Rick Fox Biography

Ulrich Alexander "Rick" Fox (born July 24, 1969) is a Canadian television actor and retired professional basketball player who last played for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers in 2004.

Early life

Fox was born in Toronto, the son of Dianne Gerace, who was an Olympic high jumper and women's pentathlete, and Ulrich Fox. His father is Bahamian and his mother is Italian Canadian. Fox's family moved to his father's native Bahamas when Fox was young. He attended Kingsway Academy in Nassau, where he was a member of the high school's basketball team, the "Saints." Fox also played high school basketball in Warsaw, Indiana. After two seasons (1984-1986) at Warsaw, Fox was projected to have a monster senior season. Just prior to his senior season, the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) ruled that he had no more high school eligibility left (due to completing eight semesters in the Bahamas) and was not allowed to participate in any IHSAA games. Despite not playing his senior season, Fox was voted onto the Indiana All-Star team in 1987.

He then went on to star collegiately at the University of North Carolina where his highlights included leading the Tar Heels to the 1991 NCAA Final Four.

Basketball career

Boston Celtics

Fox began his pro basketball career when he was selected by the Boston Celtics in the first round (24th pick overall) of the 1991 NBA Draft. As a member of the Celtics, Fox became the first rookie starter on opening night since Larry Bird in 1979 and made the 1992 NBA All-Rookie Second Team after averaging 8 points a game. Fox played off the bench his first two seasons as the Celtics reached the playoffs for the last time in the Larry Bird era. By the the 1995-1996 season, Fox had became the team's starting small forward and achieved double figure scoring. He recorded career highs of 15.4 points a game and 2.2 steals a game (4th in the league) and made 101 three-point field goals in the 1997-1998 campaign.

Los Angeles Lakers

In the summer of 1997, the Celtics released Fox, and he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. He played and started in all 82 games during the 1997-1998 season, averaging 12 points a game. In the playoffs, he tallied 10.9 points a game as the Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals before losing to the Utah Jazz. In the 1998-1999 season, the Lakers acquired All-Star small forward Glen Rice. Fox primarily served as his backup during the next two seasons.

Prior to the 1999-2000 season, Phil Jackson became the team's head coach. The Lakers achieved the league's best record with 67 wins, led by the MVP play of Shaquille O'Neal and the young all-star Kobe Bryant under Jackson's triangle offense. In the playoffs, Fox played all 23 games as the Lakers advanced to the 2000 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. In the Finals, Fox averaged 6.7 points, including 11 in the Lakers' game 1 victory. In game 6, with the Lakers leading the series 3-2, Fox hit a critical three pointer in the 4th quarter to help the Lakers' final rally as they won the game and the NBA title, Fox's first.

Following the departure of Glen Rice, Fox started 77 of 82 games in the 2000-2001 season, posting averages of 9.6 points a game while shooting 39 percent from three point range. In the playoffs, Fox started in all 16 games as the Lakers swept through the first three rounds and reached the 2001 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers. Fox scored 19 points in the Lakers' game 1 loss; the 76ers were led by Allen Iverson's 48 points. The Lakers would win the next four games of the series, securing their second straight championship. In the fifth game, Fox contributed with 20 points, and hit all three of his three-point field goal attempts.

In the 2001-2002 season, Fox played and started in all 82 games in the regular season and in all of the Lakers' 19 playoff games. The Lakers faced a grueling 7 game series against the Sacramento Kings, with Fox scoring 13 points in the Lakers' game 7 victory in Sacramento. In the 2002 NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets, Fox averaged 9.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals as the Lakers swept the Nets in 4 games to win their third straight NBA title.

In the 2002-2003 season, Fox started in 75 of 76 games but suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of the last two games of the first round against the Minnesota Timberwolves and the entire Western Conference Semifinal series against the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs defeated the Lakers 4-2. Fox missed 40 games in the 2003-2004 season due to a foot injury, but started in 34 of 38 games while active. He would only play in 3 of 16 playoff games as the Lakers advanced to the 2004 NBA Finals but lost to the Detroit Pistons in 5 games. In 56 career NBA playoff games, Fox averaged 6.1 points per game, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists.

Fox played internationally for Canada once, at the 1994 FIBA Basketball World Championship held in Toronto.

Acting career

During NBA career

While attending UNC, Fox completed a bachelor's degree in Radio, Television and Motion Pictures. In 1994 Fox appeared in the film Blue Chips as a member of the Texas Western basketball team. In 1996 Fox then played the role of Terry Hastings in the film Eddie, a slumping basketball player who receives help from fan "Eddie" played by Whoopi Goldberg. Fox then had a role as the ladies man Chick Deagan in the 1998 film He Got Game film directed by Spike Lee. It was in 1997 however that Fox received the biggest role of his early acting career playing prison inmate Jackson Vahue on the HBO prison drama Oz, appearing in 11 episodes of the show between 1997 and 2003. Vahue is a superstar basketball player imprisoned for charges related to a major drug addiction. Fox first appeared on the episode To Your Health and each of the following episodes for the rest of the first season. His character would again appear at the beginning of the second season, before returning during the middle of the fourth season on the episode Revenge is Sweet and appearing on the duration of the season, as Vahue is nearing probation. His character's final appearance would come in the show's last season, on series finale Exeunt Omnes, when Vahue is almost killed by the character Brass.

