Courtney B. Vance | |
|---|---|
 Vance in 2013 | |
| Born | Courtney Bernard Vance (1960-03-12)March 12, 1960 (age 65) |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Board member of | Harvard Board of Overseers |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Courtney Bernard Vance[1] (born March 12, 1960[2]) is an American actor. He started his career on stage before moving to film and television. Vance has received various accolades, including aTony Award and twoPrimetime Emmy Awards, as well as nominations for aGrammy Award,Golden Globe Award, andScreen Actors Guild Award.
Having trained at theYale School of Drama, he soon made hisBroadway debut in the original production ofAugust Wilson'sFences (1985), earning his first Tony Award nomination. He continued acting in theatre inJohn Guare'sSix Degrees of Separation (1990) andNora Ephron'sLucky Guy (2013), the latter of which earned him aTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.[3] He is known for his roles in the filmsHamburger Hill (1987),The Hunt for Red October (1990),The Tuskegee Airmen (1995),The Preacher's Wife (1996),Cookie's Fortune (1999), andIsle of Dogs (2018).
From 2001 to 2006 he portrayedAssistant District AttorneyRon Carver in theNBC seriesLaw & Order: Criminal Intent. He earnedPrimetime Emmy Awards forOutstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie portrayingJohnnie Cochran in theFX limited seriesThe People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016), and forOutstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series playing George Freeman in theHBO seriesLovecraft Country (2020). He played Sir Lord Keenan Kester Cofield inThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017) andC. L. Franklin inGenius: Aretha (2020).
He has been married to actressAngela Bassett since 1997. He is on the board of directors of The Actors Center in New York City, and is an active supporter ofBoys & Girls Clubs of America. In 2019, he was appointed president of theScreen Actors Guild Foundation.
Vance was born inDetroit,Michigan, the son of Leslie Anita (née Daniels), a librarian, and Conroy Vance, a grocery store manager and benefits administrator.[4] He attendedDetroit Country Day School[5] and later graduated fromHarvard University with aBachelor of Arts degree. While at Harvard, he was already working as an actor at the Boston Shakespeare Company. He subsequently earned aMaster of Fine Arts degree atYale School of Drama, where he met fellow student and future wifeAngela Bassett.[6]
In 1985, Vance started his acting career on the stage as Cory in theYale Repertory Theatre production ofAugust Wilson'sPulitzer Prize-winning andTony Award for Best Play-winning playFences. From 1987 to 1988, Vance continued the role on Broadway oppositeJames Earl Jones where he won aClarence Derwent Award and theTheatre World Award for his performance. He was also nominated for his firstTony Award forBest Featured Actor in a Play for his role. Vance's film debut was in 1987 American war film,Hamburger Hill about the1969 assault during theVietnam War. During this time he had small roles in theCBS television filmFirst Affair (1983), and the ABC dramaThirtysomething (1989), andLaw & Order (1990). Vance played Thami Mbikwarna in theAthol Fugard playMy Children! My Africa! at theNew York Theatre Workshop from 1989 to 1990. In 1991, Vance returned to Broadway playing Paul inJohn Guare'sSix Degrees of Separation. Vance played Paul, replacingJames McDaniel who originated the role in the 1990 Off-Broadway production. Vance acted alongside John Cunningham andStockard Channing. He was nominated for theTony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performance at the45th Tony Awards.
Throughout the 1990s, Vance continued acting in a variety of feature films such asThe Hunt for Red October (1990), andThe Adventures of Huck Finn (1993). In 1995, Vance playedBlack PantherBobby Seale in theMelvin andMario Van Peebles docudramaPanther. That same year, he also appeared inThe Last Supper,Dangerous Minds, and theHBO filmThe Tuskegee Airmen. He also worked with acclaimed directors such asPenny Marshall inThe Preacher's Wife (1996),Robert Altman inCookie's Fortune (1999), andClint Eastwood inSpace Cowboys (2000). During the 1990s, Vance guest-starred in numerous television shows includingLaw & Order,Picket Fences, andThirtysomething. In 1998 he acted in theShowtime television filmBlind Faith he played John Williams. Vance earned critical acclaim withJanet Maslin ofThe New York Times describing his performance as "first rate".[7] He went on to receive a nomination for theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead. He also starred in made-for-television films such asWilliam Friedkin's12 Angry Men (1997), in which he played the Foreman and acted alongsideOssie Davis,George C. Scott,Jack Lemmon,Hume Cronyn, andJames Gandolfini. In 1999, Vance also starred in and co-produced the romantic comedyLove and Action in Chicago.
