Crystal R. Fox (𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 January 1, 1964) is an American actress and singer. Fox has performed in many stage productions during her career, and is best known for her television roles as Luann Corbin in the NBC/CBS police drama series In the Heat of the Night (1989–1995), and as Hanna Young in the Oprah Winfrey Network prime time soap opera, The Haves and the Have Nots (2013–2021). Fox has also appeared in a number of films, most notably playing the leading role in the 2020 thriller A Fall from Grace.

Early life

Fox was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 in Tryon, North Carolina. She moved from North Carolina to Atlanta, Georgia in 1979 and attended middle school and high school. She began her professional acting career in the late 1970s, appearing on stage in Atlanta. She is the niece of the late singer Nina Simone and cousin of Lisa Simone Kelly.

Career

Fox made her big-screen debut playing Katie Bell in the comedy-drama film Driving Miss Daisy (1989) starring Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy. She later joined the cast of NBC police-drama series In the Heat of the Night in its third season, playing Luann Corbin. She was a regular cast member through the series finale in 1995, appearing in more than 100 episodes. In the 1990s, Fox had supporting roles in films Drop Squad (1994) and Once Upon a Time…When We Were Colored (1995) opposite Phylicia Rashad and Al Freeman Jr. She co-starred opposite Cicely Tyson in the 1998 miniseries Mama Flora’s Family based on a novel by Alex Haley. On television, she guest-starred on Law & Order, The Sopranos, and Third Watch. Fox also co-starred opposite Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen in the 2001 PBS production of The Old Settler.

Fox has appeared in many stage productions during her career. She has worked in New York City, Alexandria, Silver Spring, and Atlanta, where she lives. She received a Helen Hayes Award nomination for her performance in the 2002 play Home. Her other stage credits include For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf, Antony and Cleopatra, The Comedy of Errors, A Raisin in the Sun, The Colored Museum, The Amen Corner, The Boys from Syracuse, Bessie’s Blues, Little Shop of Horrors and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. She was a member of the Alliance Theatre for many years. She received IRNE Awards and Elliot Norton Awards for Best Actress for playing Rose Maxson in the 2009 production of Fences at the Huntington Theatre Company. During 2014–15, she acted as lead in the play Blues for an Alabama Sky.

Fox at the Burden premiere

In 2013, Fox began starring in the Oprah Winfrey Network prime time soap opera The Haves and the Have Nots, produced by Tyler Perry. She played one of the show’s leading roles, Hanna Young, a soulful single mother who works as the rich Cryer family’s maid and also served as the best friend and confidante of the lady of the house, Katheryn Cryer (played by Reneé Lawless). The series also starred Tika Sumpter, Angela Robinson, and John Schneider. Fox received positive reviews for her performance in the show. The series ended in 2021, after 196 episodes.

In 2019, Fox was cast for the second season of the HBO drama series Big Little Lies as Zoë Kravitz’s character’s mother Elizabeth Howard. Along with the cast, she was nominated for Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. She co-starred opposite Forest Whitaker in the drama film Burden.[19] The film premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and won the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award. In 2020, Fox had a leading role in the Netflix thriller film A Fall from Grace. It was Fox’s first leading film role in her long career. The film received negative reviews from critics, but her performance was praised by many. Chicago Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper wrote in a review: “Best of all is seeing Crystal Fox getting her moment in the spotlight and absolutely shining.” Later in 2020, Fox appeared in the Amazon Prime drama series Utopia created by Gillian Flynn.

In 2021, Fox starred in the three movie adaptations of V. C. Andrews’ books for Lifetime. In 2022, she was cast opposite Chris O’Dowd in the Apple TV+ comedy series The Big Door Prize. The series was canceled after two seasons in 2024. Later in 2024, she was cast as the mother of lead character in the Netflix thriller series, His & Hers adapted from the novel by Alice Feeney.