Courtney B. Vance finds the softness in tough guy characters

Courtney B. Vance has played plenty of strong men. He was a teenager who enlists in the navy in the Broadway debut of August Wilson's Fences, the Assistant District Attorney on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and now, he's former CIA Agent Cobra Bubbles in the new live action Lilo & Stitch movie. Vance says the key to portraying these characters is digging deep below their tough guy act, and getting in touch with their vulnerabilities.

"[Cobra Bubbles] is a very tight gentleman," Vance tells Q's Tom Power. "But he has an arc… actually, to see his emotional side."

While Lilo & Stitch may be aimed at children, Vance thinks it's a story that will resonate with viewers of any age. Even as a man in his sixties, who wasn't initially familiar with the original 2002 movie, he feels that this story is universally relatable.

"That's what's so moving, I believe, about the story, is that we all are Stitches.… We have to make transitions in life. And this is one of those where we have to make a decision," he says. "We all get to that point in our lives where it's just you, and sitting on the edge of the bed at two in the morning, and you've got to make a decision tomorrow."

Courtney B. Vance was also asked to find the emotional core of a more controversial man: the lead attorney who defended O.J. Simpson. To some, it might seem like a daunting challenge. But once Vance learned that Johnnie Cochran grew up as the only Black student in an all white school, he was immediately able to connect with his perspective.

"That was what my parents did with me," he explains. "I knew that he was someone that had to get in there and figure it out. And navigate in uncharted waters, and find his way. And make people feel okay about who I am."

Vance was all too familiar with the nuances of that fundamental experience in Johnnie Cochran's life. It allowed him to deliver his performance intuitively, rather than obsessing over how to imitate Cochran's exact voice or mannerisms. He ended up winning an Emmy and a Critics Choice Award for the role.

"I recognized in him, me," Vance says. "All the experiences I went through in the industry prior to that gave me the confidence to say, 'I don't need to look at footage. Because if I look at footage, I'm going to be in my head. I don't need to be in my head. The scripts are written, they're great scripts. I think if I get the spirit of him, people will forgive the specificity.'"

With over four decades in theatre, television, and film, Vance has a wise view of what makes it all worthwhile. It's not about adding more roles to his illustrious resume, or winning awards– it's about working with great teams on set.

"It's the people.… The scripts and performances are made by the experience," he says, as he reflects on working with the director of Lilo & Stitch. "We were all set up for success. If the environment's not right, we ain't going to be right."

The full interview with Courtney B. Vance is available on our YouTube channel and on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.

Interview with Courtney B. Vance produced by Niza Lyapa Nondo.