Interview: Vivica A. Fox Star of the Upcoming Film Cover

February 18th, 2008 Written by: Mali· 2 Comments

Vivica A Fox 08-02-17 This past week I had a chance to sit down with Vivica A. Fox before the releases of her new film Cover, quite possibly the WORST film I have ever seen. The only thing that I could say positively about the film is that I learned how hard it is to be a director, because you only appreciate how many right decisions are made in a good film when you see how many wrong decisions are made in a bad film, like this one! Out of the entire movie I think Vivica was the ONLY actor that came off looking like she could act. I came out of the film thinking she must be beautiful because that lighting was not her friend and everyone but her, looked like shit. When she sat down for the interview, I was able to confirm that she is drop dead gorgeous. Talk about a sexy, sassy, and strong African American woman. That woman had an entire room going with all of her energy and charisma. Hell even the Jewish side of me was singing Hallelujah (well maybe not quite).

I have to say I didn’t know much about Vivica before I sat down with her, aside from the fact that she kicked ass in the Kill Bill films. I did my research, but had only seen a handful of things she had worked on. After meeting her I have a lot of respect for her as a working actress. She’s done 8 acting projects in the past two years and produced a couple of them. She understands acting and she understands the business and how to survive in it for 20 years. She gets that the only reason to do it is because you love it and you can’t live without it. Whether she had me fooled or not, after looking at what she’s done and talking to her I really believe she loves her job. She doesn’t get caught in the tabloids, she doesn’t party it up, she works, and I respect that.

So what did Vivica have to say?

ME: How do you feel about the message that your new film Cover portrays about HIV and AID’s?

VF: The main reason I got involved with this project, is because the stats that Bill Dukes [the Director] informed me of, that 1/7 men in DC have HIV, 70% of the new cases that are reported every year are African American Women. And those numbers are staggering. Bill wanted to make sure that this project was a PG-13 project so that everyone could go and see is. So there is not a lot of cussing and no gratuitous sex. More importantly he just wanted to let remind us not to forget about HIV and AID’s. It’s a disease that we like to think is someone else’s problem, but it’s effecting our community more than anything else.

ME: Do you prefer darker roles like the one you play in Cover, or more comedic roles?

VF: Well I think as an actor that you get your popcorn movies, and then they you get you independent films where you probably get to play a little bit grittier roles that aren’t available to you in your popcorn movies, and it’s OK. It’s just the nature of the business. You get the higher end and the lower end. I believe versatility is the key to longevity. Everything is not going to be the 20 million, the 100 million dollar films. If you believe in a project, and you have love as an actor for the project, then it shouldn’t be based on money.

ME: What is your role in your upcoming film Major Movie Star with Jessica Simpson?

VF: I play first Sergeant Morally, and I am the drill Sergeant from hell. I watched Officer and Gentlemen my whole way down to Shreveport, Louisiana. It was great! I got to torture Jessica Simpson’s for a month. And when I tell you I tortured her I did, I was so mean. Then they’d yell cut and we’d go talk about Louis Vuitton bag. Jessica gets such a hard time in the press and it’s just unfortunate, because she’s such a sweet girl. And for this movie she really, really dedicated herself. She did 95% of the stunts and everything you see. She got in the swamp water which I would have been like “oh hell no…cut” But she did it. She’s getting so much slack with her movies, but this one is perfectly suited for her. It was basically a Goldie Hawn type of character. The Hollywood starlet. She did a really good job. We shot that movie in Shreveport Louisiana and it was 105 degrees with 100% humidity everyday and she never complained.

ME: Do you do your own stunts?

VJ: Oh yeah. In Kill Bill 95%. The only thing I didn’t do was crash back onto the table because it was sugar glass and what do you know my stunt double got cut. And they were like “See!” I was like I can do that! I’ll just role out of it! But everything else I did.

ME: How much preparation did that take?

JF: 6 months. I went from a size 8 to a 2. I got too skinny. But I didn’t hold on to any of the weight, because that’s all we did for 6 months was work out, everyday. 6 days a week, we had one day off, Sunday.

ME: Do you think you could kick Uma Thurman’s ass in real life?

