockwell. officer. “You literally are always full time and getting ac-
cipline. It gave work ethic. The first episode is set on the Bassett was too young to having to learn what it’s like cepted to the prestigious
It gave perspective. Like, day of Live Aid in 1985, and catch the original series to be someone else in their Stella Adler Studio of Act-
at the end of the day, if no the time-leaping scientist when it aired from 1989- toughest moments, which ing, graduating in 2020.
one’s dying, we’re having wakes up as the getaway 1993 but her parents and often are their most defin- “Acting was always some-
a good day,” she says. driver of a bank-robbing older siblings were fans. She ing and most formative in thing that I had wanted
The new “Quantum Leap” crew. Bassett’s character admits she was terrified to their lives,” she says. to do, but it just felt like life
takes place decades af- gives him historical context revisit such a popular show. “Quantum Leap” execu- hadn’t created that oppor-
ter the sci-fi classic left off. and teaches him skills, like “In the age of reboots and tive producer and show- tunity. And then when I was
The first version starred how to drive a stick shift. sequels, nobody wants to runner Martin Gero says in law school in New York, I
Scott Bakula as a scientist In later episodes, he leaps mess up beloved things. At what you see with Bassett is saw my life once again tak-
who leapt between vari- into such predicaments as no point did I get into act- what you get and calls her ing a direction,” she says.
ous bodies to help people the cockpit of the space ing to really do a bad job,” a “once-in-a-lifetime dis- “So I left law school for the-
solve a dilemma. In the se- shuttle Atlantis in 1998, a she says. covery.” ater school.” q

Cat Stevens to return this summer with a new album

By MARK KENNEDY puffs along a track. three Stevens albums be-
AP Entertainment Writer The first single is the cheer- tween 1970-72 “Tea for the
NEW YORK (AP) — Legend- ful, family friendly “Take the Tillerman,” “Teaser and the
ary British singer-songwriter World Apart,” with the lyrics Firecat” and “Catch Bull at
Cat Stevens will release “I’ll take the world apart/to Four.”
a new album of original find a place for a peaceful Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
songs this summer that took heart.” member Stevens, who also
the “Peace Train” hitmaker “The source of musical in- goes by Yusuf, the name he
over a decade to make spiration for this song came took when he converted to
and revisits familiar themes from the 50s. The smoochy Islam, has been a respect-
of togetherness. harmonies and chords ed writer since releasing his
The 12-song collection is have an enchanting effect debut in 1967.
called “King of a Land” on the ear. Life was simpler He’s had a string of Top
and comes out in June on then: lonely hearts yearn- 40 hits, from “Peace Train”
George Harrison-founded ing for love,” he said in a and “Wild World” to “Morn-
Dark Horse Records. The statement to The Associ- ing Has Broken.”
British singer-songwriter Yusuf / Cat Stevens performs at the 2016 album cover illustration ated Press. He was just named to
Global Citizen Festival in Central Park in New York on Sept. 24, shows a boy playing gui- The album reunites Stevens Glastonbury’s coveted
2016. tar on top of the Earth, as with producer Paul Sam-
Associated Press Legends slot this summer.q
a cat stretches and a train well-Smith, who produced