Like many Black men, Courtney B. Vance has had his own scary encounter with the police.
Another O.J. Simpson Series Is Coming Soon
In an New York Times interview, the actor—who plays Johnnie Cochran in American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson—reflected on the race issues that surrounded the trial. When asked if he’d ever received negative assumptions from police based on his race, he revealed a scary encounter.
“I was at home late one night, and I heard something at the door and thought, ‘Well, maybe someone threw a script onto the porch, a late delivery,'” he recalled. “I opened the door, and there were six policemen out front, screaming at the top of their lungs for me to come outside and get on my knees. Apparently they’d been told I was out of town, and a security patrol called in that there was something suspicious happening at my house.”
O.J. Simpson Thinks Cuba Gooding Jr. Looks Nothing Like Him
The actor said he remained calm and defused the situation by answering the officer’s questions with “Yes, sir. Mm-hmm.” He never attempted to defend himself by bringing up his background as a Harvard and Yale educated man, which honestly, he shouldn’t have to do, because his peers had gone through the same thing.
What Else Was Happening in the World When O.J. Simpson Was Found Not Guilty?
Thankfully, no one was hurt.
WANT MORE FROM ESSENCE? Subscribe to our daily newsletter for the latest in hair, beauty, style and celebrity news.