From 2001 to 2006, Vance starred inLaw & Order: Criminal Intent, in which he played A.D.A. Ron Carver. He was nominated for theNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for his performance. In 2008 and 2009, he guest-starred in the final season ofER alongside his wifeAngela Bassett. He was also inHurricane Season. On December 2, 2008,TV Guide reported that Vance had been cast as the Los Angeles bureau chief of the FBI in theABC pilotFlashForward, based on aRobert J. Sawyer novel and slated to be a possible "companion show" toLost.[8] In 2011, he starred in the Americanhorror filmFinal Destination 5. Vance was tapped for the lead in the German-American apocalypse thrillerThe Divide. He appeared in theDisney Channel Original MovieLet It Shine, where he played the pastor Jacob Debarge, the main character's father, and co-starred withTyler James Williams,Trevor Jackson,Coco Jones,Brandon Mychal Smith, andDawnn Lewis. It was the third time Vance portrayed a pastor in a motion picture, afterThe Preacher's Wife andJoyful Noise). Vance has provided the voiceover for theNational Football League's "You Want the NFL, Go to the NFL" television spots.[9]
He appeared as Chief Tommy Delk on theTNT series,The Closer, from 2010 to 2011 (Season 6–7). Vance also played the role of Attorney Benjamin Brooks on four episodes of ABC'sRevenge. Vance returned to Broadway playing Hap Hairston in theNora Ephron playLucky Guy (2013) acting alongsideTom Hanks. David Rooney ofThe 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."[10] He won theTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance at the67th Tony Awards.[11] In 2015, he portrayedMiles Dyson inTerminator Genisys oppositeArnold Schwarzenegger andEmilia Clarke.[12]
In 2016, he took on the role of famed civil rights lawyerJohnnie Cochran inFX'sAmerican Crime Story, which tells the story of theO. J. Simpson murder case.[13] The series premiered on February 2, 2016, and his performance was critically acclaimed, winning Vance numerous accolades including thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, and theCritics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries. He was nominated for theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film and theScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie.[14][15][16] In 2017, he starred in theHBO television filmThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, where he played Sir Lord Keenan Kester Cofield oppositeOprah Winfrey's Deborah Lacks. In 2018, Vance narratedWes Anderson's stop motion animated comedyIsle of Dogs. The same year, he appeared as Neil Beeby in thePeter Hedges filmBen Is Back, oppositeJulia Roberts andLucas Hedges.
In 2019, Vance was appointed President of theSAG-AFTRA Foundation.[17] In 2020, Vance was seen inHBO's drama seriesLovecraft Country for which he won aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He was cast oppositeNiecy Nash inPrentice Penny's feature film directorial debut, theNetflix original movieUncorked, released in 2020.[18] In 2021, he appeared inNational Geographic'sGenius: Aretha asC. L. Franklin. In 2023, Vance was cast in Disney'slive-action reimagining ofLilo & Stitch asCobra Bubbles.
In November 2024, it was announced that Vance would take over the role ofZeus in the second season ofPercy Jackson and the Olympians following the 2023 death ofLance Reddick. In a statement, Vance expressed his excitement to join the cast and said he would be giving Reddick "a heavenly hug."[19]
He was elected to a six-year term on theHarvard Board of Overseers in 2025.[20]
Vance first metAngela 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.[21] He and Bassett have authored a book,Friends: A Love Story, with Hilary Beard.[22] The two also participate in the annual Christmas celebration,Candlelight Processional, at Epcot. The family lives in Los Angeles.[23] On the PBS programFinding Your Roots, Vance discovered that his father was born out of wedlock to 17-year-old Victoria Ardella Vance.[24] In October 2024, he voiced a commercial forKamala Harris about Detroit.
Vance is on the Board of Directors for The Actors Center inNew York City, and is an active supporter ofBoys & 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.[25]
| 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 |
| 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 asEye 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 | [26] |
| 2018 | Isle of Dogs | Narrator (voice) | |
| Ben Is Back | Neal Burns | [27] | |
| 2020 | The Photograph | Louis Morton | [28] |
| Uncorked | Louis | ||
| Project Power | Captain Crane | ||
| 2023 | Heist 88 | Jeremy Horne | Also executive producer |
| 2025 | Lilo & Stitch | Cobra Bubbles | [29] |
| 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"[30] | |
| 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"[30] |
| 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 Sex | 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 | Season 2-Present replacingLance Reddick |