Fox was a supporting actor in the 1999 film Resurrection playing the role of Detective Scholfield and the role of Ray in the television film The Collectors. At the time ESPN quoted Fox as saying of trying to balance his acting career with his sports career that, "I mean, Penny Marshall is courtside. You got Jack (Nicholson) and Denzel (Washington). The head of the William Morris Agency is there. (Ally McBeal creator) David E. Kelley comes to some games ... I want to jump into conversations with them, but I'm working!"

In addition to Oz, Fox appeared in three more television series in the year 2003. On the first season of the crime drama 1-800-Missing starring Vivica A. Fox, Rick Fox played the role of Eric Renard over five episodes. He also provided the voice of the characters Flash Williams and Smooth Daley on the Crime Wave/Odd Ball episode of Nickelodeon's animated series The Fairly OddParents, and played the role of Peter Sampson on the television show Street Time. As Eric Renard he played the love interest of the FBI agent Brooke Haslett, played by actress Gloria Reuben. That year he also appeared in the film Holes in the supporting character role of Clyde 'Sweetfeet' Livingston.

Contemporary acting career

In 2005 Rick Fox guest starred as the character Stephen Melbourne in the UPN television series Kevin Hill and appeared in Love, Inc. as the character David Marley, appearing in six episodes after only being announced for three. In 2006 Fox played the role of Fabrizio in the film Mini's First Time in addition to appearing over five episodes as the character Daunte on the drama One Tree Hill. In 2007 Fox played Wilhelmina Slater's bodyguard and lover Dwayne in the second season of Ugly Betty, opposite his former wife Vanessa L. Williams. The following year Fox signed on with the show Dirt to play a recurring role in a multi-episode storyline lasting six episodes playing the role of Prince Tyrese. In 2008 and 2009, he had a recurring role (as a fictionalized version of himself) on the CW comedy-drama television series The Game, also returning to reprise his role in the 2012 season finale. In 2008 Fox also had a lead role in Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns as Harry, a coach trying to court the character of Brenda played by Angela Bassett.

In 2009, Fox played himself in the comedies Party Down and Head Case, and he currently has recurring roles on VH1's Single Ladies and Tyler Perry's House of Payne. In 2010 Fox briefly guest starred on the science-fiction series Dollhouse, and took on a recurring role on the CW remake of Melrose Place. In 2011, Fox then played the role of Bernadette's ex-boyfriend Glenn in The Big Bang Theory episode The Love Car Displacement. In an article about his appearance TV Guide quoted Fox as saying about his role, "It's all in Glenn's head now. 'How am I losing to this guy? He's smarter than me ... I love that they turned the 'threatening ex' on its ear. At the end of the day, I have more insecurity about my intellect and am constantly fighting to be accepted intellectually and be seen for more than my looks and my size. I want to appear intelligent and prove my intelligence. That's where I'm battling with him."

In 2011 Fox also played a suspect on the crime drama Body of Proof and in 2012 he played the character Andre Carson on the series Franklin & Bash. He also played the recurring role of Winston on Single Ladies and Andrew Thompson the series Mr. Box Office.

Fox has also appeared in four videos with College Humor duo Jake and Amir titled "Rick Fox", "Rick Fox 2", "Rick Fox 3" and "Rick Fox 4". In these videos Fox plays Amir's bookie and is shown to have a fixation on eggs and chicken. His girlfriend, Eliza Dushku, appears in "Rick Fox 4."

In 2013, Fox played the role of Chase Vincent in the VH1 series Hit the Floor.

Reality television

In late 2010, he was a celebrity contestant on ABC's Dancing With The Stars, paired with pro Cheryl Burke. They came in sixth place.

He was host of the "Jace Hall Show" for 5 episodes.

He was a special guest judge during season four of RuPaul's Drag Race.

Personal life

Fox has a son with college girlfriend Kari Hillsman. Fox was also married to actress/singer Vanessa L. Williams. After eloping in summer 1999 in the Caribbean, they had another ceremony in September 1999 in New York. They had a daughter in May 2000. After The National Enquirer published pictures of Fox kissing and hugging another woman in mid-2004, Fox's representative announced that the couple had been "headed toward divorce" for over a year. A few months later in August 2004, Fox filed for divorce from Williams. Fox and Williams' split however was amicable enough for the two of them to work onscreen together several years later on the television show Ugly Betty. Currently Fox is dating actress Eliza Dushku.