Courtney B. Vance

Biography

Courtney Bernard Vance, born on March 12, 1960, is a distinguished American actor celebrated for his versatile performances across stage and screen. He began his acting journey on Broadway, making a significant impact in the original productions of August Wilson's *Fences* in 1985, John Guare's *Six Degrees of Separation* in 1990, and Nora Ephron's *Lucky Guy* in 2013, the latter earning him a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Vance's film career features notable roles in movies such as *Hamburger Hill* (1987), *The Hunt for Red October* (1990), *The Preacher's Wife* (1996), *Cookie's Fortune* (1999), *Terminator Genisys* (2015), and *Isle of Dogs* (2018). His television work is equally impressive; he is recognized for portraying Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver on *Law & Order: Criminal Intent*, and he has made guest appearances on various popular series, including *Law & Order*, *Picket Fences*, *The Closer*, *Revenge*, *Scandal*, and *Masters of Sex*. Vance garnered widespread acclaim for his role as Johnnie Cochran in the FX limited series *The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story* (2016), winning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. More recently, he starred in HBO’s *The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks* (2017), National Geographic's *Genius: Aretha* (2020), and HBO's *Lovecraft Country* (2020), the latter earning him another Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

Since 1997, Vance has been married to actress Angela Bassett. He serves on the Board of Directors for The Actors Center in New York City and is