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Courtney B. Vance
Courtney B. Vance 2013.jpg
Vance in 2013
Born
Courtney Bernard Vance

(1960-03-12) March 12, 1960 (age 65)
Education
Occupation Actor
Years active 1983–present
Spouse(s)
(m. 1997)
Children 2

Courtney Bernard Vance (born March 12, 1960) is an American actor. He is known for his work in movies and TV shows. Vance started acting on stage before moving to film and television. He has won many awards, including a Tony Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also been nominated for a Grammy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award.

Vance studied acting at the Yale School of Drama. He made his first big appearance on Broadway in the play Fences (1985). This role earned him his first Tony Award nomination. He continued acting in plays like Six Degrees of Separation (1990) and Lucky Guy (2013). For Lucky Guy, he won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

He is also famous for his roles in movies such as Hamburger Hill (1987) and The Hunt for Red October (1990). Other notable films include The Tuskegee Airmen (1995), The Preacher's Wife (1996), and Isle of Dogs (2018).

From 2001 to 2006, Vance played Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver in the TV series Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for playing Johnnie Cochran in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016). He also won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor for his role as George Freeman in Lovecraft Country (2020).

Courtney Vance has been married to actress Angela Bassett since 1997. He helps lead The Actors Center in New York City. He also supports the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. In 2019, he became the president of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation.

Early Life and Education

Courtney Vance was born in Detroit, Michigan. His mother, Leslie Anita, was a librarian, and his father, Conroy Vance, managed a grocery store. Vance went to Detroit Country Day School. He then studied at Harvard University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. While at Harvard, he was already acting with the Boston Shakespeare Company.

Later, he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama. It was at Yale that he met his future wife, Angela Bassett, who was also a student there.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out: Broadway and Early Movies (1985–1999)

Courtney Vance began his acting journey on stage in 1985. He played Cory in the play Fences at the Yale Repertory Theatre. This play later won a Pulitzer Prize. From 1987 to 1988, he continued his role in Fences on Broadway. He acted alongside famous actor James Earl Jones. For this role, Vance won a Clarence Derwent Award and a Theatre World Award. He also received his first Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Vance made his first movie appearance in 1987 in the war film Hamburger Hill. This movie was about a battle during the Vietnam War. During this time, he also had small parts in TV shows like Thirtysomething (1989) and Law & Order (1990).

In 1991, Vance returned to Broadway in the play Six Degrees of Separation. He played the character Paul and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.

Throughout the 1990s, Vance acted in many movies. These included The Hunt for Red October (1990) and The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993). In 1995, he played Black Panther leader Bobby Seale in the movie Panther. He also appeared in Dangerous Minds and the HBO film The Tuskegee Airmen that same year.

Vance worked with well-known directors like Penny Marshall in The Preacher's Wife (1996) and Robert Altman in Cookie's Fortune (1999). He also guest-starred in TV shows like Picket Fences. In 1997, he starred in the TV movie 12 Angry Men, playing the Foreman. Critics praised his performance in the 1998 TV film Blind Faith.

TV Roles and Broadway Return (2000–2015)

From 2001 to 2006, Courtney Vance starred in Law & Order: Criminal Intent as A.D.A. Ron Carver. He was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for this role. In 2008 and 2009, he appeared in the final season of ER with his wife, Angela Bassett.

In 2008, Vance was cast in the ABC show FlashForward, which was based on a novel. In 2011, he appeared in the horror movie Final Destination 5. He also starred in the German-American thriller The Divide.

Vance played Pastor Jacob DeBarge, the main character's father, in the Disney Channel Original Movie Let It Shine. This was the third time he played a pastor in a movie. He has also done voiceovers for the National Football League's TV commercials.

He played Chief Tommy Delk on the TNT series The Closer from 2010 to 2011. Vance also had a role as Attorney Benjamin Brooks in four episodes of ABC's Revenge.

Vance returned to Broadway in 2013 for the play Lucky Guy. He acted alongside Tom Hanks. Critics praised his performance as Hap Hairston. He won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for this role. In 2015, he played Miles Dyson in the movie Terminator Genisys.

Expanding His Career (2016–Present)

In 2016, Vance took on the role of famous civil rights lawyer Johnnie Cochran in the FX series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. His performance was highly praised. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and a Critics' Choice Television Award. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

In 2017, he starred in the HBO TV film The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks with Oprah Winfrey. In 2018, Vance narrated Wes Anderson's animated movie Isle of Dogs. He also appeared in the film Ben Is Back with Julia Roberts.

In 2019, Vance became the President of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. In 2020, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as George Freeman in the HBO drama series Lovecraft Country. He also appeared in the Netflix movie Uncorked. In 2021, he played C. L. Franklin in National Geographic's Genius: Aretha.

In 2023, Vance was cast as Cobra Bubbles in Disney's live-action movie Lilo & Stitch. In November 2024, it was announced that Vance would play Zeus in the second season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. He took over the role after the death of actor Lance Reddick.

Personal Life

Family and Marriage

Angela Bassett and Courtney Vance 2 by David Shankbone
Vance with Angela Bassett in 2007

Courtney Vance first met actress Angela Bassett in 1980. They got married in 1997. They have twins, a son and a daughter, who were born in 2006. Vance and Bassett wrote a book together called Friends: A Love Story. They also take part in the annual Christmas celebration, Candlelight Processional, at Epcot. The family lives in Los Angeles.

On the PBS show Finding Your Roots, Vance learned that his father was born to his 17-year-old grandmother. In October 2024, he voiced a commercial for Kamala Harris about Detroit.

