Jamie Foxx is one of those brilliant performers that we don’t just appreciate without taking a look at the hard work that made him the star that he is. He has appeared in roughly 54 films and he got his first breakthrough role back in 1999 with the help of Oliver Stone in the film Any Given Sunday.
Foxx’s life turned around when got the chance to star alongside Will Smith in Ali (2001). Michael Mann had a particular liking for his acting style and he worked with him on multiple films like Miami Vice, The Kingdom, and Collateral.
Earlier on, he faced many setbacks as producers usually looked at already established Black actors to work with like Denzel Washington, Will Smith, and Chris Tucker who gave massive hits.
Tom Cruise Believed in Jamie Foxx’s Talent
Starring alongside Tom Cruise in Collateral had Jamie Foxx’s career spiral upwards in Hollywood at an incredible pace.
According to him –
“When I started out, all the slots were taken up. Will Smith, Chris Tucker, and more already had their slots sewn up. I’ve been lucky that Michael Mann and Tom Cruise said, ‘We believe in you.’ That got me pumped.”
It was during his time with Django Unchained that we got to witness his passion for acting and how well he expresses the character. He wasn’t one to shy away from being the antagonist ‘Electro’ for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Although the film could not perform at the box office, Jamie Foxx sold his character big time!
Even as Marvel Studios explored the multiverse with Spider-Man: No Way Home, they signed on Foxx again and gave his character a total makeover, which he absolutely enjoyed playing and said, ‘he wasn’t trying so hard.’
Jamie Foxx’s Insurance Agent Got Him Into Acting?
According to the 55-year-old actor, real-life situations help out a lot in an industry like this. Born as ‘Eric Bishop’, he used to live with his grandmother before he got into acting.
When the insurance people came knocking at his door, Jamie Foxx recalls that his grandmother told him to go talk to them and cook up some story to send them away.
In an interview with The Mercury, he shared –
“That’s how I learned acting skills. That was my acting class. She told me to better make something up.”
It was then he developed this art of deception that gave him the chance to give the performance of his lifetime in real-life scenarios. His performance as Ray in Collateral got him his academy award win. With help from the right people, he has been able to amass a whopping $170 Million empire.
During filming for his upcoming film Back in Action alongside Cameron Diaz, he suffered a medical emergency and was soon taken to the hospital. The most recent confirmed report on his health was by his daughter who shared that he was out of the hospital.
We wish him a speedy recovery. The film however is slated to release early in 2024 on Netflix.
Source: Showbiz Cheat Sheet
