Vivica A. Fox

"It's a wonderful time to be a black actress," says the star who got her start in Independence Day. "We have no room to complain."

ust a few years ago, Vivica A. Fox's acting career was going nowhere. Broke and disenchanted, she considered giving up. Then an acting coach gave her advice: "She said, 'You have to stay ready because your life can change in a day.' It's true. My life changed in a day -- Independence Day."

Playing Will Smith's girlfriend in that mega-movie led to roles in Batman and Robin, Set It Off and Soul Food. Because your fortunes can change in an instant, Fox says, you must prepare for that moment.

She did that in ways big and small. Born Vivica Anjanetta Fox, she grew up in Indianapolis, where everyone called her Anjie. But when she hit Hollywood, she turned her name into a reminder for directors -- and for herself. "Vivica A. Fox," she says, grinning. "Vivica's a fox! Get it?"

A mix of sweetness and sass, Fox, 33, isn't bashful about her looks: "In movies, I play against my beauty, so you look inside the face." As for her role models: "Madonna came from the Midwest and built an empire -- that's what I want to do."

Unlike some actresses, she says she won't gripe about the dearth of good roles or why black women earn Hollywood's smallest paychecks. "We have no room to complain. It's a wonderful time to be a black actress. Five years ago, these other actresses and I were fighting for one part. Now we're all in the same films together."

After dating too many "bad boys," Fox says, her time has come in her personal life, too. "Bad boys collect trophies that collect dust. I don't deserve that."

In December, she'll marry singer Sixx-Nine, one of the good guys, she says. Her tip for Mr. Nine? "My trophy needs to be shined up every day because I'm a shining star!"

Photo Credit: MICHAEL GRECCO FOR USA WEEKEND

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Why cats make great pets:
"If you don't have time to play with them, they're OK with that. Sometimes they're not in the mood either. They're like, 'Whatever, babe. We don't care. We still love you.' "

Zaslow is an advice columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times.