Vivica A. Fox
Vivica A. Fox at The Heart Truth 2009
Born	Vivica Anjanetta Fox (1964-07-30) July 30, 1964 (age 47)[1] South Bend, Indiana, U.S.
Other names	Vivica Fox
Occupation	Actress, television producer
Years active	1988–present
Spouse	Christopher Harvest (m. 1998–2002) «start: (1998)–end+1: (2003)»"Marriage: Christopher Harvest to Vivica A. Fox" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Vivica_A._Fox)
Website
http://www.vivicafox.com/

Vivica Anjanetta Fox (born July 30, 1964)^[1] is an American actress and television producer. She is best known for her roles in the films Independence Day, Set It Off, Soul Food, Why Do Fools Fall In Love, Kill Bill and Juwanna Mann.

Early life[link]

Fox, who is of African American and Native American descent,^[2][3] was born in South Bend, Indiana, the daughter of Everlyena, a pharmaceutical technician, and William Fox, a private school administrator.^[4] She is a graduate of Arlington High School in Indianapolis, Indiana and Golden West College with an Associate Art degree in Social Sciences.^[2]

Career[link]

Fox moved to California to attend Golden West College. While in California she started acting professionally, first on soap operas such as Generations, Days of our Lives and The Young and the Restless. She was cast as Emily Franklin in the pilot episode of ABC's Living Dolls, a spin-off of the sitcom Who's the Boss? but was replaced with Halle Berry for the remaining episodes. Another early role saw her as Patti LaBelle's fashion designer daughter, Charisse Chamberlain, on the NBC TV series Out All Night. She also appeared as Jazz's sister on the hit show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and on Beverly Hills, 90210. She got her big break in film in two 1996 movies, Independence Day, and Set It Off.

From 2004 to 2006 Fox starred in and co-produced the Lifetime Network drama series, Missing. Fox was a judge on The WB's talent show The Starlet. Fox participated in the third season of ABC's hit television show, Dancing with the Stars, she was voted off after the fourth week. In September 2007, she appeared in the sixth season of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm as a mother of a family displaced by a hurricane and taken in by Larry and Cheryl. Then, on October 1, she appeared in an episode of the show The Game.

In August 2008, she filmed Shark City in Toronto.^[5] Fox also hosted her own VH1 reality series entitled Glam God (2008).

In 2009, Fox served as celebrity spokesperson for the newly revamped Psychic Friends Network. After receiving backlash for her involvement with the network, Fox denied any involvement with the company, despite having filmed a commercial and promo video which had already gone to air.^[6]

On March 2, 2010, while Fox appeared as a guest on The Wendy Williams Show, Fox announced that she would be starring in a play entitled Cheaper to Keep Her, produced by I'm Ready Productions. Fox was one of TV Guide Network's red carpet correspondents for the 82nd Academy Awards which were held on Sunday, March 7, 2010.

Also in March 2010, Fox appeared on an episode of "Talk Cruze," hosted by Micah Jesse, where she admitted she was starstruck by Tom Selleck.^[7]

Personal life[link]

In December 1998, Fox married singer Christopher Harvest. The couple divorced in 2002.^[8] Fox later dated rapper 50 Cent in 2003.^[9]

On March 20, 2007, Fox was arrested on suspicion of DUI.^[10]

Filmography[link]

Fox at The Heart Truth on 2009

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikinews has related news: Mario Lopez favored to win Dancing with the Stars

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Vivica A. Fox

• Official website
• Vivica A. Fox at the Internet Movie Database
• Vivica A. Fox, Mario Lopez to Appear on "Dancing With the Stars"
• Vivica A. Fox, Editor at Large "Jolie Magazine"

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (November 2009)

Morris Chestnut
Morris Chestnut at the San Diego Comic-Con International in July 2010.
Born	Morris L. Chestnut (1969-01-01) January 1, 1969 (age 43) Cerritos, California
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1990–present
Spouse	Pam Byse (1995–present) (2 children)

Morris L. Chestnut (born January 1, 1969) is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles as teenage father Ricky Baker in the 1991 film Boyz n the Hood, groom-to-be Lance Sullivan in the 1999 film The Best Man, as Tracy Reynolds, NBA star in the 2002 film Like Mike, and as the Visitor Ryan in the 2009 TV series V.

