Courtney B. Vance Reveals Secret to 30-Year Marriage with Angela Bassett
Courtney B. Vance is opening up about the foundation of his decades-long love story with Angela Bassett.
While attending the world premiere of “Lilo & Stitch” at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on Saturday (May 17), Vance told PEOPLE that the key to his nearly 30-year marriage is simple: mutual respect and prioritizing your partner’s needs.
“It’s really about when my wife is happy, the land is happy,” the 65-year-old said. “So I just try to [go], ‘Does this work for you, baby?’ It doesn't work … we're not doing that.”
The actor added, “And I think it's the mutual respect,” noting the importance of honest conversations before making any big decisions. “You gotta talk about [it] and figure out which way … [you] want to go.”
Vance and Bassett initially crossed paths as drama students at Yale in the early ‘80s, but their romantic connection didn’t begin until they ran into each other once again in New York in 1994.
The pair married three years later. In 2006, they welcomed twins Bronwyn Golden and Slater Josiah. Now 19, both have just wrapped up their freshman year of college, and according to their dad, they’re already exploring creative paths.
Vance stars next in Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch,” out in theaters May 23.
