Carshield Commercial Actors: 10 Best Movies & TV Shows Where You've Seen Vivica A. Fox & Ice-T Before (2024)

The CarShield commercial actors, Vivica A. Fox and Ice-T, will be very well known to anyone who pays even a little bit of attention to popular movies and television. Ice-T and Vivica A. Fox is the spokesteam duo for CarShield, a company specializing in vehicle service contracts. The two most often appear in separate ads but in one notably clever commercial, they act out a little skit for the company together. In it, Ice-T and Fox walk up to a bodybag and unzip it to reveal a smoking engine, as if they are in a forensics lab.

A riff on Ice-T's Law & Order: SVU, the duo discuss the cause of "death" and how it could have been saved if only the owners used CarShield. It's cute and a good use of both actors having a little fun with their respective careers. Ice-T is one of many rappers who have appeared in a commercial and used their persona to sell and Fox is a trusted and charismatic presence whenever she appears. Both actors have had long, successful careers, though some of their performances rise above the rest.

10 The Other Guys (2007)

Ice-T Voices The Narrator

The Other Guys

PG-13

Comedy

Action

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From director Adam McKay comes The Other Guys. This action comedy movie stars Will Ferrell as forensic accountant Allen Gamble and Mark Wahlberg as detective Terry Hoitz, two NYPD employees sent to investigate a simple permit violation before they stumble upon a deep conspiracy and a flourishing crime ring. Without the former two best detectives on the force, these two unlikely partners will become central to bringing a criminal plot to its knees.

Director

Adam McKay

Release Date

August 5, 2010

Cast

Will Ferrell , Mark Wahlberg , Adam McKay , Eva Mendes , Samuel L. Jackson , Michael Keaton

Runtime

107 Minutes

Budget

$100 million

The Other Guys is director Adam McKay's fifth feature movie and the bridge between his more absurdist earlier films like Anchorman and Step Brothers to the more serious, high-stakes productions like The Big Short and Vice. Like many McKay films, The Other Guys has a narrator, this time provided by Ice-T. As soon as his instantly recognizable tones come on over the credits explaining the line between law and crime, viewers know this is going to be a film with its tongue firmly in its cheek.

Ice-T is a surprisingly frequent presence in the movie, often giving updates on what the characters are feeling at their lowest or highest. It's a fun trick McKay plays, and it ensures every scene that would usually lull at least has Ice-T getting the audience up to date on the current story. It's a complicated plot too, so while some narration can grate, Ice-T's is appreciated.

9 Johnny Mnemonic (1995)

Ice-T Plays J-Bone

Johnny Mnemonic

R

Action

Sci-Fi

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Johnny Mnemonic is an action sci-fi film directed by Robert Longo and based on William Gibson's novel. The film follows data courier Johnny, who carries a large implant in his brain that holds significant information that could change everything - but a yakuza member takes on a hit request and sends a dangerous assassin to stop incriminating information from getting out.

Director

Robert Longo

Release Date

May 26, 1995

Cast

Keanu Reeves , Dolph Lundgren , Takeshi Kitano , Ice-T , Dina Meyer

Runtime

96 Minutes

Budget

$26 Million

Ice-T costars in Johnny Mnemonic as J-Bone alongside Keanu Reeves as the titular character. The film is a cyberpunk action movie about a dystopian future racked by a tech-induced plague, megacorps, and organized crime. There are a lot of different influences going into the film and, upon release, it wasn't particularly well received, but recent years have seen it reclaimed as a cult classic thanks to its wild sets, characters and audacious storytelling.

J-Bone is the leader of the Lo-Teks, an anti-establishment group, who ends up helping Johnny against the evil Pharmakom megacorporation. Ice-T is totally game for the wacky part and brings some heavy-weight edge to a film that is often too goofy for its own good. He's tough, smart, resourceful and Ice-T is up to the task of playing Keanu's number 2 at a time when the actor was becoming one of the hottest in Hollywood.

8 Curb Your Enthusiasm (2007-2009)

Vivica A. Fox Plays Loretta Black

Curb Your Enthusiasm

TV-MA

Comedy

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Curb Your Enthusiasm is a Comedy television show created by Larry David, the same creative mind behind the wildly popular sitcom, Seinfeld. Starring Larry David himself, along with Cheryl Hines, and Jeff Garlin, the show acts as a semi-fictionalized look at Larry's every day life and the people he would come in contact with.

Cast

Larry David , Jeff Garlin , Cheryl Hines , Susie Essman , J.B. Smoove

Release Date

October 15, 2000

Seasons

12

Showrunner

Jeff Schaffer

When the Blacks move into Larry David's home in Curb Your Enthusiasm season 6, the outrageous and hilarious family completely upend Larry's life, for the better sometimes and for the worse at others. Loretta is Leon's (J. B. Smoove) sister and she and her family were displaced by Hurricane Katrina and forced to move. Fox is snarky, vivacious, and doesn't let a thing slip by her, including Larry's many faux pas.