Early life[link]

Chestnut was born in Cerritos, California where he graduated from Richard Gahr High School in 1986. He subsequently studied finance and drama at California State University, Northridge.

Career[link]

Chestnut's first professional acting role was as "Jadon" in Freddy's Nightmares: A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series in the episode "A Family Affair" (season 2, episode 19) which aired on February 18, 1990. His first feature film role was as "Ricky Baker" in Boyz n the Hood (1991). He followed that up with roles in various TV movies. Chestnut also played a role on Patti LaBelle's short-lived sitcom Out All Night. His career continued to rise steadily with co-starring roles in standard big-budget studio films like Under Siege 2 (1995) and G.I. Jane (1997).

In 1998, he won the annual Madden Bowl videogame competition.

In 1999 Chestnut starred in The Best Man with Taye Diggs and Nia Long in which he played a professional football player on the eve of his wedding. The Best Man earned positive reviews from the press and did well at the box office. For his performance Chestnut earned an NAACP Image Award nomination. He again played a football player in The Game Plan (2007).

In 2001, he starred in The Brothers, a film centering on the themes of fidelity and success among young professionals.

He has worked with Steven Seagal three times. In Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, Chestnut is Seagal's reluctant partner. In both Half Past Dead and Prince of Pistols he co-stars as the main villain.

Personal life[link]

^[1] Chestnut is married to Pam Byse (1995), they have a son and a daughter. In an interview for essence.com, he stated he prefers to keep his private life private. Chestnut is a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles and the USC Trojans.

Morris Chestnut is also an avid poker player and has sponsorship arrangement with online poker room Full Tilt Poker.

Filmography[link]

• Boyz n the Hood (1991)
• The Last Boy Scout (1991)
• Out All Night (1992) (TV)
• In the Line of Duty: Street War (1992)
• The Ernest Green Story (1993) (TV)
• The Inkwell (1994)
• Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995)
• Higher Learning (1995)
• G.I. Jane (1997)
• Firehouse (1997) (TV)
• C-16: FBI (1997–1998) (TV)
• The Best Man (1999)
• The Brothers (2001)
• Two Can Play That Game (2001)
• Scenes Of The Crime (2001)
• The Killing Yard (2001) (TV)
• Like Mike (2002)
• Half Past Dead (2002)
• Confidence (2003)
• Breakin' All the Rules (2004)
• Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)
• Ladder 49 (2004)
• The Cave (2005)
• The Game Plan (2007)
• The Perfect Holiday (2007)
• The Prince of Motor City (2008)
• Not Easily Broken (2009)
• Castle (2009)
• V (2009–2011) (TV series)
• American Horror Story (2011) (TV series)
• Think Like A Man (2011)

Theatrical performances[link]

• Love In The Nick of Tyme
• What Your Husband Doesn't Know (2011)

References[link]

Love In The Nick Of Tyme

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Morris Chestnut

• Morris Chestnut at the Internet Movie Database
• Morris Chestnut at Yahoo! Movies
• Morris Chestnut And Wife

Larenz Tate (born September 8, 1975) is an American film and television actor.

Early life[link]

Tate was born on the west side of Chicago, Illinois, the son of Peggy and Larry Tate.^[1] He is the youngest of three siblings (his two brothers, Larron and Lahmard, are also actors) whose family moved to California when he was nine years old. Convinced by their parents to enter a drama program at the Inner City Cultural Center, the trio did not take the lessons seriously until classmate Malcolm-Jamal Warner's ascent to fame after being cast on the sitcom The Cosby Show. Subsequently realizing that they could parlay their efforts into a tangible form of success, the siblings began to receive small roles and in 1985, Tate made his small-screen debut in an episode of The New Twilight Zone series.

Career[link]

Following appearances in such television series as 21 Jump Street and The Wonder Years, Tate was cast in the television movie The Women of Brewster Place before receiving the recurring role of Steve Urkel's nemesis, Willie Fuffner, in the family comedy series Family Matters (1989). He was also a cast member on the CBS series The Royal Family, starring Redd Foxx and Della Reese, which ended prematurely after Redd Foxx died. In the video game 187 Ride or Die, Tate voices the main character, Buck.

