In the soon-to-be-released film The Lost Holliday, Vivica A. Fox delivers a powerful performance as Cassandra Marshall, a mother confronting the heartbreaking secrets of her estranged son’s life.

The film, which recently debuted during The 28th Annual American Black Film Festival on Friday, June 14, in Miami, revolves around Cassandra’s journey to Los Angeles to plan her son Damien’s funeral, in which she is shocked to find his husband, Jason Holliday (Jussie Smollett), has already taken on the task.

The Lost Holliday, rich with themes of family dynamics, grief, and acceptance, sheds light on the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ families and celebrates their resilience and love.

Smollett, the film’s director, producer and co-writer, and Jerrell Chesney hope that viewers “recognize the importance of community and that it’s so much more important to raise each other instead of tearing each other down.”

In an exclusive interview with Vivica A. Fox, she opened up about her character’s emotional journey, the film’s important messages, and the deeply personal connections that made this project a labor of love.

MadameNoire: Let’s get into your character, Cassandra Marshall. Tell us about her journey, which is both heartbreaking and enlightening as she learns about her son’s secret life. What was your approach to capturing her emotional heart?

Vivica A. Fox: The one thing I wanted was to see the journey of Cassandra, from rejection, to complete denial to then acceptance and then love and going forward.

MadameNoire:

The film delves into themes of family dynamics, such as grief and acceptance. How do you think The Lost Holiday contributes to the broader conversation about these universal issues?

Vivica A. Fox

The Lost Holiday is going to educate a lot of folks about adoption for a gay couple. That’s really one of the main messages that I hope folk take away: just because a couple is of the same gender does not mean that they can’t raise a child productively, positively, and in a home full of love.

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There are a lot of children out there who need homes, who are in the foster care system and who are being abused. Why would you not [allow them to be adopted] because the parents are of the same gender? Why would you not let the same-gender couple raise a child experience what straight couples get to experience? It’s all about love.

MadameNoire: What was your most challenging scene in the film and why?

Vivica A. Fox: Slapping the living daylights out of Jussie

MadameNoire: Did you have to physically strike him? And if so, who did you channel?

Vivica A. Fox: Believe it or not, I channeled Frankie from my film ‘Set It Off.’ But the scene was brutal because I love him so much. As you may know, he played my nephew on Empire, and I’ve known him since he was seven years old. So, I met his mom at auditions, and she used to come in with all her children, and we formed a bond.

When I sat down with him last week, I said, “Wow! We did it!” because it was a journey. We made the film very quickly, on a smaller budget, and it’s a completely independent film. It’s been a labor of love. Jussie has been trying to get this film made for seven years. So, it made me proud of him, and I’m just happy for the next chapter.

MadameNoire: Delving into your character, Cassandra more, I noticed that her relationship with her son

was very estranged, yet she discovered a new aspect of life and identity. How did you navigate portraying the initial shock and eventual acceptance of your son’s true self?

Vivica A. Fox: At first, she was like, WHO!? Husband!? Are we going there with it? She completely rejects Jussie’s character, Jason (who portrays her son’s husband). Then, through their journey, all of a sudden, they started finding things they had in common, and they bonded together for the love of their daughter. We were not going to let the system take her away.

To find out more information, including The Lost Holliday’s release date, follow the conversation at @TheLostHolliday on IG and click below to scroll through photos of the cast.

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