A decades-long romance. Angela Bassett and husband Courtney B. Vance met as classmates at the Yale School of Drama in the 1980s, but the duo didn’t spark a romantic connection until years later.
“I didn’t run into Courtney again until 1994,” Bassett said during a 2007 CBS interview. “I was out with some friends, and he was too. It was like, ‘Hey! Great to see you.’”
The pair decided to go on a date after reconnecting, but according to the Black Panther actress, Vance didn’t make much of an impression on her at the time.
“He just seemed like a really, really nice guy, which translated to kind of boring,” she explained.
However, as the Golden Globe winner later recalled in her and Vance’s book, Friends: A Love Story, things started to fall into place after their first kiss.
“I got pinpricks and chills up the back of my thighs and across my butt, up my neck and across my scalp,” she wrote in the 2007 bestseller.
The lovebirds went on to tie the knot in October 1997 and welcomed twins — son Slater and daughter Bronwyn — in January 2006. Years later, Bassett admitted to being the “good cop” parent whereas Vance is “consistent” although still “pretty calm.”
“I tell [my kids], ‘I am your good time, so you don’t wanna mess with me,’” the What’s Love Got to Do With It star said during an April 2021 appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden.
Although the two actors continued to juggle parenthood and busy careers over the course of their relationship, they made sure not to lose sight of their priorities.
“Our focus is on our children and what we need to do as a family. Careers and things follow that,” Vance exclusively told Us Weekly in April 2019. The Law & Order: Criminal Intent alum also shed some light on the secret to his long-lasting union.
“It’s, ‘Yes, dear. How can I help? What do you need me to do,’” he quipped at the time.
Bassett, for her part, wrote in Friends: A Love Story that she credited the couple’s success to picking the “right person” to marry. “Make sure you’re both looking in the same direction, basically. You’re not clones of each other, but you have similar or closely similarly belief systems and, you know, pleasant personalities,” she explained.
In October 2022, the pair celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary surrounded by loved ones.
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“25 years … When we first got married, we couldn’t wait to say we made it to 10 years! Now look at how far we’ve come!” the Malcolm X actress captioned an Instagram video of the occasion.
She continued: “We’ve had ups, we’ve had downs; we gained two amazing children; but lost cherished family members and friends … We’ve had successes, we’ve had failures; we’ve had spectacular wins, we’ve had devastating losses … But through it all there’s been one, beautiful constant: We’ve always had each other!”
Scroll through for a look back at Bassett and Vance’s love story:
Credit: Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock
Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance's Relationship Timeline: From Yale Classmates to Marriage
A decades-long romance. Angela Bassett and husband Courtney B. Vance met as classmates at the Yale School of Drama in the 1980s, but the duo didn’t spark a romantic connection until years later.“I didn’t run into Courtney again until 1994,” Bassett said during a 2007 CBS interview. “I was out with some friends, and he was too. It was like, 'Hey! Great to see you.’”The pair decided to go on a date after reconnecting, but according to the Black Panther actress, Vance didn’t make much of an impression on her at the time.“He just seemed like a really, really nice guy, which translated to kind of boring,” she explained.However, as the Golden Globe winner later recalled in her and Vance’s book, Friends: A Love Story, things started to fall into place after their first kiss.[sendtonews type="float" key="mCnuKXSMru-2839540-14453"]"I got pinpricks and chills up the back of my thighs and across my butt, up my neck and across my scalp," she wrote in the 2007 bestseller.The lovebirds went on to tie the knot in October 1997 and welcomed twins — son Slater and daughter Bronwyn — in January 2006. Years later, Bassett admitted to being the “good cop” parent whereas Vance is “consistent” although still “pretty calm.”“I tell [my kids], ‘I am your good time, so you don’t wanna mess with me,’” the What’s Love Got to Do With It star said during an April 2021 appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden.Although the two actors continued to juggle parenthood and busy careers over the course of their relationship, they made sure not to lose sight of their priorities.“Our focus is on our children and what we need to do as a family. Careers and things follow that,” Vance exclusively told Us Weekly in April 2019. The Law & Order: Criminal Intent alum also shed some light on the secret to his long-lasting union.“It’s, ‘Yes, dear. How can I help? What do you need me to do,’” he quipped at the time.Bassett, for her part, wrote in Friends: A Love Story that she credited the couple’s success to picking the “right person” to marry. “Make sure you’re both looking in the same direction, basically. You’re not clones of each other, but you have similar or closely similarly belief systems and, you know, pleasant personalities,” she explained.In October 2022, the pair celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary surrounded by loved ones.“25 years … When we first got married, we couldn’t wait to say we made it to 10 years! Now look at how far we’ve come!” the Malcolm X actress captioned an Instagram video of the occasion.She continued: “We’ve had ups, we’ve had downs; we gained two amazing children; but lost cherished family members and friends … We’ve had successes, we’ve had failures; we’ve had spectacular wins, we’ve had devastating losses … But through it all there’s been one, beautiful constant: We’ve always had each other!”Scroll through for a look back at Bassett and Vance’s love story:
Credit: Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock
Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance's Relationship Timeline: From Yale Classmates to Marriage
A decades-long romance. Angela Bassett and husband Courtney B. Vance met as classmates at the Yale School of Drama in the 1980s, but the duo didn’t spark a romantic connection until years later.“I didn’t run into Courtney again until 1994,” Bassett said during a 2007 CBS interview. “I was out with some friends, and he was too. It was like, 'Hey! Great to see you.’”The pair decided to go on a date after reconnecting, but according to the Black Panther actress, Vance didn’t make much of an impression on her at the time.“He just seemed like a really, really nice guy, which translated to kind of boring,” she explained.However, as the Golden Globe winner later recalled in her and Vance’s book, Friends: A Love Story, things started to fall into place after their first kiss.[sendtonews type="float" key="mCnuKXSMru-2839540-14453"]"I got pinpricks and chills up the back of my thighs and across my butt, up my neck and across my scalp," she wrote in the 2007 bestseller.The lovebirds went on to tie the knot in October 1997 and welcomed twins — son Slater and daughter Bronwyn — in January 2006. Years later, Bassett admitted to being the “good cop” parent whereas Vance is “consistent” although still “pretty calm.”“I tell [my kids], ‘I am your good time, so you don’t wanna mess with me,’” the What’s Love Got to Do With It star said during an April 2021 appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden.Although the two actors continued to juggle parenthood and busy careers over the course of their relationship, they made sure not to lose sight of their priorities.“Our focus is on our children and what we need to do as a family. Careers and things follow that,” Vance exclusively told Us Weekly in April 2019. The Law & Order: Criminal Intent alum also shed some light on the secret to his long-lasting union.“It’s, ‘Yes, dear. How can I help? What do you need me to do,’” he quipped at the time.Bassett, for her part, wrote in Friends: A Love Story that she credited the couple’s success to picking the “right person” to marry. “Make sure you’re both looking in the same direction, basically. You’re not clones of each other, but you have similar or closely similarly belief systems and, you know, pleasant personalities,” she explained.In October 2022, the pair celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary surrounded by loved ones.“25 years … When we first got married, we couldn’t wait to say we made it to 10 years! Now look at how far we’ve come!” the Malcolm X actress captioned an Instagram video of the occasion.She continued: “We’ve had ups, we’ve had downs; we gained two amazing children; but lost cherished family members and friends … We’ve had successes, we’ve had failures; we’ve had spectacular wins, we’ve had devastating losses … But through it all there’s been one, beautiful constant: We’ve always had each other!”Scroll through for a look back at Bassett and Vance’s love story:
Credit: Joseph Marzullo/Mediapunch/Shutterstock
1980s
The pair met when they were both graduate students at the Yale School of Drama.
Credit: Charles Sykes/Shutterstock
1994
Years after graduating, Bassett and Vance reconnected. Although the Rosa Parks Story actress described their first date as unmemorable, she wrote in their book that their first kiss gave her “pinpricks and chills.”
Credit: E Goodenough/Shutterstock
1997
The Yale alums exchanged vows in October.
Credit: Chris Pizzello/AP/Shutterstock
2006
The twosome welcomed twins Slater and Bronwyn via surrogate in January.
Credit: Dave Allocca/Starpix/Shutterstock
2007
Bassett and Vance released Friends: A Love Story, a joint memoir of their relationship.
Credit: Jim Smeal/Shutterstock
2016
Bassett revealed that she didn’t tell her husband in advance about her steamy scene with Lady Gaga in American Horror Story: Hotel and instead “eased him into” viewing the episode later on.
"I just, you know, waited until the night [the episode aired] and said, 'Come on, I want you to see something!’” she said during a February appearance on Conan. "And so, I'm showing it, and I have the remote and he's like, 'Woah, woah, woah, what's about to happen?!' I was like, 'Well, pause! What's going on with you, are you going to be all right?'"
Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
2018
Vance, Slater and Bronwyn joined Bassett on the purple carpet at the premiere of Black Panther in January.
Credit: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
2019
Vance told Us that the secret to his lasting marriage was being supportive of his wife.
“It’s, ‘Yes, dear. How can I help? What do you need me to do,’" he explained.
Credit: Matt Baron/Shutterstock
2022
The couple celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with a party, surrounded by family and friends.
“We’ve had successes, we’ve had failures; we’ve had spectacular wins, we’ve had devastating losses … But through it all there’s been one, beautiful constant: We’ve always had each other!” Bassett captioned an Instagram video from the event.
Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
2022
Bassett and Vance’s son apologized for pranking them with a viral TikTok trend by falsely claiming Michael B. Jordan had died.
“I apologize to Michael B. Jordan’s entire family, his extended family, and him directly as he is an idol of mine,” Slater said in a December clip posted hours after he shared and deleted the initial prank video. “Taking part in a trend like this is completely disrespectful. I don’t wish any bad ramifications upon his family nor my parents as they deserve none of the backlash.”
Credit: David Fisher/Shutterstock
2023
Bassett won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Vance was by her side at the January award show. When the New York native took the stage to accept the accolade, the camera panned to her husband, who filmed her speech on his phone.
Credit: Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
February 2023
The duo walked the red carpet at the NAACP Image Awards, where Bassett won Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture and Entertainer of the Year.
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