Following numerous small-screen roles, offers began pouring in for Tate, and in late 1992, collaborative filmmaking siblings Albert and Allen Hughes approached him to star in their debut feature Menace II Society. A jarring vision of inner-city desperation and decay, the film found Tate channeling his substantial energy into creating "O-Dog", a trigger-happy teenager. Following up with the little-seen but often-praised television series South Central, Tate would later appear in the family comedy-drama The Inkwell (1994) before re-teaming with the Hughes brothers for Dead Presidents (1995) and taking on the role of a love-stricken young poet in the romantic drama Love Jones (1997). Larenz Tate also played the role of Kenny in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the episode "That's No Lady, That's My Cousin".

There followed roles in The Postman (as the automotively monikered Ford Lincoln Mercury), the Frankie Lymon biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998, with Tate as Lymon), and 2000's Love Come Down. Though a big theatrical release had eluded Tate for the first few years of the millennial turnover, Tate would soon turn up opposite Laurence Fishburne in the high-octane but critically derided Biker Boyz (2003)^[2] A Man Apart (2003), Crash (2004), as music legend Quincy Jones in Ray (2004), and Waist Deep (2006). Larenz was also featured in R&B singer Ashanti's 2003 released music video Rain on Me, where he played the jealous, abusive spouse of Ashanti. The video touched on the subject of domestic abuse. He also starred as part of the main cast in season's 4-7 of FX Network's Rescue Me as Bart "Black Shawn" Johnston.

He made a surprise appearance at the 2010 BET Awards alongside Nia Long.

Personal life[link]

Larenz Tate is currently married to Tomasina Parrott. They were married on November 30,2006. The couple have 2 sons Myles Xavier(b. July 29,2006), and Zander(b. June 27,2008).

English football star Rio Ferdinand has two sons named after Tate.^[3]

Filmography[link]

• The Twilight Zone (1985) (one episode, "Night of The Meek"): Older Brother
• Hunter (1987) (One episode, "Crossfire"): Sporty's Nephew
• Amen (1988) (One episode, "Get Em Up, Scout"): Leshawn
• 21 Jump Street (1989) (One episode, "Wolly Bullies"): Young Adam Fuller
• The Wonder Years (1989) (One episode, "Loosiers"): Basketball Team Captain
• The Women of Brewster place (1989) (TV): Sammy
• Matlock (1989) (One episode, "The Scrooge"): Street Kid #3
• New Attitude (1990) (TV): Chilly D
• Family Matters (1990–1991) (2 episodes, "Life of the Party" and "Requiem for an Urkel"): Willie Fuffner
• Clippers (1991) (TV): TJ
• Seeds of Tragedy (1991) (TV): Cornelius
• The Royal Family (1991–1992) (15 episodes): Curtis Royal
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1992) (1 episode, "That's No Lady, That's My Cousin"): Kenny
• Menace II Society (1993): Kevin "O-Dog" Anderson
• South Central (1994) (TV): Andre Mosely
• The Inkwell (1994): Drew Tate
• Dead Presidents (1995): Anthony Curtis
• Love Jones (1997): Darius Lovehall
• The Postman (1997): Ford Lincoln Mercury
• Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998): Frankie Lymon
• Love Come Down (2000): Neville Carter
• Biker Boyz (2003): Wood
• A Man Apart (2003): Demetrius Hicks
• Crash (2004): Peter Waters
• Ray (2004): Quincy Jones
• 187 Ride or Die (2005) (Video Game): Buck (Voice)
• Waterfront (2006) (6 episodes): Marcus
• Waist Deep (2006): Lucky
• Love Monkey (2006) (8 episodes): Shooter Cooper
• Blue Blood (2008) (TV)
• Rescue Me (2007–2011) (TV): Bart "Black Shawn" Johnston
• Justified (1 episode; For Blood or Money): Clinton (uncredited)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Larenz Tate at the Internet Movie Database

Will Smith
Smith in 2011
Born	Willard Christopher Smith, Jr. (1968-09-25) September 25, 1968 (age 43) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Other names	The Fresh Prince
Occupation	Actor, producer, rapper
Years active	1985–1993, 1997–2005 (rapping), 1990–present (acting)
Spouse	Sheree Zampino (m. 1992–1995) «start: (1992)–end+1: (1996)»"Marriage: Sheree Zampino to Will Smith" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Will_Smith) Jada Pinkett Smith (m. 1997) «start: (1997)»"Marriage: Jada Pinkett Smith to Will Smith" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Will_Smith)
Children	Trey Smith Jaden Smith Willow Smith
Website
www.willsmith.com

Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. (born September 25, 1968),^[1] also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood.^[2] Smith has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards, and has won multiple Grammy Awards.

