Vivica A. Fox Recalls Reaction to Playing a Character Named God in Her New Movie: 'Wowsers' (Exclusive)
Vivica A. Fox Recalls Reaction to Playing a Character Named God in Her New Movie: 'Wowsers' (Exclusive)
Jack Smart, Kareema BeeTue, May 5, 2026 at 8:23 PM UTC
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Vivica A. FoxCredit: Cindy Ord/Getty -
Is God Is, from Aleshea Harris, is in theaters May 15
Vivica A. Fox speaks to PEOPLE exclusively at the New York premiere of the revenge thriller that also stars Kara Young, Mallori Johnson, Sterling K. Brown and more
When Fox learned she was Harris' only choice to play a character referred to as God, she says signing on was “a no brainer”
Vivica A. Fox brings a divine presence to her new movie.
Is God Is (in theaters May 15) stars Fox, 61, as God — or, more accurately, a mother named Ruby who her daughters, acknowledging her as their creator, call God.
Writer-director Aleshea Harris reached out to Fox and only Fox, the actress recalls at the New York premiere of the thriller on April 27. “She said, ‘You're my first and only choice to play God.' And I said, ‘Wowsers! OK.'”
Sterling K. Brown and Vivica A. Fox in Is God IsCredit: Patti Perret/Amazon MGM Studios
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Harris, who adapted her own hit 2018 Off-Broadway play Is God Is into her feature directorial debut, cited Fox's work in 2003's Kill Bill as inspiration. “She says, ‘I'm a huge fan of Kill Bill. And your work in the film and my filmmaking is going to be a reminder of Quentin Tarantino-style films,'” says Fox.
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“I said, ‘This is a no brainer,'” she adds. “What was great about it was that it's a type of genre that normally African Americans don't get. So if you like Sinners, you're going to love Is God Is.”
Vivica A. Fox, Tessa Thompson, Kara Young, Janelle Monae, Aleshea Harris, Mallori Johnson and Erika Alexander attend the "Is God Is" New York PremiereCredit: Cindy Ord/Getty
Centered on twins Racine and Anaia (played by Kara Young and Mallori Johnson), disfigured with scars by their abusive father (Sterling K. Brown), the Tessa Thompson-produced Is God Is costars Janelle Monáe, Erika Alexander, Mykelti Williamson and Josiah Cross.
The spaghetti Western-style story kicks into high gear when the sisters reunite with Fox's God, introduced as a bedridden but regal character scarred with burns. They receive a decree from their vengeful mother: “Make your Daddy dead. Real dead.”
It's a revenge thriller perfect for Mother's Day on May 10. Telling “all the mothers and our caregivers out there” to “enjoy” Harris' wild ride, Fox quips, “ We love y'all. You're our backbone. Y'all keep us together.”
Is God Is hits theaters on May 15.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
