With his 2005 Academy Award for “Ray” and his recent chart-topping R&B album “Unpredictable”, Jamie Foxx has become only the fourth actor in history to earn an Oscar and a #1 U.S. album debut. Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand, and Bing Crosby are the others to achieve this feat, which puts Foxx right atop the A-list where he undeniably belongs.
Born in Terrell, Texas on December 13, 1967, Foxx grew up with his grandparents in rural Texas where he excelled in football, drama, and music. After finishing college and briefly studying music at the famed Julliard School, Foxx moved to Los Angeles where he performed in comedy clubs and with improv troupes, leading to a role on the popular sketch show “In Living Color” in the early 90s. Foxx was excellent at sending up African American celebrities such as Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, and Lionel Richie, and became one of the show’s most popular members, leading to a role with Robin Williams in “Toys” and a bright future in Hollywood.
Foxx’s rise to superstardom began in 1996 with the start of the WB Network’s “Jamie Foxx Show”, a popular variety and sketch comedy program headlined by the actor. However, it was Oliver Stone’s overwrought 1999 football drama “Any Given Sunday” that brought him to the attention of the Hollywood elite after critics heaped praise on his performance. Playing a hotshot third-string quarterback suddenly brought to the forefront, Foxx was electric in the melodramatic sports saga, which also starred Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, and Dennis Quaid. A terrific supporting role alongside Will Smith in “Ali” soon followed, but it was a duo of films in 2004 that propelled Foxx to superstar status – Michael Mann’s shiny Tom Cruise actioner “Collateral” and the Ray Charles biopic “Ray”.
Nominated for two Oscars in a single year, Foxx won for “Ray” and earned a nom for “Collateral”. His performance in “Ray” is a sensitive and affecting delight, showcasing not only Foxx’s natural abilities but also his Method-like devotion to accurate and consistent characterization. In other words, no one was expecting a surprise in the Best Actor category that year. Since dominating the Oscars, Foxx has impressed in “Stealth” and the ensemble war film “Jarhead”, released a double-platinum album, headlined the sleek update of “Miami Vice” with Colin Farrell, and starred with Beyonce Knowles and Eddie Murphy in the rousing Oscar hopeful “Dreamgirls”.