Courtney B. Vance

Courtney Bernard Vance (born March 12, 1960) is an accomplished American actor who started his illustrious career on stage before transitioning to film and television. Over the years, Vance has received numerous accolades, including a Tony Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as nominations for a Grammy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award. Trained at the Yale School of Drama, he made his Broadway debut in the original production of August Wilson's Fences (1985), which earned him his first Tony Award nomination. His stage career included performances in John Guare's Six Degrees of Separation (1990) and Nora Ephron's Lucky Guy (2013), the latter of which earned him a Tony Award.

Vance's filmography is extensive, with milestones in films such as Hamburger Hill (1987), The Hunt for Red October (1990), and The Tuskegee Airmen (1995). His television accolades include his role as Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver in the NBC series Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001-2006). He also portrayed Johnnie Cochran in the FX limited series, The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016), for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award. Lately, he appeared in the HBO series Lovecraft Country (2020). Off-screen, Vance serves on the board of directors of The Actors Center in New York City, and actively supports the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. In 2019, he even took on the role of president of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation.