MUMBAI: Hollywood actress Angela Bassett feels it is important to have people of colour in the world of animated stories, because it is important for the young generation to know that there is a vast and diverse humanity out there.

"There aren't many," Bassett said while talking about the lack of animated Black women on screen.

"I've been fortunate enough to portray, maybe, a handful of them. It means a great deal. The more and more we get these stories and these images and opportunities out there (the better). We think animation is usually for the youngsters, but families are also taking. So, it just starts early with these images and this idea that (they get to know) that it's a vast and diverse humanity. I think it's a great thing," she added.

Bassett was recently seen in the animated film "Soul", with which Jamie Foxx became the first-ever African American lead in a Pixar film.

Co-directed by two-time Oscar winner Pete Docter and Kemp Powers, "Soul" takes viewers on the journey of Joe Gardner, a middle-school band teacher (voiced by Jamie Foxx) and how he is about to find his true calling. The film is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar Premium.