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Vivica A. Fox
10.5.17VivicaAFoxByLuigiNovi1.jpg
Fox at the New York Comic Con
in October 2017
Born
Vivica Anjanetta Fox

(1964-07-30) July 30, 1964 (age 60)
Occupation
  • Actress
  • producer
  • host
Years active 1982–present
Height 5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Spouse(s)
Christopher Harvest
(m. 1998; div. 2002)

Vivica Anjanetta Fox (born July 30, 1964) is an American actress, producer, and television host. She started her career as a dancer on Soul Train in the early 1980s. She then acted in popular TV soap operas like Days of Our Lives and Generations.

Vivica Fox became widely known in 1996 with two big movies: Independence Day and Set It Off. She has starred in many other films, including Soul Food, Two Can Play That Game, and Kill Bill. On TV, she was a main character in the crime drama Missing and the musical drama Empire. Vivica Fox also produces movies and TV shows. In 2023, she directed her first film, First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story.

Early life

Vivica Fox was born in South Bend, Indiana. Her mom, Everlyena, worked as a pharmaceutical technician. Her dad, William Fox, was a school administrator. Soon after she was born, her family moved to Benton Harbor, Michigan.

Vivica went to Arlington High School in Indianapolis. She graduated in 1982. After high school, she went to Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California. There, she earned a degree in Social Sciences.

Career highlights

Starting out: 1982–1995

In 1982, Vivica Fox moved to California for college. While there, she was a dancer on the TV show Soul Train from 1983 to 1984. She also appeared in a music video for the R&B group Klymaxx.

She began acting professionally in 1988 on the soap opera Days of Our Lives. Later, she played the main character, Maya Reubens, in the soap opera Generations. This show was special because it was the first soap opera to feature an African-American family from the very beginning.

In the early 1990s, Vivica Fox started appearing in prime-time TV shows. She had guest roles in popular series like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Beverly Hills, 90210, and Family Matters. In 1992, she starred with Patti LaBelle in the sitcom Out All Night. She also returned to soap operas, playing Dr. Stephanie Simmons on The Young and the Restless.

Big movies and TV shows: 1996–2003

Viveca A. Fox 1998
Fox in 1998

In 1996, Vivica Fox had a huge year. She played Jasmine Dubrow, the girlfriend of Will Smith's character, in the science fiction movie Independence Day. This film was a massive success worldwide. For her role, she won an MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss with Will Smith.

Later that year, she starred as Francesca "Frankie" Sutton in the crime action film Set It Off. She acted alongside Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, and Kimberly Elise. This movie was also very successful. In 1997, Fox appeared in the superhero film Batman & Robin. She also starred in the comedy-drama Soul Food, which was a big hit.

Vivica Fox also had leading roles on television. In 1998, she was the main actress in the sitcom Getting Personal. She also starred with Halle Berry in the romantic drama Why Do Fools Fall in Love. In 2000, she starred in the medical drama City of Angels.

In 2001, she was the lead in the romantic comedy Two Can Play That Game. In 2003, director Quentin Tarantino cast her as Vernita Green in his two-part martial arts film Kill Bill.

Producing and more roles: 2004–2019

From 2004 to 2006, Vivica Fox was a producer and star of the TV crime drama Missing. She played FBI special agent Nicole Scott. She won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for this role. During this time, she also produced and starred in several other films.

Vivica Fox was a judge on the TV talent show The Starlet. She also competed on Dancing with the Stars. In 2008, she hosted her own reality series called Glam God with Vivica A. Fox. She was also a contestant on The Apprentice in 2015.

Vivica A. Fox at The Heart Truth 2009
Fox at The Heart Truth in 2009

In the late 2000s and 2010s, Fox continued to act in many films and TV shows. She had guest roles in shows like Law & Order and Drop Dead Diva. She also starred in the sitcom Mr. Box Office.

In 2014, she appeared in the popular TV movie Sharknado 2: The Second One. Later that year, she starred in Mercenaries with other action actresses.

In 2015, she joined the cast of Empire as Candace Mason, the sister of the character Cookie Lyon. She became a regular cast member for the show's final season.

