Rick Fox

Drafted 24th overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1991 draft, Fox spent 1991-97 in Beantown playing for the Celtics before being sent to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1997. It was there that he assisted stars Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant in winning three straight NBA Championships from 2000-02. During his stint with the Lakers, Fox began his acting career with small walk-ons as himself, before playing prison inmate Jackson Vahue on the acclaimed series "Oz" (HBO, 1997-2003), a role he portrayed in recurring fashion throughout the series' six season run. Following a supporting role as a detective in the made-for-cable serial killer thriller "Resurrection" (HBO, 1999), he had roles in features like "A Simple Wish" (1997), "He Got Game" (1998), and "The Collectors" (2000). Thriving on the small screen, Fox had guest starring roles on "Street Time" (Showtime, 2002-03) and the short-lived legal drama "Kevin Hill" (UPN, 2004-05), while landing recurring roles on "Missing" (Lifetime, 2003-06), "One Tree Hill" (The WB/The CW, 2003-12) and "Dirt" (FX, 2007-08). While his acting career was blossoming, Fox's personal life took a hit in 2004 when pictures of him kissing another woman while married to actress-singer Vanessa Williams were splashed across the pages of the National Enquirer. Though on the surface it looked as though he was cheating on his wife, Fox's representative said that the couple was well on its way to becoming divorced, which Williams later confirmed. The two remained friendly following the split. Meanwhile, Fox had supporting parts in the children's fantasy "Holes" (2003) and the black comedy "Mini's First Time" (2006) before landing a guest spot on "Ugly Betty" (ABC, 2006-10), on which he played the bodyguard of Vanessa Williams' character, Wihelmina Slater. Following a recurring role as a fictionalized version of himself on "The Game" (The CW, 2006-09; BET, 2011-15), Fox went the game show route with an appearance on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" (Fox, 2007-09), winning $25,000 for charity. A recurring role on the revamped "Melrose Place" (Fox, 2009-10) and a guest spot opposite girlfriend Eliza Dushku on "Dollhouse" (Fox, 2009-2010) preceded the announcement that Fox had joined the season 11 cast of "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC, 2005-).