# Vivica A. Fox filmography
The filmography of **Vivica A. Fox** (Vivica Anjanetta Fox, born 1964), an American actress, producer, and director, runs from a bit part in *Born on the Fourth of July* (1989) through more than 260 credited screen appearances, anchored by *Independence Day* (1996), *Set It Off* (1996), *Soul Food* (1997), and *Kill Bill: Vol. 1* (2003).[1](https://www.filmreference.com/film/11/Vivica-A-Fox.html) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000407/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Screen debut | A bit part as a hooker in Oliver Stone's *Born on the Fourth of July* (1989)[3](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/vivica-a-fox/2507/) |
| Breakthrough | Jasmine Hiller, Will Smith's love interest, in *Independence Day* (1996)[3](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/vivica-a-fox/2507/) |
| Signature role | Vernita Green (Copperhead) in Quentin Tarantino's *Kill Bill: Vol. 1* (2003) and *Vol. 2* (2004)[4](https://www.rogerebert.com/cast-and-crew/vivica-a-fox) |
| Television lead | Starred in Lifetime's *1-800-Missing* from 2004 to 2006[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000407/) |
| Directing debut | *First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story* (2023), which earned NAACP nominations for Best Director and Outstanding Television Movie[5](https://sagaftra.foundation/programs/18622/) |
| Critical peak | *Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair* is her highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes at 100 percent; *Cover* (2007) is her lowest at 0 percent[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/vivica_a_fox) |
| Biggest box office | *Independence Day* (1996), $817,400,878 worldwide[7](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/person/vivica-a-fox/top-movies) • [20](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Independence-Day) |
## Early work, 1988–1995
Fox was born in [South Bend, Indiana](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-bend-indiana), and raised in [Indianapolis](https://www.edgepedia.org/indianapolis).[1](https://www.filmreference.com/film/11/Vivica-A-Fox.html) After graduating from Arlington High School in 1982 she moved to Los Angeles and earned a degree from Golden West College, and was working as a waitress at a [Sunset Boulevard](https://www.edgepedia.org/sunset-boulevard) restaurant when a producer customer auditioned her for one of his films and helped her land an agent.[8](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/vivica-a-fox/) Her first credited television appearance was as Toffee Candette in a 1988 episode of *China Beach*, and she followed with small roles on *Matlock*, *Days of Our Lives*, and *Generations*, a 1989 NBC daytime soap aimed at an African American audience.[1](https://www.filmreference.com/film/11/Vivica-A-Fox.html) • [9](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/film-and-television-biographies/vivica-fox)
Her film debut came with the bit part in *Born on the Fourth of July* (1989).[3](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/vivica-a-fox/2507/) Through the early 1990s she built her résumé with guest spots on sitcoms including *The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air*, *Family Matters*, and *Martin*, and a brief run as [Patti LaBelle](https://www.edgepedia.org/patti-labelle)'s fashion-stylist daughter on *Out All Night* (NBC, 1992–93).[8](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/vivica-a-fox/) In 1995 she appeared on the UPN drama *The Watcher* and in a supporting role in the Emmy Award-winning HBO film *The Tuskegee Airmen*.[8](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/vivica-a-fox/)
## Breakthrough, 1996–1997
**1996 changed her career.** Fox played Jasmine Hiller, a devoted single mother who works as a stripper, in the science-fiction blockbuster *Independence Day*, and she has described the film as the biggest turning point in her career; after it, producers began coming to her with offers instead of the reverse.[3](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/vivica-a-fox/2507/) • [10](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vivica-a-fox-on-to-drama/) The same year she appeared in the Wayans brothers' spoof *Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the 'Hood* and co-starred with Jada Pinkett and [Queen Latifah](https://www.edgepedia.org/queen-latifah) as Frankie, a fired bank teller who joins a bank robbery, in *[Set It Off](https://www.edgepedia.org/set-it-off-film)*.