Vivica A. Fox (33845756800) (cropped)
Fox speaking at the 2017 Arizona Ultimate Women's Expo at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona

Vivica Fox returned to her role from Independence Day in the sequel Independence Day: Resurgence in 2016. That same year, it was announced she would play the President of the United States in the film "Crossbreed." This made her the first African-American woman to play this role in a feature film.

In 2018, Vivica Fox released a book called Every Day I'm Hustling. It shares stories from her career and relationships. She also hosted the TV talk show Face the Truth. In 2019, she starred in several TV films, including many "The Wrong..." movies.

Recent work: 2020–present

In 2020, Vivica Fox starred in the film Arkansas with Liam Hemsworth and John Malkovich. She also appeared in True to the Game 2.

She competed on The Masked Singer in 2021 as "Mother Nature." In 2021, she was the lead actress in the horror film Aquarium of the Dead.

In 2022, Vivica Fox had roles in several movies, including Secret Society 2 and Bobcat Moretti. She also appeared in many Christmas TV movies like A Cozy Christmas Inn and A New Diva's Christmas Carol.

In October 2023, she directed the movie First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story for BET+. In 2024, she joined the cast of the film Bosco, which was released on the streaming service Peacock. She also acted in the comedy film Not Another Church Movie.

Personal life

In December 1998, Vivica Fox married singer Christopher "Sixx-Nine" Harvest. They divorced in 2002. She briefly dated rapper 50 Cent in 2003. In 2011, she was engaged to Omar "Slimm" White, but they later broke up.

In November 2020, she became an honorary member of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority.

Acting credits and awards

Vivica Fox has appeared in more than 250 films and TV shows. She has also produced over 40 films and TV projects. She started her career in soap operas like Days of Our Lives and Generations. Her big break came in 1996 with Independence Day and Set It Off.

She has been nominated for many awards, including nine NAACP Image Awards. She was nominated for "Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture" for her roles in Soul Food, Two Can Play That Game, and Juwanna Mann. For directing First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story in 2023, she received an NAACP Image Award nomination for "Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special."

  • Independence Day (1996) as Jasmine Dubrow
  • Set It Off (1996) as Frankie
  • Soul Food (1997) as Maxine
  • Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998) as Elizabeth 'Mickey' Waters
  • Two Can Play That Game (2001) as Shate Smith
  • Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) as Vernita Green
  • Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004) as Vernita Green
  • Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous (2008) as Sergeant Louisa Morely
  • Cool Cat Saves the Kids (2015)
  • Chocolate City (2015) as Katherine McCoy
  • Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) as Jasmine Hiller
  • Arkansas (2020)
  • Bobcat Moretti (2022) as Joanne Wallis
Year Awards Category Recipient Outcome
1997 MTV Movie Awards MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss shared with Will Smith Independence Day Won
MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance Vivica A. Fox Nominated
Syfy Universe Reader's Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Genre Motion Picture Vivica A. Fox Won
Saturn Awards Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress Independence Day Nominated
1998 MTV Movie Awards MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance Soul Food Nominated
American Black Film Festival Acapulco Black Film Festival Award for Best Actress Vivica A. Fox Won
NAACP Image Award NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Vivica A. Fox Nominated
1999 NAACP Image Award NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Getting Personal Nominated
2002 BET Awards BET Award for Best Actress Vivica A. Fox Nominated
NAACP Image Award NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Kingdom Come Nominated
Black Reel Award Black Reel Award for Best Actress Two Can Play That Game Nominated
2004 BET Awards BET Award for Best Actress Kill Bill: Volume 1 Nominated
Black Reel Awards Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated
2005 Black Reel Awards Black Reel Award for Outstanding Independent Film Motives Nominated
NAACP Image Award NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series 1-800-Missing Nominated
2006 Won
2008 NAACP Image Award NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Curb Your Enthusiasm Nominated
2016 CinemaCon CinemaCon Award for Best Ensemble Independence Day: Resurgence Won
2022 Orlando Film Festival Best Lead Actress Bobcat Moretti Nominated
2024 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story Nominated

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Vivica A. Fox para niños

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