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Courtney B. Vance

Courtney B. Vance

Known for: Acting

Born 12/03/1960
Place of birth Detroit, Michigan, USA

Courtney Bernard Vance (born March 12, 1960) is an American actor. Vance started his career on the Broadway stage 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 for which he won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. He is known for his roles in films 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). Vance is also known for work on television on shows such as Law & Order: Criminal Intent, where he portrayed Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver. He also guest-starred on Law & Order, Picket Fences, The Closer, Revenge, Scandal, and Masters of Sex. He won acclaim for his portrayal of Johnnie Cochran in the FX limited series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016) for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. He recently appeared in the HBO television film, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017), National Geographic's limited series Genius: Aretha (2020), and the HBO drama series Lovecraft Country (2020) the latter of which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He has been married to actress Angela Bassett since 1997. 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. In 2019, Vance was appointed as the President of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation.

Filmography

Law & Order Series ★ 7,3

Law & Order

Mayor's Assistant

1990

Law & Order Series ★ 7,3

Law & Order

Benjamin Greer

1990

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen Series ★ 5,0

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Self - Guest

2009

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Series ★ 6,1

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Self - Guest

2015

Law & Order: Criminal Intent Series ★ 7,6

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Ron Carver

2001

The Jennifer Hudson Show Series ★ 5,6

The Jennifer Hudson Show

Self

2022

ER Series ★ 7,8

ER

Russell Banfield

1994

Sherri Series ★ 2,7

Sherri

Self - Guest

2022

NOVA Series ★ 7,0

NOVA

Narrator

1974

The Closer Series ★ 7,9

The Closer

Chief Tommy Delk

2005

The Closer Series ★ 7,9

The Closer

Chief Tommy Delk (archive footage) (uncredited)

2005

The View Series ★ 4,4

The View

Self

1997

The View Series ★ 4,4

The View

Self - Guest

1997

Golden Globe Awards Series ★ 7,2

Golden Globe Awards

Self - Audience Member

1944

Scandal Series ★ 7,2

Scandal

Clarence Parker

2012

American Experience Series ★ 6,6

American Experience

Narrator (voice)

1988

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors Series ★ 4,5

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

Self

2014

Revenge Series ★ 7,6

Revenge

Benjamin Brooks

2011

Tamron Hall Series ★ 4,7

Tamron Hall

Self - Guest

2019

Boston Public Series ★ 7,6

Boston Public

Walter Harrelson

2000

Masters of Sex Series ★ 7,1

Masters of Sex

Dr. Charles Hendricks

2013

American Crime Story Series ★ 7,6

American Crime Story

Johnnie Cochran

2016

The Wild Thornberrys Series ★ 7,0

The Wild Thornberrys

Makai (voice)

1998

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series ★ 7,3

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Zeus

2023

thirtysomething Series ★ 6,3

thirtysomething

1987

Lilo & Stitch Film ★ 7,2

Lilo & Stitch

Cobra Bubbles

2025

Genius Series ★ 7,5

Genius

C.L. Franklin

2017

Finding Your Roots Series ★ 6,2

Finding Your Roots

Self

2012

Picket Fences Series ★ 7,5

Picket Fences

Warren Grier

1992

FlashForward Series ★ 7,0

FlashForward

Stanford Wedeck

2009

Terminator Genisys Film ★ 6,0

Terminator Genisys

Miles Dyson

2015

Graceland Series ★ 7,2

Graceland

Sam Campbell

2013

Grotesquerie Series ★ 7,3

Grotesquerie

Marshall Tryon

2024

Any Day Now Series ★ 7,5

Any Day Now

1998

Lovecraft Country Series ★ 7,1

Lovecraft Country

George Freeman

2020

Final Destination 5 Film ★ 6,2

Final Destination 5

Agent Block

2011

The Mummy Film ★ 5,5

The Mummy

Colonel Greenway

2017

Isle of Dogs Film ★ 7,8

Isle of Dogs

Narrator (voice)

2018

The Hunt for Red October Film ★ 7,4

The Hunt for Red October

Petty Officer Ronald 'Jonesy' Jones (USS Dallas)

