Actor Courtney B. Vance was born on March 12, 1960 in Detroit, Michigan. While taking up an arts degree at Harvard University, he already appeared in several plays, staged by the Boston Shakespeare Company. He later graduated with a MFA degree from Yale School of Drama. He made his screen debut in 1983, playing a bit role in the television movie First Affair. Many of his early screen roles were in television movies and direct-to-video films, although during this time he was focused on stage, later earning him two Tony nominations.
In 2001, Vance took a role in Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He played Ron Carver, the ADA who often goes at odds with the detectives he works with because of his hardline stance against those who break the law. He stayed on the show until 2006, when he left and his character was written out. After a minor recurring role in State of Mind, he took a major guest role in the final season of ER, as Russell Banfield, the husband of Catherine Banfield (which is played by her real life wife, Angela Bassett). He later starred in the series Flash Forward, but it was cancelled after one season. Since then, he has landed roles in The Divide and 2011's Final Destination 5.