Rick Fox retired from the NBA in 2004, but he’s been keeping busy by honing his acting skills, and on Wednesday night he’s making his debut on OWN’s hit series Greenleaf. Fox, whose foray into acting was a natural progression that started during his childhood, spoke to The Root about his new role.
“I did it as a kid in the Bahamas; I did it in class in North Carolina at the university. I knew I’d be in the entertainment industry when I was done with my playing days. I got the opportunity in 1994 to be a part of a TV series, and after that I moved out to Hollywood to hone my craft and grow my career as an actor,” Fox told The Root.
In his 22-year acting career, Fox said, it’s a blessing to be part of a show like Greenleaf; and as the show enters its second season, Fox’s character, Darius Nash, a journalist with an eye for a scoop, is sure to get down to the nitty-gritty when it comes to the righteous crimes and scandals plaguing the Greenleaf family. And just maybe find a bit of romance with a certain Greenleaf pastor. Take a look a the clip below:
“Darius is entering the world of Greenleaf as a reporter in the town, and he covers the Greenleaf empire as well as the churches,” Fox said about his character. “If we go back to some of the storylines from season 1, I would easily argue those were newsworthy stories that Darius would have brought to life. As comfortable as he may be as an individual, he’s also still a reporter, so there’s a fine line that a member of the Greenleaf family will have with Darius, but they might not be as open to revealing everything.”
Darius’ and Grace Greenleaf’s paths cross in his debut episode, and it’ll be interesting to see if there’s a spark between them.
“Darius is always going to come from an authentic place and be truthful. Whether they fall in and out of the comfort of each other’s company, it all depends on how the writers takes Darius’ character. We’ll see whether or not their friendship blossoms or becomes entangled,” Fox stated.
As Fox continues his acting career, one can’t help wondering, which is harder: the hard court or remembering lines? And Fox definitely has his opinion on the subject.
“I used to think it was the lines, but the more I grew as an actor, the easier that got, because I really understood how to bring a character to life. When you understand how to connect with a character, the words are just tools,” Fox said.
On Wednesday night’s episode of Greenleaf, you’ll get to see Fox put his acting skills on display once again. And with his smile that lights up a room, we’re sure he’ll become a favorite on the show.
Greenleaf airs Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT on the Oprah Winfrey Network.