1990

Amend: The Fight for America Series ★ 7,1

Amend: The Fight for America

Self

2021

12 Angry Men Film ★ 7,7

12 Angry Men

Foreman

1997

61st Street Series ★ 6,9

61st Street

Franklin Roberts

2022

Hallmark Hall of Fame Series ★ 8,8

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Lucien P. Singer

1951

The Divide Film ★ 5,9

The Divide

Delvin

2012

D-Tox Film ★ 5,6

D-Tox

Reverend Jones

2002

Space Cowboys Film ★ 6,4

Space Cowboys

Roger Hines

2000

Dangerous Minds Film ★ 7,0

Dangerous Minds

Mr. George Grandey

1995

Project Power Film ★ 6,4

Project Power

Captain Craine

2020

Office Christmas Party Film ★ 5,7

Office Christmas Party

Walter Davis

2016

The Photograph Film ★ 6,3

The Photograph

Louis Morton

2020

Heist 88 Film ★ 6,7

Heist 88

Jeremy Horne

2023

Hamburger Hill Film ★ 6,6

Hamburger Hill

Spc. Abraham 'Doc' Johnson

1987

Nothing But the Truth Film ★ 7,0

Nothing But the Truth

Agent O'Hara

2008

Extraordinary Measures Film ★ 6,3

Extraordinary Measures

Marcus Temple

2010

Gary the Rat Series ★ 7,0

Gary the Rat

2003

Ben Is Back Film ★ 6,6

Ben Is Back

Mr. Beeby

2018

Let It Shine Film ★ 7,0

Let It Shine

Jacob

2012

The Tuskegee Airmen Film ★ 7,1

The Tuskegee Airmen

Lt. Glenn

1995

The Last Supper Film ★ 6,5

The Last Supper

Luke

1995

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Film ★ 6,4

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Sir Lord Keenan Coefield

2017

The Preacher's Wife Film ★ 5,8

The Preacher's Wife

Reverend Henry Biggs

1996

Panther Film ★ 6,3

Panther

Bobby Seale

1995

Hurricane Season Film ★ 6,6

Hurricane Season

Mr. Randolph

2010

Ambushed Film ★ 5,1

Ambushed

Jerry Robinson

1998

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson Film ★ 7,2

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

Other Voices (voice)

2004

Joyful Noise Film ★ 6,4

Joyful Noise

Pastor Dale

2012

Uncorked Film ★ 6,1

Uncorked

Louis

2020

Cookie's Fortune Film ★ 6,4

Cookie's Fortune

Otis Tucker

1999

The Adventures of Huck Finn Film ★ 6,2

The Adventures of Huck Finn

Jim

1993

Beyond the Law Film ★ 6,3

Beyond the Law

Conroy Price

1993

Holy Matrimony Film ★ 5,2

Holy Matrimony

Cooper

1994

Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers Film ★ 6,3

Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers

Reader

1991

The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays Film

The Best of The Tony Awards: The Plays

Corey (segment "Fences")

2006

Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives Film ★ 5,2

Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives

2003

On Broadway Film ★ 8,7

On Broadway

Self (archive footage)

2019

Blind Faith Film ★ 6,2

Blind Faith

John Williams

1998

The Affair Film ★ 4,2

The Affair

Travis Holloway

1995

Nonsense and Lullabyes: Nursery Rhymes Film ★ 8,0

Nonsense and Lullabyes: Nursery Rhymes

(voice)

1992

Between the World and Me Film ★ 7,9

Between the World and Me

Self

2020

The Boys Next Door Film ★ 6,7

The Boys Next Door

Lucien P. Singer

1996

In the Line of Duty: Street War Film ★ 5,4

In the Line of Duty: Street War

Justice Butler

1992

Naked City: Justice with a Bullet Film ★ 4,2

Naked City: Justice with a Bullet

Officer James Halloran

1998

The Acting Class Film ★ 6,0

The Acting Class

Self

2000

Death Wish Film

Death Wish

Pilot (voice)

2024

W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause Film ★ 9,0

W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel With a Cause

Self

2026

Girl Dad Film

Girl Dad

2026

The Piano Lesson Film ★ 7,6

The Piano Lesson

Lymon

1995

Partners of the Heart Film ★ 7,0

Partners of the Heart

Vivien Thomas (voice)

2002

The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story Film ★ 9,0

The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story

2000

First Affair Film ★ 4,0

First Affair

Male Student #2

1983

Race to Freedom: The Underground Railroad Film ★ 6,5

Race to Freedom: The Underground Railroad

Thomas

1994

Whitewash: The Clarence Brandley Story Film ★ 8,0

Whitewash: The Clarence Brandley Story

Clarence Brandley

2002

Percy & Thunder Film ★ 8,0

Percy & Thunder

Wayne 'Thunder' Carter

1993

Naked City: A Killer Christmas Film ★ 3,8

Naked City: A Killer Christmas

Officer James Halloran

1998

Love and Action in Chicago Film ★ 4,9

Love and Action in Chicago

Eddie Jones

1999

Nonsense and Lullabyes: Poems Film ★ 8,0

Nonsense and Lullabyes: Poems

(voice)

1992

Film

Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America

Self - Host

2019

The Groveland Four Film ★ 9,0

The Groveland Four

Self - Narrator

2018

The Emperor's New Clothes Film ★ 7,0

The Emperor's New Clothes

Scribe (voice)

1992

Hollywood's Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story Film

Hollywood's Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story

Self - Narrator

2020

The Fight Film ★ 7,2

The Fight

Narrator (voice)

2005