Bassett was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but he moved to Oakland, California at age 3 when his father became a miner.

[1] He attended the now-defunct Brayton College[2] in Oakland, and that was where he gained his initial acting experience.

"[2] On Broadway, he appeared in The Other Fellow (1910), The Top o' th' World (1907), and Rip Van Winkle (1905).

[3] During his film career, Bassett acted for the Biograph, Edison, Yankee, Pathe, Imp, Reliance, Nestor, and Famous Players companies.

[1] On May 8, 1918, Bassett died from a cerebral hemorrhage at his home in New York City.