Crystal R. Fox

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 Academy Award-winning 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.