In the late 1980s, Smith achieved modest fame as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince. In 1990, his popularity increased dramatically when he starred in the popular television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The show ran for nearly six years (1990–1996) on NBC and has been syndicated consistently on various networks since then. In the mid-1990s, Smith moved from television to film, and ultimately starred in numerous blockbuster films. He is the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office and the only one to have eight consecutive films in which he starred open at #1 spot in the domestic box office tally.^[3]

Fourteen of the nineteen fiction films he has acted in have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over $100 million, and four took in over $500 million in global box office receipts. As of 2011, his films have grossed $5.7 billion in global box office.^[4] His most financially successful films have been Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, Independence Day, Men in Black, Men in Black II, I, Robot, I Am Legend, Hancock, Wild Wild West, Enemy of the State, Shark Tale, Hitch and Seven Pounds. He also earned critical praise for his performances in Six Degrees of Separation, Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness, receiving Best Actor Oscar nominations for the latter two.

Family and early life[link]

Born and raised in the Wynnefield section of West Philadelphia, Smith also lived in Germantown in Northwest Philadelphia. His mother, Caroline (née Bright), was a school administrator who worked for the Philadelphia school board, and his father, Willard Christopher Smith, Sr., was a refrigeration engineer.^[5][6] He was raised Baptist.^[7] His parents separated when he was thirteen,^[8] and did not actually divorce until around 2000.^[9]

It is untrue, though widely reported, that Smith turned down a scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); he never applied to the school,^[10] although he was admitted to a "pre-engineering program" there.^[9] According to Smith, "My mother, who worked for the School Board of Philadelphia, had a friend who was the admissions officer at MIT. I had pretty high SAT scores and they needed black kids, so I probably could have gotten in. But I had no intention of going to college."^[11]

Recording and acting career[link]

Smith at the Emmy Awards in 1993

Early work (1985–1995)[link]

Smith started as the MC of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, with his childhood friend Jeffrey "DJ Jazzy Jeff" Townes as turntablist and producer,^[12] as well as Ready Rock C (Clarence Holmes) as the human beat box. The trio was known for performing humorous, radio-friendly songs, most notably "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Summertime".^[12] They gained critical acclaim and won the first Grammy awarded in the Rap category (1988).^[12]

Smith had a line in "Voices That Care", a 1991 Persian Gulf War song by a celebrity group. Smith spent money freely during his early career and underpaid his income taxes.^[12] The Internal Revenue Service eventually assessed a $2.8 million tax debt against Smith, took many of his possessions, and garnished his income.^[13] Smith was nearly bankrupt in 1990, when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, around him.^[12]

The show was successful and began his acting career. Smith set for himself the goal of becoming "the biggest movie star in the world," studying box office successes' common characteristics.^[8] His first major roles were in the drama Six Degrees of Separation (1993) and the action film Bad Boys (1995) which he starred opposite of Martin Lawrence.

Breakthrough (1996–2000)[link]

In 1996, Smith starred as part of an ensemble cast in Roland Emmerich's Independence Day. The film was a massive blockbuster, becoming the second highest grossing film in history at the time and establishing Smith as a prime box office draw.^[14] He later struck gold again in the summer of 1997 alongside Tommy Lee Jones in the summer hit Men in Black playing Agent J. In 1998, Smith starred with Gene Hackman in Enemy of the State.^[12]

He turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix in favor of Wild Wild West (1999). Despite the disappointment of Wild Wild West, Smith has said that he harbors no regrets about his decision, asserting that Keanu Reeves's performance as Neo was superior to what Smith himself would have achieved.^[15] Though in interviews subsequent to the release of Wild Wild West he stated that he "made a mistake on Wild Wild West. That could have been better."^[16]

2001–present[link]

Smith in September 2009

In 2005, Smith was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for attending a record breaking three premieres in a 24-hour time span.^[17]

He has planned to star in a feature film remake of the television series It Takes a Thief.^[18]

