Courtney B. Vance

Early life and education

Vance was born in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Leslie Anita (), a librarian, and Conroy Vance, a grocery store manager and benefits administrator. He attended Detroit Country Day School and later graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While at Harvard, he was already working as an actor at the Boston Shakespeare Company. He subsequently earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at Yale School of Drama, where he met fellow student and future wife Angela Bassett.

Career

1985–1999: Broadway debut and early roles

In 1985, Vance started his acting career on the stage as Cory in the Yale Repertory Theatre production of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award for Best Play-winning play Fences. From 1987 to 1988, Vance continued the role on Broadway opposite James Earl Jones where he won a Clarence Derwent Award and the Theatre World Award for his performance. He was also nominated for his first Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role. Vance's film debut was in 1987 American war film, Hamburger Hill about the 1969 assault during the Vietnam War. During this time he had small roles in the CBS television film First Affair (1983), and the ABC drama Thirtysomething (1989), and Law & Order (1990). Vance played Thami Mbikwarna in the Athol Fugard play My Children! My Africa! at the New York Theatre Workshop from 1989 to 1990. In 1991, Vance returned to Broadway playing Paul in John Guare's Six Degrees of Separation. Vance played Paul, replacing James McDaniel who originated the role in the 1990 Off-Broadway production. Vance acted alongside John Cunningham and Stockard Channing. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance at the 45th Tony Awards.

Throughout the 1990s, Vance continued acting in a variety of feature films such as The Hunt for Red October (1990), and The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993). In 1995, Vance played Black Panther Bobby Seale in the Melvin and Mario Van Peebles docudrama Panther. That same year, he also appeared in The Last Supper, Dangerous Minds, and the HBO film The Tuskegee Airmen. He also worked with acclaimed directors such as Penny Marshall in The Preacher's Wife (1996), Robert Altman in Cookie's Fortune (1999), and Clint Eastwood in Space Cowboys (2000). During the 1990s, Vance guest-starred in numerous television shows including Law & Order, Picket Fences, and Thirtysomething. In 1998 he acted in the Showtime television film Blind Faith he played John Williams. Vance earned critical acclaim with Janet Maslin of The New York Times describing his performance as "first rate". He went on to receive a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead. He also starred in made-for-television films such as William Friedkin's 12 Angry Men (1997), in which he played the Foreman and acted alongside Ossie Davis, George C. Scott, Jack Lemmon, Hume Cronyn, and James Gandolfini. In 1999, Vance also starred in and co-produced the romantic comedy Love and Action in Chicago.

2000–2015: Television roles and return to Broadway

From 2001 to 2006, Vance starred in Law & Order: Criminal Intent, in which he played A.D.A. Ron Carver. He was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for his performance. In 2008 and 2009, he guest-starred in the final season of ER alongside his wife Angela Bassett. He was also in Hurricane Season. On December 2, 2008, TV Guide reported that Vance had been cast as the Los Angeles bureau chief of the FBI in the ABC pilot FlashForward, based on a Robert J. Sawyer novel and slated to be a possible "companion show" to Lost. In 2011, he starred in the American horror film Final Destination 5. Vance was tapped for the lead in the German-American apocalypse thriller The Divide. He appeared in the Disney Channel Original Movie Let It Shine, where he played the pastor Jacob Debarge, the main character's father, and co-starred with Tyler James Williams, Trevor Jackson, Coco Jones, Brandon Mychal Smith, and Dawnn Lewis. It was the third time Vance portrayed a pastor in a motion picture, after The Preacher's Wife and Joyful Noise). Vance has provided the voiceover for the National Football League's "You Want the NFL, Go to the NFL" television spots.

He appeared as Chief Tommy Delk on the TNT series, The Closer, from 2010 to 2011 (Season 6–7). Vance also played the role of Attorney Benjamin Brooks on four episodes of ABC's Revenge. Vance returned to Broadway playing Hap Hairston in the Nora Ephron play Lucky Guy (2013) acting alongside Tom Hanks. David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter praised Vance writing, "[He] is terrific as the whip-smart black editor who, even with the sharpest of professional skills, has had to stay on his toes to keep ahead in a white man’s game." He won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance at the 67th Tony Awards. In 2015, he portrayed Miles Dyson in Terminator Genisys opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger and Emilia Clarke.

2016–present: Career expansion

In 2016, he took on the role of famed civil rights lawyer Johnnie Cochran in FX's American Crime Story, which tells the story of the O. J. Simpson murder case. The series premiered on February 2, 2016, and his performance was critically acclaimed, winning Vance numerous accolades including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, and the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries. He was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie. In 2017, he starred in the HBO television film The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, where he played Sir Lord Keenan Kester Cofield opposite Oprah Winfrey's Deborah Lacks. In 2018, Vance narrated Wes Anderson's stop motion animated comedy Isle of Dogs. The same year, he appeared as Neil Beeby in the Peter Hedges film Ben Is Back, opposite Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges.

