Vivica Anjanetta Fox was born on July 30, 1964, in South Bend, Indiana. She is the youngest of four children born to William E. Fox and Everlyena (House) Fox. Her father worked as a school administrator and her mother as a pharmaceutical technician. The couple divorced when Vivica was a young child. Fox grew up in the Indianapolis, Indiana area.
In Indianapolis, Fox was an active student. She participated in school sports and choir and worked part-time at a fast-food restaurant during her teenage years. She graduated from Arlington High School in Indianapolis (class of 1982). After high school, Fox moved to California and earned an Associate of Arts degree in Social Sciences from Golden West College in Huntington Beach.
| Fact | Details |
| Net Worth (2026) | Vivica A Fox Net Worth is not publicly verified. |
| Income Sources | Acting, producing, business, endorsements. |
| Breakthrough | 1996 (Independence Day, Set It Off). |
| Award | NAACP Image Award (2006, Missing). |
| Top Films | Kill Bill, Soul Food, Batman & Robin. |
| TV Roles | Empire, The Young and the Restless. |
| Producing | 25+ Lifetime films produced. |
| Business | Vivica A. Fox Hair Collection. |
| Recent Work | Directed film in 2023. |
| Career Span | 30+ years in entertainment. |
Vivica A. Fox, an award-winning actress and producer, built a successful career through major films like Independence Day and Kill Bill, along with long-standing contributions to television and film production. After high school Fox moved to California and enrolled at Golden West College, where she earned an Associate of Arts degree. While in college she worked as a dancer on the popular music show Soul Train(1983–84).
After graduating she began booking acting jobs. Her first television appearances were on American soap operas: in 1988 she was cast as Carmen Silva on NBC’s Days of Our Lives, and in 1989 she became a series regular as Maya Reubens on the NBC soap Generations. These early roles gave her exposure and led to auditions for primetime TV.
In the early 1990s Fox continued to build her résumé with guest spots and supporting parts on network TV. In 1992–93 she co-starred opposite Patti LaBelle on the NBC sitcom Out All Night, playing LaBelle’s daughter. She also appeared on sitcoms like Family Mattersand Martin, and in 1994–95 she portrayed Dr. Stephanie Simmons on the CBS soap The Young and the Restless.
These television roles helped transition Fox into more prominent opportunities. For example, her work in daytime drama at CBS earned her credibility in Hollywood and set the stage for her move into feature films later in the decade.
Fox’s first major film breakthrough came in 1996. That year she co-starred in Roland Emmerich’s blockbuster Independence Day(as Jasmine Dubrow, Will Smith’s character’s girlfriend) – a film that grossed over $800 million worldwide.
Her chemistry with Smith in Independence Dayearned them the 1997 MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss. Also in 1996 she had a lead role in the crime drama Set It Off(as Frankie Sutton, opposite Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah). Set It Offbecame a box-office hit (grossing $41 million) and a critical success. These two back-to-back hits made Fox a recognizable star and opened the door to starring roles.
Following her 1996 breakout, Fox maintained a steady film career and began headlining projects. In 1997 she appeared in three wide-release films: the R-rated comedy Booty Call, the superhero tent-pole Batman & Robin, and the ensemble drama Soul Food.
(Soul Foodwas a box-office success and earned Fox her first NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture.) She also led several television projects during this period.
In 1998 Fox starred opposite Arsenio Hall in the ABC sitcom Arsenio, and had her own sitcom on Fox called Getting Personal. That same year she co-starred in the romantic drama Why Do Fools Fall in Loveand in 1999 appeared in the comedy horror Idle Hands.
Entering the 2000s, Fox continued in both film and TV. She starred as Dr. Magalie “Magda” Vincent on the CBS medical drama City of Angels(2000).
In film, she led projects like Kingdom Come(2001) and the romantic comedy Two Can Play That Game(2001). In 2002 she co-starred in the comedies Juwanna Mannand Boat Trip.
A notable highlight came when director Quentin Tarantino cast her as Vernita Green in Kill Bill: Vol. 1(2003). That high-profile supporting role (among Uma Thurman and Lucy Liu) introduced her to new audiences and is often cited as one of her most widely seen film appearances.
- Feature Films:Fox’s filmography is marked by high-profile genre roles and ensemble projects. She played Vernita Green in Kill Bill: Vol. 1and appeared in family-oriented comedies like Ella Enchanted(2004). She was part of the ensemble in successful films such as Soul Food(1997) and led urban comedies like Two Can Play That Game(2001). Other notable films include Ella Enchantedand Why Do Fools Fall in Love, each reinforcing her range from action to romance.
