From The Source Magazine Issue #270 | 2016
Professionals pursuing dream jobs by day and fearless alien-slayers by night, Vivica A. Fox and Jessie T. Usher are a mother-son tag team like you’ve never seen before in Independence Day: Resurgence.
Twenty years ago, Independence Day broke the box office wide open as the highest grossing film of 1996 and now they’re looking to do it all over again.
Over a decade in the making, Independence Day: Resurgence is reuniting some of the original cast members and introducing new faces into the mix. The sequel promises to add a layer of realism to the popular sci-fi thriller genre and Hollywood veteran Vivica A. Fox says her character Jasmine Hillard’s evolution is one viewers will appreciate. “In the first film, Jasmine was the stripper with a heart of gold. Now it’s 20 years later and she’s a hospital administrator. She’s grown up and is mentoring her son.”
That “son” is played by newcomer Jessie T. Usher, who is very aware his character has some big shoes to fill as the son of Will Smith’s now-deceased hero, Steven Hillard. “Dylan spent his whole life growing up in the shadow of his dad and this is his breakthrough moment. He’s now in the military as a lead fighter pilot for an elite squad, so you’ll see him preparing to be the action star that everyone hopes he can be.” Although Jessie hasn’t yet had the chance to meet Will, who was once managed by Jessie’s agent, he believes fate will kick in sooner than later. “It’s only a matter of time. Maybe he’ll show up to the premiere and we’ll get a chance to just talk it out and share stories,” he says cheerfully. For Vivica, Will’s absence is bittersweet for more reasons than one. “I’m not gonna win another MTV Award for Best Kiss!” she says jokingly. Of course we miss Will. He’s an amazing actor with a great presence. The good thing he gave us all his blessing.”
In the midst of the high-energy action scenes and jaw-dropping visual effects, the interaction between Jesse and Vivica is one the twosome believes many viewers will find relatable and inspiring. “Jasmine lost her husband and she now has to be the rock for her son,” Vivica says. “As many single parents know, just because you don’t have your spouse doesn’t mean that you can’t be the rock of your family. Especially with African-American mothers, you find so many single mothers who raise true leaders and that was how I approached it.” While Jessie can’t quite relate to his character’s lofty upbringing or militant demeanor, he admits that like Dylan, he’s very much a mama’s boy. “Absolutely a mama’s boy. So, I get where he was coming from and it was easy to play that part of the role.” Thanks in part to Vivica, he’s confident the dynamic between then will resonate well with audiences. “She was very uplifting and influential. Most of the scenes you’ll see between us are very loving and we’re a very close family so we wanted to emphasize that in the film. Even off camera [Vivica] was always making sure I was comfortable and giving me a heads up. Hopefully that same comfort level I had off camera comes across on camera.”
Speaking on her reaction to being cast for the sequel, Vivica says it was a pleasant case of deja vu. “When I got the call, it felt like that same call I got 20 years ago when I wanted this part so bad I’d auditioned six times. I was just thrilled to be able to work on a must-see, summer blockbuster.” She also reflected on a time when Hollywood wasn’t always so welcoming to Black actresses. “African-American actresses today are definitely cracking that glass ceiling but it’s been a long process. I remember 20 years ago when I started out, we were told that we couldn’t open up films and told we wouldn’t get the ratings for television shows. Boy, have we proven them wrong today!”
One consistent theme in particular that Jesse says plays an intricate role in making the film one to get excited about is unity. “Everybody in the world in this film is unified. There are no race wars where people are battling over like, the color of your skin. That doesn’t exist anymore in this film and in this new world.” Indeed a concept we all hope to live to see someday soon. – Rachaell Davis