[8](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/vivica-a-fox/) Fox has said *Set It Off* "got me my street cred" and demonstrated her range after *Independence Day* gave her a movie career.[11](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jul/03/vivica-a-fox-black-lives-matter-is-going-to-be-trumps-demise)
The run continued with *Booty Call* (1997), an Image Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress as one of three rival sisters in *Soul Food* (1997), the role of Ms. B. Haven, a moll of [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://www.edgepedia.org/arnold-schwarzenegger)'s Mr. Freeze, in *Batman & Robin* (1997), and *Why Do Fools Fall in Love* (1998) opposite [Halle Berry](https://www.edgepedia.org/halle-berry).[8](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/vivica-a-fox/) • [12](https://www.apbspeakers.com/speaker/vivica-a-fox/) *People* magazine named her one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World in 1997.[3](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/vivica-a-fox/2507/)
## 1999–2004: established film star
Fox played a high school guidance counselor in *Teaching Mrs. Tingle* (1999) and Debi in *Idle Hands* (1999), then took the lead as advertising executive Shante Smith in *Two Can Play That Game* (2001), a role she reprised in a 2017 stage play adaptation.[10](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vivica-a-fox-on-to-drama/) • [4](https://www.rogerebert.com/cast-and-crew/vivica-a-fox) • [13](https://lasentinel.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2018/10/2018-11-01-FULL.pdf) She received an Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress as the wife of a recovered alcoholic played by [LL Cool J](https://www.edgepedia.org/ll-cool-j) in the ensemble dramedy *Kingdom Come* (2001).[8](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/vivica-a-fox/)
**Kill Bill.** Quentin Tarantino cast her as the assassin Vernita Green after seeing her name on the *Two Can Play That Game* DVD, testing her at a coffee-shop meeting and then a scene read at her home. He required six months of training; for three months [Uma Thurman](https://www.edgepedia.org/uma-thurman), Lucy Liu, Daryl Hannah, David Carradine, and Fox studied martial arts eight hours a day at a gym in Culver City, and the kitchen fight scene took four days to film. Fox has called it the work she is most proud of in her career.[14](https://time.com/5206267/vivica-a-fox-book/) She reprised Vernita Green in *Kill Bill: Vol. 2* (2004).[4](https://www.rogerebert.com/cast-and-crew/vivica-a-fox) Other credits in this stretch include Felicia in *Boat Trip* (2003), Michelle Langford in *Juwanna Mann* (2002), and the Fairy Lucinda in *Ella Enchanted* (2004).[4](https://www.rogerebert.com/cast-and-crew/vivica-a-fox) • [12](https://www.apbspeakers.com/speaker/vivica-a-fox/)
## Television and later film
Fox starred in the Lifetime drama *1-800-Missing* from 2004 to 2006 and had a recurring stint on HBO's *Curb Your Enthusiasm*, returning as [Larry David](https://www.edgepedia.org/larry-david)'s houseguest in 2009.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000407/) • [8](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/vivica-a-fox/) • [15](https://ir.paramount.com/static-files/3852d484-19d2-4f7b-9601-76ca64b2d37e) In 2015 she played Candace opposite [Taraji P. Henson](https://www.edgepedia.org/taraji-p-henson) on the Fox network series *[Empire](https://www.edgepedia.org/empire-2015-tv-series)* and returned to the big screen in *Chocolate City*.[16](https://www.multivu.com/players/English/79699517-food-network-worst-cooks-celebrity-edition/docs/celebritybios-1500494501588-1950517023.pdf) She reprised Jasmine Hiller in *Independence Day: Resurgence* (2016) and appeared as Skye in two *Sharknado* television movies.[4](https://www.rogerebert.com/cast-and-crew/vivica-a-fox) • [11](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jul/03/vivica-a-fox-black-lives-matter-is-going-to-be-trumps-demise)
From the 2010s onward her output shifted heavily toward television movies, many for Lifetime, in which she typically stars and produces; recent examples include *Twisted Vines* (2023), *Sworn Justice: Taken Before Christmas* (2023), and a string of 2024 and 2025 titles such as *[The Lost Holliday](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-lost-holliday)*, *Bosco*, and *The Wrong Marriage*.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/vivica_a_fox) Her IMDb credit list runs to 261 previous entries, with 12 projects upcoming as of the most recent crawl, including *[Is God Is](https://www.edgepedia.org/is-god-is-film)* (2026), in which she plays Ruby in a revenge drama she helped introduce at CinemaCon.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000407/) • [17](https://www.boxofficepro.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/BxPro-CinemaCon-2026.pdf)