Interests and Support

Vance is on the Board of Directors for The Actors Center in New York City. He is a strong supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He was a member of the Detroit Boys & Girls Club when he was young. He was recently added to the Alumni Hall of Fame for Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Acting Credits

Theatre

Year Title Role Venue
1985 Fences Cory Yale Repertory Theatre
1987–88 46th Street Theatre, Broadway
1989–90 My Children! My Africa! Thami Mbikwarna New York Theatre Workshop
1990–92 Six Degrees of Separation Paul Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Broadway
2013 Lucky Guy Hap Hairston Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1987 Hamburger Hill Spc. Abraham 'Doc' Johnson
1990 The Hunt for Red October Sonar Technician (Petty Officer 2nd Class) Jones
1993 The Adventures of Huck Finn Jim
Beyond the Law Conroy Price
1994 Holy Matrimony Cooper
1995 Panther Bobby Seale
Dangerous Minds George Grandey
The Tuskegee Airmen 2nd Lt. Glenn
The Last Supper Luke
1996 The Preacher's Wife Reverend Henry Biggs
1998 Blind Faith John Williams
Ambushed Jerry Robinson
1999 Cookie's Fortune Otis Tucker
Love and Action in Chicago Eddie Jones Also co-producer
2000 Space Cowboys Roger Hines
2002 D-Tox Reverend Jones Also known as Eye See You
2008 Nothing but the Truth Agent O'Hara
2009 Hurricane Season Mr. Randolph
2010 Extraordinary Measures Marcus Temple
2011 The Divide Delvin
Final Destination 5 Agent Jim Block
2012 Joyful Noise Pastor Dale
Let It Shine Pastor Jacob DeBarge
2015 Terminator Genisys Miles Dyson
2016 Office Christmas Party Walter Davis
2017 The Mummy Army Colonel Greenway
2018 Isle of Dogs Narrator (voice)
Ben Is Back Neal Burns
2020 The Photograph Louis Morton
Uncorked Louis
Project Power Captain Crane
2023 Heist 88 Jeremy Horne Also executive producer
2025 Lilo & Stitch Cobra Bubbles Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1983 First Affair Male student Television film
1989 Thirtysomething Curtis Episode: "Trust Me"
1990 Law & Order Mayor's Assistant Episode: "By Hooker, by Crook"
Uncredited
1991 The Emperor's New Clothes Scribe (voice) Television film
1992 In the Line of Duty: Street War Justice Butler
1993 Percy & Thunder Thunder
1994 Race to Freedom: The Underground Railroad Thomas
1995 Law & Order Benjamin 'Bud' Greer Episode: "Rage"
The Piano Lesson Lymon Television film
Picket Fences Warren Grier 2 episodes
The Tuskegee Airmen Lt. Glenn Television film
The Affair Travis Holloway
1996 The Boys Next Door Lucien P. Singer
1997 12 Angry Men Foreman
1998 Any Day Now Mr. James Jackson Episode: "Unfinished Symphony"
Naked City: Justice with a Bullet Officer James Halloran Television film
The Wild Thornberrys Makai (voice) Episode: "Naimina Enkiyio"
Naked City: A Killer Christmas Officer James Halloran Television film
2000 Boston Public Walter Harrelson 2 episodes
2001–06 Law & Order: Criminal Intent A.D.A. Ron Carver 111 episodes
2002 American Experience Dr. Vivien Thomas (voice) Episode: "Partners of the Heart"
Whitewash: The Clarence Brandley Story Clarence Brandley Television film
2004 American Experience Narrator (voice) Episode: "The Fight"
2007 State of Mind William Banks 3 episodes
2008–09 ER Russell Banfield 8 episodes
2009 The Spectacular Spider-Man Roderick Kingsley (voice) Episode: "Accomplices"
2009–10 FlashForward Stanford Wedeck 22 episodes
2010–11 The Closer Chief Tommy Delk 3 episodes
2012 Revenge Benjamin Brooks 4 episodes
Let It Shine Pastor Jacob DeBarge Television film
2013 Graceland Sam Campbell Episode: "Pilot"
2014–15 State of Affairs Marshall Payton 7 episodes
2014 Masters of ... Dr. Charles Hendricks 3 episodes
2015 Scandal Clarence Parker Episode: "The Lawn Chair"
2016 The People v. O. J. Simpson:
American Crime Story
Johnnie Cochran 10 episodes
2017 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Sir Lord Keenan Kester Cofield Television film
2020 Lovecraft Country George Freeman 3 episodes
2021 Genius: Aretha C. L. Franklin 8 episodes
2022–23 61st Street Franklin Roberts 16 episodes
2023 The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Merlin Kelly (voice) Episode: "The Soul Vibrations"
2024 Grotesquerie Marshall Tryon 9 episodes
2025 Percy Jackson and the Olympians Zeus

Awards and Nominations

Year Award Category Nominated Work Result
1987 Clarence Derwent Award Most Promising Male Performer Fences Won
Theatre World Award Won
Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Play Nominated
1991 Best Actor in a Play Six Degrees of Separation Nominated
1998 Independent Spirit Award Best Male Lead Blind Faith Nominated
2013 Tony Award Best Featured Actor in a Play Lucky Guy Won
2016 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie The People v. O.J. Simpson Won
Golden Globe Award Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Movie Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Nominated
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Actor in a Movie or Limited Series Won
Television Critics Association Award Individual Achievement in Drama Nominated
Satellite Award Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film Nominated
NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie/Miniseries/Special Won
BET Awards BET Award for Best Actor on Television Nominated
2019 Grammy Award Best Spoken Word Album Accessory to War Nominated
2021 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Lovecraft Country Won
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Drama Nominated
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Movie Genius Nominated
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries Nominated
2024 Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations Artist of the Year Himself Won
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Heist 88 Nominated
Black Reel TV Awards Outstanding Lead Performance in a Miniseries or TV Movie Nominated

See also

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