On December 10, 2007, Smith was recognized at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Smith left an imprint of his hands and feet outside the world renowned theater in front of many fans.^[19] Later that month, Smith starred in the film I Am Legend, released December 14, 2007. Despite marginally positive reviews,^[20] its opening was the largest ever for a film released in the United States during December. Smith himself has said that he considers the film to be "aggressively unique".^[21] A reviewer said that the film's commercial success "cemented [Smith's] standing as the number one box office draw in Hollywood."^[22] On December 1, 2008, TV Guide reported that Smith has been selected as one of America’s top ten most fascinating people of 2008 for a Barbara Walters ABC special that aired on December 4, 2008.^[23]

Smith is currently developing a film entitled The Last Pharaoh, in which he will star as Taharqa.^[24]

President Barack Obama has stated that if a film were to ever be made about his life, he would have Smith play his part, because "he has the ears". Obama stated that the two have discussed a possibility of a film based on the 2008 election, but this may not happen until the end of the Obama presidency.^[25]

Men in Black III opened on May 25, 2012. In it, Smith will play Agent J for the third time, being one of his more popular earlier roles coincides with the fact that it will be his first major starring role in four years.

On August 19, 2011, it was announced^[26] that Smith had returned to the studio with producer La Mar Edwards to make a new album. Edwards has worked with artists such as T.I., Chris Brown, and Game.

Smith and his son, Jaden, are currently filming After Earth, which is set for a 2013 release.

Personal life[link]

Nobel Peace Prize Concert December 11, 2009, in Oslo, Norway: Smith with wife Jada and children Jaden and Willow

Smith was raised by his parents in West Philadelphia. Smith credits his father's dedication when discussing his involvement in the lives of his own children: "I look at my father and how he was able to keep four kids fed and clothed and still managed to find time to spend with us."^[27] Smith married Sheree Zampino in 1992. They had a son, Willard Christopher Smith III, also known as "Trey", but divorced in 1995. Trey appeared in his father's music video for the 1998 single "Just the Two of Us".

Smith married actress Jada Pinkett in 1997. Together they have had two children: Jaden Christopher Syre (born 1998), his co-star in The Pursuit of Happyness, and Willow Camille Reign (born 2000), who appeared as his daughter in I Am Legend. Along with his brother, Harry Smith, he owns Treyball Development Inc.,^[28] a Beverly Hills-based company named after his first son. Smith and his family reside on Star Island in Miami Beach, Florida and in Los Angeles, Stockholm, Sweden^[29] and Philadelphia.

Smith was consistently listed in Fortune Magazine's "Richest 40" list of the forty wealthiest Americans under the age of 40. He donated $4,600 to the presidential campaign of Democrat Barack Obama.^[30] On December 11, 2009, Smith and his wife hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, when Obama had won the prize.^[31]

Smith has said he has studied multiple religions, including Scientology, and he has said many complimentary things about Scientology and other faiths. Despite his praise of Scientology, Smith said "I just think a lot of the ideas in Scientology are brilliant and revolutionary and non-religious"^[32][33] and "Ninety-eight percent of the principles in Scientology are identical to the principles of the Bible.... I don't think that because the word someone uses for spirit is 'thetan' that the definition becomes any different."^[34] He has denied having joined the Church of Scientology, saying "I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions, and I respect all people and all paths."^[35]

Smith gave $1.3 million to charities in 2007, of which $450,000 went to two Christian ministries, and $122,500 went to three Scientology organizations; the remaining beneficiaries included "a Los Angeles mosque, other Christian-based schools and churches, and [...] the Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Center in Israel".^[36] Smith and his wife have also founded a private elementary school in Calabasas, California, the New Village Leadership Academy, which uses Study Technology, a teaching methodology developed by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.^[37] Federal tax filing showed that Will Smith donated $1.2 million to the school in 2010.^[38]

In 2012 he expressed support for the legalizing of same-sex marriage, in an endorsement of president Barack Obama's declaration to adopt this stance on the issue.^[39]

Discography[link]

With DJ Jazzy Jeff[link]

• Rock the House (1987)
• He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (1988)
• And in This Corner... (1989)
• Homebase (1991)
• Code Red (1993)

Solo[link]

• Big Willie Style (1997)
• Willennium (1999)
• Born to Reign (2002)
• Lost and Found (2005)

Filmography[link]

Television[link]

Film[link]

Box office grosses[link]

References[link]