- Television Drama:Fox took on prominent series roles. From 2003 to 2006 she co-executive-produced and starred as FBI Special Agent Nicole Scott on Lifetime’s crime drama Missing(also known as 1-800-Missing). For this lead role she won the 2006 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. Her TV credits also include recurring arcs; most notably, in 2015 she joined Fox’s musical drama Empireas Cookie Lyon’s sister Candace Mason and became a series regular by the show’s final season.
- Reality and Hosting:Fox expanded into reality and talk formats. She created and starred in Lifetime’s reality series Vivica’s Black Magic(2017), about launching a women’s entertainment venture. Earlier she hosted her own VH1 makeover show (Glam God with Vivica A. Fox, 2008) and appeared on competition series (ABC’s Dancing with the Starsin 2006 and NBC’s The Apprenticein 2015). In recent years she also launched a podcast (Hustling with Vivica A. Fox) and a weekly online talk/web series (Cocktails with Queens).
In addition to acting, Fox has built a career as a producer and businesswoman. She partnered on multiple TV productions: for Lifetime she not only starred in but also executive-produced numerous TV movies.
By 2021 she had produced 25 films in Lifetime’s long-running “Wrong”thriller movie series (in most of which she also stars). In reality TV, she co-created and co-executive-produced Vivica’s Black Magic.
On the hosting front, she fronted Glam God with Vivica A. Fox(VH1, 2008), The Cougar(TV Land, 2009), and Prank My Mom(Lifetime, 2012).
Outside of entertainment, Fox is an entrepreneur: roughly a decade ago she launched The Vivica A. Fox Hair Collection, a line of wigs and hair-care products. Fox has described the hair brand as a “financially successful” venture that she uses partly to give back to causes like breast cancer and chemotherapy patients.
Fox’s work has earned her industry awards and nominations. She won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 2006 for Missing(she had been nominated the previous year).
In 1997 she and Will Smith won the MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss for Independence Day. She has also received career honors: for example, in 2003 she was presented with the NAACP’s Lady of Soul Lena Horne Career Achievement Award.
Entertainment media have profiled her contributions as well – Library Journaland Essencepraised her memoir Every Day I’m Hustling(2019) for its candor and career advice. Overall, Fox’s awards underscore both her artistic and entrepreneurial impact in the industry.
Vivica A. Fox receiving industry recognition, including a NAACP Image Award, highlighting her long-standing contributions to film and television. Fox remains active in film and television. In 2023 she made her directorial debut with the BET+ crime biopic First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story(about the sister of a BMF kingpin).
That film earned her two NAACP Image Award nominations in 2024 (for Outstanding Directing and Outstanding TV Movie). Variety announced in mid-2025 that Fox will reprise her film role in a new television adaptation of the True to the Gamefranchise, with production slated to begin in fall 2025. In early 2026 Fox returned to daytime television, reprising her role as Dr. Stephanie Simmons on CBS’s The Young and the Restlessin a special story arc.
Parallel to these projects, she continues producing made-for-TV films (especially for Lifetime), expanding her haircare business, and hosting her podcast and web show maintaining a multifaceted presence in entertainment.
As of 2026, Vivica A. Fox’s net worth has not been publicly disclosed, and no official figure has been verified by major financial authorities. Her documented income sources include acting roles in film and television, producing a range of film and TV projects (including numerous Lifetime movies in which she both stars and serves as a producer), and entrepreneurial ventures such as the Vivica A. Fox Hair Collection. She has also generated income through brand endorsement deals, including work as a spokesperson for an automotive warranty company.
Vivica A. Fox is an American actress, producer, and television host known for her work in film and television since the late 1980s. She gained widespread recognition in the 1990s and remains active in the entertainment industry.
She is best known for roles in Independence Day(1996), Set It Off(1996), and Kill Bill: Vol. 1(2003). These films contributed significantly to her visibility and career growth.
She began her acting career in the late 1980s with roles in soap operas such as Days of Our Livesand Generations. These early appearances helped her transition into mainstream television and film.
Yes, she won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 2006 for her role in Missing. She has also received additional nominations and career recognition awards.
She has appeared in shows like Empire, The Young and the Restless, and Missing. Her television work spans both drama series and sitcoms over several decades.