JF: Ohhhh. Well if that day I got paid to I would. (laughs) No she’s pretty tough. She lost 60 pounds, because she had just had the baby. So she had an extra 25 that we didn’t start with. But she did a great job. when we first started I thought, this is a lot for her, but she did it, she got it. But Quentin was on us!

ME: Recently you have produced nine films, do you enjoy working behind the camera?

VF: Sure. Because I’m more involved with the choices in the finished product that I present to my audience. Someone can’t tell me what my people are like or how we talk and behave with one another. I have fought very hard to show [audiences] some positive images [of African Americans]. We all ain’t gang bangers, and rappers; we’re Doctors, lawyers, husbands, wives, productive members. And I fight very hard for things from the wardrobe to the dialogue to the locations, everything. I’m a hands on producer. Drive them nuts sometimes.

ME: How do you feel that Will Smith is one of the biggest stars at the box office right now?

VF: Well that’s because he’s Will Smith. Will Smith has become colorless to people, he’s my role model. Will does movies for the sci-fi crowd, and the sci-fi crowd, if it’s a good project they don’t see color, they don’t care.

ME: Is there a genre that you prefer?

VF: I just like working. I do. As long as it’s a quality project and I can help to produce and have a good time with it. Samuel Jackson gave me wonderful advice that I use. He showed up and he did a couple of lines in Kill Bill. I asked him what he was doing there and he said “I’m playing the piano player.” I said that there was no piano player and he said “I invented the role. I told Quentin you wasn’t gonna have this many pretty bitches in a movie and I wasn’t gonna be up in here some where.” So Quentin asked him to look at the script and create something. So if you look at Kill Bill and Kill Bill 2 he’s the piano player and I think he says maybe one or two things and then he gets shot and he keels over. He told me “Viv, you’re an actor, always do the work. It’s good to have your name associated with good projects. Don’t get caught up on the being a star crap.” I like that he taught me that.

ME: Recently you just performed on stage, how was that?

VF: Yes, I starred in and produced, “Whatever She Wants.” That was very difficult. You do 8 shows a week. It’s not the glamorous life. I came back after 4 months of being on the road and I had high blood pressure, because being a producer and the star of the play, I became momma hen. Everyday there was something I had to deal with regarding the temperature of the building, to the lighting to the music, to the this and that. I’ve just never had to answer so many questions in my life. Also, I was in 9 out of the 11 scenes in the productions, with heavy dialogue and lots of dialogue. But, I was just glad that when I came back I had a movie waiting on me, Miss Nobody.

ME: How do you manage with all of the stress that comes with the job?

VF: I’m learning. I’m a very type A personality and I like perfection. I’m a Leo. So, now you know why you like to shine. And you know what, when you do plays, those tickets are $25, $40 and you know, these are people in small states and that’s their hard earned money. I have always respected that.

ME: Where do you think your drive comes from?

VF: I love what I do. The business has changed it the last 3 or 4 years with the paparazzi, the Internet and TMZ. I just believe that’s the work of Satan. It’s toxic that people love to look at the bad instead of the good. But it is what it is. So you have to have thick skin and you’ve got to take the good with the bad. And what I learned is that when I show up I’m gonna give your Fox. But when I go home I’m Auntie Fox from 38th and Emerson. I have real people around me, I live a real life, I love to go to the grocery store, wash my clothes, wash my car, go get me some Popeye’s chicken every once in a while and keep it real. But when I am Vivica Fox I try to be the best that I can. And I love for people to say, I saw your movies, or I saw you on Dancing with the Stars, or I saw something and you moved me, and that’s fulfilling for me.

2 responses so far ↓

1 Mahatma Kane Jeeves // Feb 18, 2008 at 2:46 pm

What a delightful actress Vivica A. Fox seems to be from this fine interview. I shall certainly await her very next project AFTER Cover!
2 Tonight on TV: Five Brand New Shows! | LA.CityZine.com - Los Angeles // Aug 21, 2008 at 10:00 am

[...] Vivica A. Fox is really above a reality series which she proved in “Kill Bill” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” but that hasn’t stopped her from debuting “Glam God with Vivica A. Fox” at 10:00 on VH1. In this new competition series twelve stylists compete for agency representation and the chance to do a celebrity spread in “Us Magazine”. The champion of style also get $100,000 richer. These are much better prizes than “American Idol”. [...]