Courtney was born on January 31, 1957,[1] in Garfield Heights, Ohio, and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, as the eldest of seven brothers.

He majored in journalism at the University of South Carolina in 1981 and subsequently moved to California to pursue acting.

Courtney applied his martial arts skills to the role, which demanded high falls and sword fights; he sustained multiple injuries during performances.

In 1997, he gained wider recognition in the role Der Kindestod in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Killed by Death".

[4][13][14][15] The December 2017 announcement of Castle's participation in the film was widely reported as his retaking the role of Myers,[16] with Courtney only doing additional work as the character.