Movies and TV

Guideposts Cover Star Courtney B. Vance: Behind the Scenes

Brooke Obie

Guideposts’ August 2016 cover star is award-winning actor Courtney B. Vance.

On the chilly spring morning of Guideposts’ cover shoot with award-winning actor Courtney B. Vance, the L.A. sky was littered with gray, puffy clouds that released a slight drizzle. But inside the Griffith Park studio, Vance brought warmth and light.

Grooving to Stevie Wonder oldies in between wardrobe changes, the Emmy-nominated People v. O.J. Simpson actor spread a palpable joy throughout the set, which was expertly captured by our photographer Michael Larsen to create Guideposts‘ August 2016 cover.

In the cover story and our video interview, The Law & Order: Criminal Intent veteran shared how he finds the joy in being a caregiver for his mother Leslie Anita Vance, who suffers from ALS.

Enjoy some outtakes from our fun photo shoot and read his inspiring cover story here. –Brooke Obie.

1 ^{of 8} Guideposts' August 2016 Cover Star, Courtney B. Vance

Courtney B. Vance relies on faith and family to care for his mother who suffers from ALS. Read his cover story here.

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2 ^{of 8} Bitten by the Acting Bug

“My goal was to go to Harvard. And I did,” Courtney writes in his Guideposts August 2016 cover story. “Sophomore year I got bitten by the acting bug and by junior year, I was a member of the Boston Shakespeare Company.”

Courtney B. Vance Guideposts cover shoot

3 ^{of 8} Freed by Passion

“Growing up, I had always tried to hide my emotions and put on a good face,” Courtney writes. “Through acting, all of that changed. I learned to channel my emotions into a character, a scene. It was so freeing. I’d discovered my gift.”

4 ^{of 8} Award-winning Actor

Courtney became a series regular on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, starring in films and plays. He’s now won a Tony Award and has been nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries for his role as Johnnie Cochran in American Crime Story: People v. O.J. Simpson.

Courtney B. Vance Magazine Cover Guideposts

5 ^{of 8} Ups and Downs

“Then Mom was diagnosed with ALS. At first her symptoms seemed manageable. Still, [my wife, Golden Globe-winning actress] Angela [Bassett] was on her, saying, “You need to come live with us, Mama Leslie. The kids want to be with their nana,” Courtney writes in his Guideposts cover story.

6 ^{of 8} Faith and Family Through it All

Courtney says of his experience caregiving for his mother: “The days that are rough, that I struggle, that’s when I’ve learned not to question God but to lean harder on his unchanging hand, his ever-present help.”

Misty Copeland Guideposts Magazine Cover

8 ^{of 8} For More Guideposts Celebrity Covers

Click here to see our slideshow of Guideposts celebrity covers like prima ballerina Misty Copeland, Roma Downey, Andie MacDowell and more!

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Guideposts Cover Star Courtney B. Vance: Behind the Scenes