Tv Talk

Rick Fox, 32, plays forward for the NBA champions (the Lakers), sleeps with a Miss America (wife Vanessa Williams) and counts He Got Game, Eddie and Blue Chips among his acting credits. Since 1997 he has also had a recurring role as Jackson Vahue, a former NBA star turned con on the HBO prison drama Oz. We caught up to him on the outside.

SI: Has spending half your life in locker rooms with naked men prepared you for your role in Oz?

Fox: Yeah, it was an easy transition.

SI: How good was Vahue in his prime?

Fox: Michael Jordan is a notch below.

SI: Who had the better screen performance: Penny Hardaway in Blue Chips or Charles Barkley in Forget Paris?

Fox: I don't know how much Charles was acting.

SI: Was Shaq robbed of an Oscar nomination for Kazaam?

Fox: He's more Golden Globe material.

SI: What's the best movie performance by a basketball player?