In 2019, Vance was appointed President of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. In 2020, Vance was seen in HBO's drama series Lovecraft Country for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He was cast opposite Niecy Nash in Prentice Penny's feature film directorial debut, the Netflix original movie Uncorked, released in 2020. In 2021, he appeared in National Geographic's Genius: Aretha as C. L. Franklin. In 2023, Vance was cast in Disney's live-action reimagining of Lilo & Stitch as Cobra Bubbles.

In November 2024, it was announced that Vance would take over the role of Zeus in the second season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians following the 2023 death of Lance Reddick. In a statement, Vance expressed his excitement to join the cast and said he would be giving Reddick "a heavenly hug."

He was elected to a six-year term on the Harvard Board of Overseers in 2025.

Personal life

Marriage and family

Vance first met Angela Bassett in 1980, and the pair have been married since 1997. Together, they have twins, a son and a daughter, born in 2006 via surrogacy. He and Bassett have authored a book, Friends: A Love Story, with Hilary Beard. The two also participate in the annual Christmas celebration, Candlelight Processional, at Epcot. The family lives in Los Angeles. On the PBS program Finding Your Roots, Vance discovered that his father was born out of wedlock to 17-year-old Victoria Ardella Vance. In October 2024, he voiced a commercial for Kamala Harris about Detroit.

Interests

Vance is on the Board of Directors for The Actors Center in New York City, and is an active supporter of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He is an alumnus of the Detroit Boys & Girls Club, and was recently inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame for Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Acting credits

Theatre

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Bibliography

Notes

References

References

1. (May 14, 2013). "Courtney B. Vance :Detroit-born and an actor for all seasons". Michigan Chronicle.
2. Mike Rose, cleveland com. (2024-03-12). "Famous birthdays list for today, March 12, 2024 includes celebrities Aaron Eckhart, Jaimie Alexander".
3. Semuels, Alana. (June 9, 2013). "Tony Awards 2013: Courtney B. Vance glad he took a chance on 'Lucky Guy'". Los Angeles Times.
4. Gates Jr., Henry Louis. (2016-01-28). "Finding Your Roots, Season 2: The Official Companion to the PBS Series". UNC Press Books.
5. (2013). "Alumni E-Bee". Detroit Country Day School.
6. (12 October 2011). "Black Love: Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance". Essence.
7. (February 26, 1999). "Film Review; Tragedy at Home and in the Courtroom for a Black Youth".
8. [http://www.tvguide.com/News/Vance-Davenport-Flashforward-1000407.aspx Who's on board for ABC's new sci-fi thriller?]" ''[[TV Guide]]''. December 2, 2008. Retrieved on December 3, 2008.
9. (August 6, 2009). "For N.F.L., Split Seconds Become 30-Second Spots". [[The New York Times]].
10. (April 2013). "Lucky Guy Review".
11. Purcell, Carey. (6 September 2013). "Kinky Boots, Vanya and Sonia, Pippin and Virginia Woolf? Are Big Winners at 67th Annual Tony Awards". [[Playbill]].
12. (January 6, 2015). "Preview: Here's a T-800 From 'Terminator Genisys'". [[Bloody Disgusting]].
13. Goldberg, Lesley. (February 5, 2015). "Courtney B. Vance Set as Johnnie Cochran in FX's 'American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson'". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
14. (February 1, 2016). "Review: FX's compelling 'The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story'". HitFix.
15. (January 19, 2016). "'The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story': TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
16. (February 3, 2016). "The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, review: 'expertly executed entertainment'". The Telegraph.
17. (November 5, 2019). "Courtney B. Vance appointed SAG-AFTRA President".
18. "Niecy Nash, Courtney B. Vance to Star in 'Uncorked' for Netflix". [[The Hollywood Reporter]].
19. (25 November 2024). "''Percy Jackson'' Casts Courtney B. Vance as Zeus Following Lance Reddick's Death: 'I'll Be Giving My Brother a Heavenly Hug' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
20. University, Harvard. "Board of Overseers".
21. (December 20, 2006). "The Year of the Baby!".
22. [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7445483 "Bassett and Vance Tell Their 'Love Story'"], [[NPR]], February 16, 2007; with Farai Chideya interview (43 min.) and excerpts/readings by authors. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
23. Smith, Thomas. (December 14, 2009). "Unique Perspective – 'Candlelight' at Disney's Epcot".
24. [https://www.pbs.org/weta/finding-your-roots/profiles/courtney-vance/ "Courtney B. Vance"] {{Webarchive. link. (May 1, 2017 , ''pbs.org'', September 23 (2014?). Retrieved 2016-08-17.)
25. "Home >> About Us >> Alumni Hall of Fame >> Courtney B. Vance".
26. Kroll, Justin. (2016-04-15). "''People v. O.J.'' Star Courtney B. Vance Joins Tom Cruise in ''The Mummy'' Reboot".
27. N'Duka, Amanda. (2017-12-05). "Courtney B. Vance Joins Julia Roberts & Lucas Hedges In ''Ben Is Back''".
28. N'Duka, Amanda. (2019-03-27). "Emmy Winner Courtney B. Vance Hops In ''The Photograph''".
29. Cordero, Rosy. (2023-04-19). "Courtney B. Vance Boards Disney's Live-Action ''Lilo & Stitch''".
30. "Courtney B. Vance (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors.