This week, Courtney B. Vance was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. However, beyond receiving one of the industry’s most coveted honors, the ceremony was made extra special with speeches by Vance’s wife, Angela Bassett, and their children, Slater and Bronwyn.
“As an actor, Courtney is committed, relatable, and deeply reliable. He shows up fully every time, onstage, on-screen, and on television, grounding each performance in emotional truth and the human complexity,” Bassett said of her husband, whom she has been married to since 1997. ”You feel it. You trust him, and you remember him […] Courtney has built a body of work that endures. Audiences don’t just watch, they absorb.”
“Today’s honor is deeply deserved,” she continued. This star recognizes not only his artistry, but his integrity, his generosity, and his grace with which he moves through the world. I’m proud of you. I love you, and I’m grateful that the world now has a star that bears your name.”
The actor’s son Slater then stepped to the podium, crowning his father as “the most altruistic public servant,” before praising his father’s caring nature.
“Empathy and taking care of people are one thing, but consistently bearing witness to others existences is entirely another. I’ve never seen someone cherish people like my father, expecting and wanting no award,” he continued. “This man goes out of his way to make sure that people around him are at ease, helping in any way conducive to that goal.”
Reflecting on a recent conversation he had with Vance about balancing investing in both others and himself, Slater recalled his father’s advice: “’You have to be like water, son. Permeable at everything to everyone before you, but not so fluid that you forget it. That when it’s time to take solid form, you have it in your capacity. There is a time for everything and wisdom, which comes from God is knowing, is knowing, and what time it is.”
“Well, I know what time it is today. It’s time for the giver to receive, and I couldn’t be prouder. Witnessing a man who asks for nothing, receive everything,” Slater added, concluding his speech. “Father, you’ve been an exemplary role model to me every day I work to become at least half the man that you are.”
His twin sister, Bronwyn, echoed these sentiments in her speech, during which she described Vance as “the greatest man I have ever known.”
“The world knows him as an award-winning actor on stage and screen, but today I want to share how he’s been an award-winning father at home,” she said. “No matter how far away his work took him, whether he was gone for months doing a Broadway show or filming ‘The People v. O. J. Simpson,’ my dad called me every single night, and every night he prayed with me.”
“Dad, you spend your life serving others. Today, as we celebrate you, I hope you’ll allow yourself to be fully celebrated. “There’s no one more deserving of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, not just for the greatness you’ve given this industry, but for the greatness of who you are,” she concluded.
Vance, who has starred in hit films like “The Preacher’s Wife,” Tony Award-winning plays like “Lucky Guy,” and hit TV productions like “The People v. O.J. Simpson” and “Lovecraft Country,” addressed the crowd, reflecting on his new star.
“I’m just very, very full and grateful. I saw this honor bestowed upon my wife on March 20th, 2008, when our children were almost 2, and I remember how huge a day it was for both our families,” he said. “And to return to this hallowed place directly across the street from where she was honored and have that same honor bestowed upon me is really more happiness than I emotionally can bear.”