## Producing and directing
Fox made her directorial debut with the BET Plus/Megamind Media bio-drama *First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story* (2023), which earned two NAACP Image Award nominations, for Best Director and Outstanding Television Movie.[5](https://sagaftra.foundation/programs/18622/) She has also produced television films including *A Husband for Christmas* and *Twisted Vines*, and her producing slate includes projects in development such as *Wicked Wives* and *Sunday Dinner: The Soul Food Reunion*.[18](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621219687) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000407/)
## Reception
Across review aggregators her best-received work clusters in the late 1990s and the *Kill Bill* films. On Rotten Tomatoes, *Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair* stands at 100 percent, *Kill Bill: Vol. 1* at 85 percent, *Soul Food* at 82 percent, and *Independence Day* at 77 percent, while *Batman & Robin* and *Cover* (2007) sit at the bottom of her record.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/vivica_a_fox) The Film Index gives her a career average of 64 across ten ranked titles from 1989 to 2026, with *Kill Bill: Vol. 2* highest at 82.[19](https://moviesranking.com/person/2535-vivica-a-fox) Commentators have noted the contrast between her 1990s theatrical peak and her later volume of straight-to-television titles, while crediting her steady work on respected television series and her producing and directing output for keeping her one of the most consistently employed actresses in Hollywood.[8](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/vivica-a-fox/)
## References
1. [Vivica A. Fox Biography (1964–), FilmReference.com](https://www.filmreference.com/film/11/Vivica-A-Fox.html)
2. [Vivica A. Fox, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000407/)
3. [Vivica A. Fox biography and filmography, Tribute.ca](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/vivica-a-fox/2507/)
4. [Vivica A. Fox Movie Reviews, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/cast-and-crew/vivica-a-fox)
5. [Vivica A. Fox Career Retrospective, SAG-AFTRA Foundation](https://sagaftra.foundation/programs/18622/)
6. [Vivica A. Fox Filmography, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/vivica_a_fox)
7. [The Best Vivica A. Fox Movies, Ranked, What's After the Movie](https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/person/vivica-a-fox/top-movies)
8. [Vivica A. Fox – Actress, Producer, Host, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/vivica-a-fox/)
9. [Fox, Vivica A., Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/film-and-television-biographies/vivica-fox)
10. [Vivica A. Fox: On To Drama!, CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vivica-a-fox-on-to-drama/)
11. [Vivica A Fox: 'Black Lives Matter is going to be Trump's demise', The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jul/03/vivica-a-fox-black-lives-matter-is-going-to-be-trumps-demise)
12. [Book Vivica A. Fox, APB Speakers](https://www.apbspeakers.com/speaker/vivica-a-fox/)
13. [Los Angeles Sentinel, 1 November 2018 full edition](https://lasentinel.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2018/10/2018-11-01-FULL.pdf)
14. [Vivica A. Fox: How Uma Thurman Helped Me Through 'Kill Bill', Time](https://time.com/5206267/vivica-a-fox-book/)
15. [Vivica A. Fox Signed to Host TV Land's 'The Cougar', Paramount press release](https://ir.paramount.com/static-files/3852d484-19d2-4f7b-9601-76ca64b2d37e)
16. [Celebrity bios, Food Network Worst Cooks press kit, MultiVu](https://www.multivu.com/players/English/79699517-food-network-worst-cooks-celebrity-edition/docs/celebritybios-1500494501588-1950517023.pdf)
17. [On Screen: Studio Wish Lists, Boxoffice Pro CinemaCon 2026](https://www.boxofficepro.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/BxPro-CinemaCon-2026.pdf)
18. [Vivica A. Fox, Apple Snapshot](https://snapshot.apple.com/us/person/6621219687)
19. [Vivica A. Fox, The Film Index](https://moviesranking.com/person/2535-vivica-a-fox)
20. [The Numbers - Where Data and the Movie Business Meet](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Independence-Day)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Awards and screen reference › Individual filmographies › Western and East Asian filmographies*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license