It's the funniest Fox has ever been and shows a different side of the usually dramatic actor. She can keep up with both Smoove and David in the rapid-fire comedy and seems to be having a blast while doing so. She ends up becoming one of Larry David's best love interests as well, before they break up after a classic Larry misunderstanding in which Loretta incorrectly believes he's cheating on her.

7 Ricochet (1991)

Ice-T Plays Odessa

Ricochet (1991)

R

Crime

Thriller

Action

Drama

Ricochet is a 1991 action thriller directed by Russell Mulcahy, starring Denzel Washington as Nick Styles, a rookie cop who becomes a hero after taking down a notorious villain.Years later, the villain, Earl Talbot Blake, escapes from prison and seeks revenge against Styles, who must confront his troubled past to stop him.

Director

Russell Mulcahy

Release Date

October 4, 1991

Cast

Denzel Washington , John Lithgow , Ice-T , Kevin Pollak , Lindsay Wagner

Runtime

102 Minutes

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Ricochet follows the conflict between Los Angeles Assistant District Attorney Nick Styles (Denzel Washington) and Earl Talbot Blake (John Lithgow), a criminal Nick put away who is looking for revenge. Ice-T plays Odessa, Nick's friend from childhood. The two went separate ways, with Odessa becoming a major drug dealer in South Central Los Angeles. Despite the bad blood, Odessa ends up helping rescue Nick from Earl and the pair make up, promising to play a game of basketball sometime in the future.

It's a multifaceted performance from Ice-T, who at times is credibly sinister but who also has a clear code of ethics that Nick can tap into. Nick is heroic with a lot of heart, though Ice-T shows how guarded the character is when it comes to letting his softer side show. Ice-T also specially made a song for the film titled "Ricochet".

6 Independence Day Franchise (1996, 2016)

Vivica A. Fox Plays Jasmine Dubrow

Independence Day

PG-13

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Action

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Roland Emmerich's iconic 1996 sci-fi disaster movie Independence Day chronicles the attack of a hostile race of aliens against planet Earth. When extraterrestrial aircraft occupy Earth without warning, the forces of humanity quickly band together to stop them. At the behest of President Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman), US Marine pilot Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) and satellite engineer David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) organize humanity's last-ditch counterattack against the technologically-advanced alien mothership.

Director

Roland Emmerich

Release Date

July 3, 1996

Cast

Will Smith , Bill Pullman , Jeff Goldblum , Mary McDonnell , Judd Hirsch , Robert Loggia , Randy Quaid , Margaret Colin , Vivica A. Fox , Harvey Fierstein

Runtime

145 minutes

Budget

$75 million

Vivica A. Fox plays Jasmine Dubrow, Captain Steven Hiller's (Will Smith) girlfriend, in the 1996 classic Independence Day​​​​​​, and then reprises her role in Independence Day: Resurgence, now a widow after Hiller passed away in some unknown accident, an explanation for Will Smith not returning to the Independence Day franchise. Independence Day was an early role for Fox, but one that brought her mainstream attention and showed how comfortable she could be in a major blockbuster.

It's a demanding part that requires a lot of action and stuntwork and Fox is clearly up for it. Parts of that first film are only focused on Jasmine, meaning that she has to make whole sequences as interesting without Jeff Goldblum and Smith as they are with them, a task she accomplishes thanks to her dedication to the character and her believable terror at the events surrounding her.

5 Empire (2015-2020)

Vivica A. Fox Plays Candace Mason

Empire

Music

Drama

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Empire is a musical drama series that follows a father who acts as the CEO of Empire Entertainment, a major hip-hop record label, and his family. When Lucious Lyon discovers he is diagnosed with ALS, he realizes his time is short, and he must find a successor to his empire. Forcing his three sons to compete with one another to earn the right, what follows is a vicious journey of power and control - only complicated further by his ex-wife's entry into the fray.

Cast

Ta'Rhonda Jones , Trai Byers , Taraji P. Henson , Jussie Smollett , Gabourey Sidibe , Kaitlin Doubleday , Bryshere Y. Gray , Terrence Howard , Grace Gealey

Release Date

January 7, 2015

Seasons

6

Showrunner

Danny Strong

Empire is a six-season musical drama show starring Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson as Lucious Lyon and Loretha "Cookie" Lyon, his ex-wife, who are fighting to determine who will take over the Lyon's Empire Entertainment music dynasty after Lucious learns his death is imminent after being diagnosed with ALS. Vivica A. Fox first appears in season 2, episode 8 as Candace Mason, Cookie's snobbish older sister who looks down on her younger sister for her previous life of crime.

Candace goes from a recurring character in seasons 2-5 to being part of the main cast in season 6. Candace is feisty, funny, and a welcome addition to the show after season 1. A realtor, Candace generally stays out of the main conflict of Empire, simply giving advice to her sister and her family, though she has some critical arcs throughout the seasons as well.

