Love continues to definitely be in the air at the Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett household. During the 2016 Emmy Awards, the critically-acclaimed actor and husband won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his performance as Johnnie Cochran in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.
But after getting on the mic and thanking God, his colleagues for their hard work and his family like many celebrities tend to do, Vance turned to his real-life leading lady, wife and an Emmy nominee herself, Angela Bassett (American Horror Story), and said, "To the woman who rocks my chain. Angela Evelyn Bassett, this one is for you girl!”
It was a classy and sexy move that left us all in an "Awww-isn't-that-sweet" moment.
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One can hardly believe that it’s been nearly 25 years since the Hollywood power couple tied the knot. With the divorce rate in upwards of 50% in the United States, this loving couple does what it takes to keep it together. No one knows this better than Courtney B. Vance, as he says it was harder to ask Angela if she liked him than it was to ask her to marry him.
The college sweethearts met while students at the Yale School of Drama. In the beginning they weren’t lovers, just friends, as they recall, "the best of friends." For nearly 14 years they ran in the same collegiate circle and their bond grew deeper and eventually blossomed into a love that neither of them could deny.
After graduation, on October 12, 1997, Angela married Courtney and they began the next phase in their lives together as one. As both their careers began to take off, the couple was blessed with two little miracles – twins born via surrogate after years of trying to conceive.
Tip: Keep God as the Center
Despite the pressures of Hollywood they both make time for one thing: their love for God.
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"God brought me an angel, a rare ruby," Courtney admits. "And I don't know where I'd be without her. I didn't grow up in the church or in the bible. Nobody taught me how to be married or how to really love a wife. I've learned that the Lord wants a relationship with you, me, and with all of us. I had to learn that when the Queen is happy, the land is happy. The man may be the head, but the head doesn't go anywhere without the neck telling it which way to turn it.
Vance was born on March 12, 1960 in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Leslie Anita (née Daniels), a librarian, and Conroy Vance, a grocery store manager and benefits administrator. He attended Detroit Country Day School and later graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While attending Harvard, Vance was already working as an actor at the Boston Shakespeare Company. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree later at Yale School of Drama where he met fellow student and his future wife.
READ: The 7 Unspoken Laws Of A Happy Marriage
Treat Her as Your Queen
"I've learned that the Lord is first and that my wife is the most important thing on this earth. The decisions in our marriage aren't easier, but they are clearer because of our relationship with God," says Courtney.
"God brought me a husband who loves me," Angela gushes. "But it is because I have a relationship with God, I can have a better relationship with my husband."
Vance is also known for work on television on shows such as Law & Order: Criminal Intent, where he played Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver. He also guest-starred on Law & Order, Picket Fences, The Closer, Revenge, Scandal, and Masters of Sex. Vance won great acclaim for his performance as Johnnie Cochran in the FX limited series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story where 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) and HBO's Lovecraft Country (2020).
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