The Ledge - Vivica Fox has a lot of reasons to be happy with her life

Vivica Fox has a lot of reasons to be happy with her life. A thriving career in film, television and stage is just the start of it.
She started off with appearances on a number of television series in the early ‘90s including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Martin, Beverly Hills 90210 and Family Matters.
She had a breakout year in 1996 with roles in the all-female gangster flick Set It Off, the heroic Independence Day opposite Will Smith, and the Wayans brothers’ comedy Don’t Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood.

Vivica elevated her dramatic roles with a co-lead in the feature film Soul Food, and polished her tougher side as Vernita Green in the Kill Bill movies. She is also delved into work behind the scenes, and to date has been involved in the production of seven films and a TV series, with more in the works.
While she enjoys the diversity of roles she’s taken, Vivica expresses utmost concern in balancing her career with meaningful choices. Her latest thriller Cover touches upon the controversial subject of “down low” brothers. Directed by Bill Duke, the film features appearances from Louis Gossett Jr., Leon, Patti LaBelle and Mya.

Unfortunately, with consistent work in Hollywood comes rumor and speculation. Fortunately for Vivica, she’s succeeded in staying a cut above the rest. We spoke with the adventurous actress about her controversial new movie, her love for the Hip-Hop community and her sometimes controversial life.

AllHipHop.com: Tell us a little about your new movie Cover.

Vivica Fox: The reason I got involved with Cover was because of Bill Duke. He directed an episode of [the TV series] Missing and I just enjoyed working with him. He's such a wonderful actor/director. He got me the script, I read it and loved it.
When he broke down the steps about 70% of new cases of HIV that are reported every year in the African-American community are African-American women, and how 7 out of 10 men in the Washington, D.C. area are infected with HIV, I said, “These are messages that are informative and affecting my community and I need to be in a project to enlighten, inspire and inform.” That was a no-brainer for me.

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AllHipHop.com: You have a disclaimer on the front of your website that you're not starring in a play, [Whatever She Wants]. You had somebody saying [falsely] that you were starring in a play?

Vivica Fox: Whatever She Wants is a play that at the time was written for Vivica Fox.
It was written for me, I was out on the road with it for 14 weeks. The producers decided to go back out without me because of professional differences, and they weren't informative. They were still using my voice on the radio ads, and I just thought that it was deceptive.

I just wanted to make sure that they didn't go there, because I always hate when you go to a play or to see a production and you think a certain individual is gonna be there, you spend your hard earned money to see that certain individual and they're not there. I don't ever want to misdirect my fans or let them down, I always try to be as honest and truthful with them as possible. I just felt that [the producers] kind of deceived them. I just wanted to make sure they knew that when they got there that I wasn't going to be there.

AllHipHop.com: What [has] been most challenging for you in your career?

Vivica Fox: [What's been the most challenging] is to [try not to] complain about my career and keep breathing. Everybody wants to say, "Well, what haven't you done?" I've done so much and been so blessed. I've done comedies, dramas, worked with the best… so I can't really complain.

AllHipHop.com: When you look at something as emotional as Set It Off and as fierce as Kill Bill, have you had to really develop your acting skills. What's harder, being emotional or being [serious]?

Vivica Fox: Comedy's actually the hardest to be honest with you. Being emotional for me is a breeze, because I'm an emotional specimen. To cry and feel drama... people have no idea, they just think I've lived the charmed life. But I've been a fighter and on my own since I was 17 years old.

Comedy's the hardest because if it ain’t funny, trust me, it falls flat on its butt. Drama sometimes will give you a little grace, and you're able to save yourself with that one. Comedy's hard, for real. It either works or doesn’t, because sometimes people don't get your humor.

Like I learned with [the HBO series] Curb Your Enthusiasm, that humor was a whole different type of humor that I had to get used to. Then you do your comedy where your brothers and sisters love your over-the-top, in-your-face type of humor. Then you have sitcom humor, which is very scripted. Comedy is hard. With dramas, that material is usually there and as an actor you bring it. Comedy sometimes is a little more physical and harder.

AllHipHop.com: People say that you're so hard and serious about everything, especially on the Hip-Hop side. Obviously they know you as an actress, but then they hear your name said in rap songs and rumors about you, and you'll come [behind it] and say, "That is not true" - obviously [you’ve been] upset, as anyone would be if there's something said that's not true.

Vivica Fox: I wish my life was as scandalous as what people think of me! [laughs] I really do. I don't get why I turned into such a scandalous one, but it's all good. You’ve gotta learn to laugh at life. Scandal and sex sells nowadays, or always has, to be honest with you. So you’ve gotta learn to get thick skin about that.

Another thing I want to tell people is, I'm one of the silliest, fun-loving people that could ever be your friend. I love to shop, go to the spa, bowl - I love life. But I don't like people talking s**t about me, and for that, I will stand up for myself.

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AllHipHop.com: How does it make you feel that Hip-Hop has embraced you to such a degree that rappers are saying your name, and they've made you a staple [actress within the culture]?

Vivica Fox: Hip-Hop has been really good to me, it really has. That goes back before 50 [Cent] - Biggie was one of the first rappers to put me in a song - "Watch me set it off like Vivica." People forget that I've been involved with Hip-Hop from Tupac, he was a very good friend of mine. I was in his video back in the day.

It's not just Curtis who took me to [where I am now]. For that, it was just because somebody was dating me, it was like, "Oh my God, she likes thugs too." That was kind of surprising [for fans] when I was supposed to be this little red carpet glamorous princess. Princesses like bad boys too, but you get over that when you get a little bit older. But they can be fun. It was a wonderful adventure, and I had a great time.

I just love the Hip-Hop community, because with dating Curtis, it introduced me to a whole new generation. So it's been good to me, I look at it as a double edged sword. Patti LaBelle told me a long time ago, "Baby when they stop talking about you, that's when you worry."

AllHipHop.com: Do you see yourself going further into television now that you've gotten a good taste of it?

Vivica Fox: Well you know, I do what's next. I go with what's happening, what's hot and the projects that are available to me. But I also try to make sure that I'm not afraid to go and look for my project, which is next for me to produce myself.

I've produced seven films and a television show. I was Executive Producer of my show on Lifetime. I've got a pilot right now that I just shot with VH-1, where I was Executive Producer as well with that. So I'm always looking for what's next for Vivica.

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