4 New Jack City (1991)

Ice-T Plays Detective Scotty Appleton

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Ice-T began his professional rap career in 1983 with his first single, "Cold Wind Madness". Less than 10 years later, and after three smaller roles that didn't change his trajectory, Ice-T broke out as an actor in New Jack City, revealing what his career would end up looking like as he leaned more into acting and less into music. New Jack City sees an NYPD detective, Scotty Appleton (Ice-T), go undercover in drug lord Nino's (Wesley Snipes) gang to catch the criminal.

Mario Van Peebles, Judd Nelson, and Chris Rock also star in this throwback to the blaxploitation movies of the 1970s. The film has left a long cultural legacy and Ice-T's intense and brave performance is part of that. An original of the gangsta rap movement, Ice-T taking on the role of an undercover cop is a bold move that paid off thanks to his careful balance of menace and humor. Many musicians have since been inspired by New Jack City, with the label Cash Money Records a reference to the film and Lil Wayne's series of Carte r albums coming from The Carter Complex.

3 Kill Bill: Volumes 1 And 2 (2003-2004)

Vivica A. Fox Plays Vernita Green

Kill Bill: Vol. 2

R

Action

Crime

Thriller

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Director

Quentin Tarantino

Release Date

April 16, 2004

Cast

Uma Thurman , David Carradine , Michael Madsen , Daryl Hannah , Vivica A. Fox , Ambrosia Kelley , Michael Parks , James Parks

Runtime

137 Minutes

Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox) only appears in flashback in Kill Bill: Volume 2, but her appearance in Kill Bill: Volume 1 features one of the best fights in the entire series. Kill Bill is not always ranked at the top of Quentin Tarantino's pantheon of fantastic films, but its uniqueness among his movies, and contemporary cinema in general, makes them something special. Vernia is the first member of the Deadly Viper Assassins the Bride (Uma Thurman) meets after she wakes from her coma.

Their knife fight in the kitchen, interrupted by Vernita's daughter arriving home from school, is fantastic and beautifully choreographed. Fox is athletic and desperate in the sequence and shows off some impressive physical control. Vernita is one of the few characters who seems sorry for nearly killing the Bride and Fox plays the character as a sympathetic villain with a gravitas that makes the audience feel for her in just one scene.

2 Set It Off (1996)

Vivica A. Fox Plays Francesca "Frankie" Sutton

Watch on TubiSet it Off came out the same year as Independence Day and while Roland Emmerich's disaster movie may be much more famous, Set it Off is the better film. In the movie, Lida "Stony" Newsom (Jada Pinkett), Cleopatra "Cleo" Sims (Queen Latifah), Tisean "T.T." Williams (Kimberly Elise), and Francesca "Frankie" Sutton (Vivica A. Fox) are four frustrated Los Angeles friends who decide to rob a bank together to improve their lives and those of their families.

The chemistry between the four leads is what makes Set it Off an engrossing and thrilling watch, bringing the audience into the action and danger. It's a staple of urban cinema and heist movies, with a much more dour but moving end than most films in the genre. Fox is at her best in this role, as she struggles to survive as the doors start closing in on her. Cleo's romantic relationship with Ursula (Samantha MacLachlan) marks a critical moment for lesbian representation in cinema.

1 Law & Order: SVU (2000-Present)

Ice-T Plays Detective/Sergeant Odafin "Fin" Tutuola

TV-14

Crime

Drama

Mystery

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Law & Order: Special Victims Unit centers on the NYPD's Special Victims Unit, a specialized team of detectives who investigate and solve cases of sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence. Under the leadership of Captain Olivia Benson, the unit deals with complex and sensitive crimes, balancing empathy for victims with the pursuit of justice.

Cast

Christopher Meloni , Mariska Hargitay , Richard Belzer , Dann Florek , Michelle Hurd , Stephanie March , Ice-T , BD Wong , Diane Neal , Tamara Tunie , Adam Beach , Michaela McManus , Danny Pino , Kelli Giddish , Raúl Esparza , Peter Scanavino

Release Date

September 20, 1999

Seasons

24

Creator(s)

Dick Wolf

Ice-T first appeared as Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola in Law & Order: SVU season 2, episode 1, "Wrong Is Right", and since then, he's appeared in over 500 episodes of the show, making him the second most prolific character in the entire Law & Order franchise, behind only Mariska Hargitay as Olivia Benson who's appeared in over 550 episodes since season 1. Fin has softened over the years, initially viewing criminals in black-and-white terms and frequently butting heads with his SVU colleagues, refusing to let anyone in.

In later seasons, Fin has often shown how much he cares for his SVU teammates. It's the role that Ice-T will always be known for and for good reason. Fin doesn't feel like a character; he feels like a real person, and Ice-T's commitment to the show and Fin has made the character arguably the most critical aspect of the long-running police procedural. Even CarShield commercials can't help but pay homage to the iconic character.