Birth name- Courtney Bernard Vance

Date of Birth – March 12, 1960

Age- 50

Birth Place- Detroit, Michigan, U.S.

Profession- Actor

Years active- 1983–present

Early life

Vance was born on March 12, 1960 in Detroit, Michigan, U.S. His father Conroy Vance was a grocery store manager. His mother Leslie Vance was a librarian. He went to Detroit Country Day School and later attended Harvard University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In Harvard, he discovered his interest in acting while performing in various college productions. He worked as an actor in Boston Shakespeare Company. Afterward, he joined Yale School of Drama for a Masters in Fine Arts.

Career

Vance appeared in Law and Order twice in a small role and grabbed a major role in episode ‘Rage’ of season 5. Later, he joined Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He was appreciated for his film credits which includes The Hunt for Red October in which he played Sonar Technician 2nd Class Ronald “Jonesey” Jones. He performed in Cookie’s Fortune of Robert Altman, Space Cowboys of Clint Eastwood, The Preacher’s Wife of Penny Marshall.

He also appeared in The Last Supper a film based on five liberal students who lived together in a home. Vance played one of these students, Luke. These students invite a guest who argues with them on racism. Their argument takes a worse turn when the guest threatens them, which lead to a fight. The clash results in murder of the guest by those friends. Later, they decide to kill every conservative person by inviting them to their home. They give a chance to them to change their mind but if they didn’t, they kill them by offering poisoned white wine.

He appeared in his co-produced romantic comedy film Love and Action in Chicago. He starred in Melvin and Mario Van Peebles docudrama ‘Panther’ in which he played Black Panther Bobby Seale. He made guest appearance with his wife Angela Bassett in final season of ER.

He joined the cast of Blind Faith in which, he acted opposite to Charles S. Dutton. His other works include 12 Angry Men, directed by William Friedkin, The Boys Next Door, The Tuskegee Airmen, The Affair, hitewash: The Clarence Brandley Story, voice-over in Unchained Memories.

He never accepted role of a criminal. His latest work is in ABC pilot FlashForward which was recently cancelled by the channel.

Personal Life

He met Angela Bassett in Yale School of Drama where she was his classmate and they both fell in love with each other and got married. They have twins, daughter Bronwyn Golden and son Slater Josiah. Vance and his wife authored a book named Friends: A Love Story which is based on their relationship.

The couple also appeared in Candlelight Processional which is an annual Christmas celebration held at Epcot. Besides, he is on the Board of Directors for The Actors Center in New York City and also a backer of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Lately, he was introduced in Boys & Girls Clubs of America as Alumni Hall of Fame.

Role in FlashForward

Vance plays FBI Assistant Director Stanford Wedeck. He supervises the investigation on October 6, 2009. It was the day when the world went to flashforward for two minutes and 17 seconds. He lies to others that he was attending a meeting in his flashforward but when asked by Mark Benford about the other participants; he reveals that his flashforward portrayed him on toilet seat reading sports section of a newspaper.

For examining the blackout, he meets Mark, Demetri and Janis and evaluates the effects of the blackout. He feels that the incident was something more than a mere mass blackout.

Awards

In 1990, he was honored with an off-Broadway Obie award for his theater work in “My Children! My Africa!” He was nominated twice in Tony Award. First, for his performance in Fences which is Pulitzer Prize-winning play of August Wilson and another nomination was for his role in Six Degrees of Separation which is written by John Guare. He received Best Actor nomination for ‘The Affair’ in 1996 CableACE Award. In 1999, he was nominated for Best Actor at Independent Spirit Award.