Kirk Fox, known for his roles in "Parks and Recreation," "Jury Duty," and "Reservation Dogs," has added novelist to his resume with the June release of his debut book, "Palmdale." Fox attributes his early career success in Hollywood, and the inspiration for his novel, to an unexpected source: tennis.
Fox, who played tennis at the University of California, San Diego, explained in an interview with the California Post that teaching tennis served as a gateway to his first acting opportunities. "Tennis was the agent for my first 10 movies," he stated.
One notable anecdote involves Lawrence Kasdan, director of "Wyatt Earp." Fox recounted being asked if he could ride a horse for the film. "I told him, 'Like the wind,'" Fox said. "And on that first day, he realized immediately that I couldn’t ride a horse, so he put me on a very small horse so that his tennis pro wouldn’t get hurt."
Beyond acting connections, Fox discovered another avenue through his tennis students. "Everyone I was teaching tennis to wanted me to look into something," he recalled. "You can call it whatever you want. I think at the end of the day, we’re all private investigators. I don’t know anyone that’s not investigating something."
Years later, these experiences with amateur private investigation informed his novel "Palmdale." The book, described by Fox as a noir story in the vein of Humphrey Bogart and Mickey Spillane, follows a private investigator and his estranged daughter as they probe a murder case that begins in Palmdale and leads back to Bel Air. "It’s gritty, it’s dusty," he said of the novel.
Fox began writing elements of "Palmdale" decades ago and is currently working on a sequel set in San Diego. His writing process has been ongoing, with a philosophy of persistent effort rather than immediate completion. "Every day I write, I just never finished anything," Fox noted. "So I’m still scratching that itch. And I write all my stand up."
In addition to acting and writing, Fox has pursued a career in stand-up comedy. He has performed over 6,000 times since his first show on November 10, 2002, at the Comedy Store. "I was deep in my 30s and I needed something to do at night," he said. His early performances sometimes led to unexpected lessons, such as the time he "bombed" by talking about religion, an experience he cited as the last time he discussed the topic on stage.