My Current Obsession: Courtney B Vance and Angela Bassett

It’s probably not right to group these two esteemed actors together just because they have been married for twenty years, but in all sincerity I think all of America can agree we are blessedly obsessed with them both. While they each attained a certain level of fame in past decades, it’s recent roles, especially in Ryan Murphy properties, that have us in awe of their theatrical gifts. These two powerhouse actors have created a variety of memorable performances as solo individuals, while also promoting and supporting each other in public and truly entertaining us for the past thirty years.

Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett met while attending Yale in 1980. They started their relationship as friends, but eventually married in 1997. During the time before they were married Courtney found notice in the 1987 war film Hamburger Hill and in the 1990 Tom Clancy adaptation The Hunt for Red October. He co-starred in several lesser Hollywood films before being cast as a lead in The Preacher’s Wife alongside Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington. At the same time Bassett was landing roles in influential black films such as Boyz n the Hood (1991) and Malcolm X (1992). Bassett has often been turned to for leads in television biopics about influential black women, and it was the film The Jacksons: An American Dream that started this trend. The 1992 film had her star as the seminal maternal figure Katherine Jackson. From there she landed the role of Tina Turner in the 1993 film What’s Love Got to Do with It. For the film she earned a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy (the first black woman to accomplish this feat) as well as an Academy Award nomination.

Bassett continued her reign as the epitome of black femininity in roles such as Waiting to Exhale and How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Vance co-starred in several television and theatrical films in the late nineties, but it was his role as ADA Ron Carver on Law and Order: Criminal Intent that truly brought him to the public eye. Vance starred on the spinoff for five years. In 2006 they welcomed twins named Slater Josiah and Bronwyn Golden after many years struggling to conceive.

Both Bassett and Vance have been thrust back into the public eye in the past several years and have enjoyed a renewal of their careers. Bassett was the first to come back into the public eye with the role of Marie Laveau in the third season of American Horror Story entitled Coven. She has also appeared in the seasons Freak Show, Hotel, and Roanoke. The series earned her two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie of Mini-series and many phenomenal roles since. Recently she appeared in Aziz Ansari’s second season of Master of None, and has a role in the new Black Panther film.

Just as extraordinary was Vance’s performance in The People vs. OJ Simpson as Johnnie Cochran. The performance won the veteran stage actor an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, a win that was wholeheartedly deserved. Vance was absolutely electric in the role and finally got to show his true artistic genius and theatrical weight. This was also quite an accomplished win next to his 2013 Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Lucky Guy. Vance’s meteorite rise in public perception has also given way to some juicy roles, including his performance as a con man in the HBO television movie The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and an upcoming role in the new Mummy film.

Honestly, it’s incredibly sad that these two thespians were type cast for so long and not given the room to truly emote and foster a sense of artistic expression. Angela Bassett, besides being one of the most beautiful women on the face of the planet, has a range that is generally unseen in the industry today. Vance too has a verve and talent that has been too long underestimated. Together they have created really great pieces of television that ask questions about race, heritage, history, and the ethos of trying to be good when the world is oh so bad. If you haven’t already watched American Horror Story or The People vs. OJ Simpson I highly recommend both, not just for these two phenomenal actors but because they generously entertain.