What is Courtney B. Vance's Net Worth?
Courtney B. Vance is an American actor and producer who has a net worth of $25 million. That is a combined net worth with his wife of 25+ years, fellow actor Angela Bassett. Courtney B. Vance began his career on Broadway in the August Wilson play "Fences." He went on to earn acclaim for his role on the television series "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," as well as for his performances in such films as "Panther" and "Cookie's Fortune." Vance's other notable credits have included the series "The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story" and "Lovecraft Country," and the television film "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." He appeared in 111 episodes of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." In "The People and v O. J. Simpson" he played Johnnie Cochran.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Courtney Bernard Vance was born on March 12, 1960 in Detroit, Michigan to librarian Leslie and grocery store manager Conroy. He went to Detroit Country Day School, and later attended Harvard University. While in college, Vance worked as an actor with the Boston Shakespeare Company. He went on to obtain an MFA degree from the Yale School of Drama. At Yale, Vance performed in August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Fences" in 1985; he subsequently reprised his role on Broadway from 1987 to 1988, and earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play.
Film Career
In 1987, Vance made his feature film debut in the Vietnam War film "Hamburger Hill." His next film was the 1990 submarine spy thriller "The Hunt for Red October," in which he played a sonar technician. Vance subsequently had a starring role in the 1993 Mark Twain adaptation "The Adventures of Huck Finn," and had a supporting role in the 1994 comedy "Holy Matrimony." He had his biggest year yet in 1995, with significant roles in three films: "Dangerous Minds," "The Last Supper," and the historical drama "Panther," in which he portrayed Black Panther Bobby Seale. Vance's later credits in the 90s were "The Preacher's Wife," "Ambushed," "Cookie's Fortune," and "Love and Action in Chicago."
Vance kicked off the 2000s with a role in Clint Eastwood's adventure drama "Space Cowboys." He was subsequently in the psychological thriller "D-Tox," the political drama "Nothing but the Truth," the sports drama "Hurricane Season," and the medical drama "Extraordinary Measures." In 2011, Vance was in two horror films: "The Divide" and "Final Destination 5." The following year, he starred alongside Dolly Parton, Queen Latifah, Keke Palmer, and Jeremy Jordan in the musical dramedy "Joyful Noise." Vance next had roles in the science-fiction action film "Terminator Genisys," the comedy "Office Christmas Party," and the 2017 reboot of "The Mummy," starring Tom Cruise. In 2018, he had a substantial supporting part in the drama "Ben is Back," and provided narration to Wes Anderson's animated film "Isle of Dogs." Vance's subsequent credits included "The Photograph," "Uncorked," and "Project Power," all from 2020.
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Television Career
On the small screen, Vance had his first part in the 1983 television film "First Affair," playing a student. Six years later, he appeared in an episode of the series "Thirtysomething." This was followed by an appearance on "Law & Order" in 1990, and then a string of television films including "The Emperor's New Clothes," "In the Line of Duty: Street War," "Percy & Thunder," and "Race to Freedom: The Underground Railroad." In 1995, Vance was in three major television films. They were "The Piano Lesson," based on August Wilson's play; "The Tuskegee Airmen," about the first African-American combat unit in the US Army Air Corps; and "The Affair," in which Vance starred as a World War II serviceman in England. Also in 1995, he was in two episodes of the drama series "Picket Fences." Vance continued to appear in television films over the remainder of the decade, including "The Boys Next Door," "12 Angry Men," and two "Naked City" films.
In 2001, Vance landed his biggest role yet, playing A.D.A. Ron Carver on the police procedural series "Law & Order: Criminal Intent." He remained on the show for 111 episodes through 2006. During this time, Vance starred in the television film "Whitewash: The Clarence Brandley Story." After he finished his time on "Law & Order," Vance appeared in three episodes of "State of Mind," and had a recurring role as Russell Banfield on the final season of "ER." He had his next main role from 2009 to 2010, playing FBI Assistant Director Stanford Wedeck on the science-fiction series "FlashForward." This was followed by recurring roles on the police procedural "The Closer" and the ABC drama "Revenge." From 2014 to 2015, Vance had another recurring role on the short-lived spy thriller "State of Affairs." During this time, he also guest-starred on "Masters of Sex" and "Scandal." In 2016, Vance had one of his most acclaimed roles in the first season of the anthology series "American Crime Story," called "The People v. O. J. Simpson"; for his performance as attorney Johnnie Cochran, he won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. Vance earned more accolades the next year for his performance in the television film "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." A little later, in 2020, he won his second Emmy Award for his guest role on the HBO series "Lovecraft Country." The next year, Vance portrayed civil rights activist C. L. Franklin in the anthology series "Genius."
Stage Career
Following his Broadway debut in "Fences," Vance played Thami Mbikwarna in "My Children! My Africa!" from 1989 to 1990. Over the next two years, he played Paul in John Guare's "Six Degrees of Separation," and earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play. Vance didn't return to Broadway until 2013, when he played Hap Hairston in Nora Ephron's "Lucky Guy." For his performance, Vance won the Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Play.
Personal Life
In 1997, Vance married actress Angela Bassett, whom he had met while they were both attending Yale. They have twins, a daughter and a son, and reside in Los Angeles, California. Together, Vance and Bassett wrote a book called "Friends: A Love Story" with Hilary Beard.
