Brooke Obie interviews Courtney B. Vance on Faith, Family and Marriage in Hollywood
Why the Tony award-winning actor says failure and vulnerability are essential in faith and love.
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Tony-winning actor Courtney B. Vance is going for an Emmy in his latest critically acclaimed role on the hit FX crime drama The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. Vance stars as Johnnie Cochran in the 10-episode miniseries that explores the social, political and legal consequences of the infamous O.J. Simpson case.
The Harvard graduate has had a long and storied acting career, from theater to film, since 1980 when he began at Yale University School of Drama, along with his future wife, Golden Globe-winning actress Angela Bassett. The two have since been married for nearly 20 years and are the parents of twins, daughter Bronwyn and son Slater Vance. Guideposts.org caught up with the busy actor to learn how he manages faith, marriage and family in Hollywood.
GUIDEPOSTS: How has faith played a role in your acting journey and how you’ve been able to sustain a successful career as an actor?
COURTNEY B. VANCE: The difficult thing is viewing things from God’s eyes. From his perspective a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. So I have learned to look at the pauses in between, God is working something out and for me not to worry about it and for me to continue work. Just like a farmer is not standing over his seedlings waiting for them to grow. He is busy getting things done, preparing for that time when it’s time to harvest because when it’s time to harvest and you’re not prepared then you’re in trouble. It’s all about preparation and perceived blessings. I’m just trying to be prepared.