Jamie Foxx is an American actor, singer, and comedian born on December 13, 1967. He gained fame for his incredible portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 movie “Ray.” This role earned him numerous awards including the Academy Award BAFTA Screen Actors Guild Award and Golden Globe for Best Actor. The same year he was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in “Collateral.”
Foxx first made a name for himself on the sketch comedy show “In Living Color” which ran until 1994. He then starred in his sitcom “The Jamie Foxx Show” which he co-created and produced from 1996 to 2001. His career soared with roles in films such as “Booty Call” (1997), “Ali” (2001), “Jarhead” (2005), “Dreamgirls” (2006), “Miami Vice” (2006), “Horrible Bosses” (2011), “Django Unchained” (2012), “Annie” (2014), “Baby Driver” (2017), and “Soul” (2020). He played Electro in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” (2014) and reprised the role in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021) and received acclaim for his role in “Just Mercy” (2019) earning a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.
In addition to acting, Foxx has found success as an R&B singer. He achieved two number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Slow Jamz” with Twista and Kanye West and “Gold Digger” with Kanye West. His song “Blame It” won a Grammy Award. Foxx’s albums including “Unpredictable” (2005), “Intuition” (2008), “Best Night of My Life” (2010), and “Hollywood: A Story of a Dozen Roses” (2015) have all charted in the top ten of the Billboard 200.
Since 2017, Jamie Foxx has been the host and executive producer of the game show “Beat Shazam.” He also released his autobiography “Act Like You Got Some Sense” in 2021.
| Full Name | Jamie Foxx |
| Date of Birth | December 13, 1967 |
| Place of Birth | Terrell, Texas, USA |
| Occupation | Actor, Singer, Comedian |
| Height | 5′ 9″ (1.75 m) |
| Partners | Katie Holmes (2013-2019) |
| Children | Corinne Foxx and Annalise Bishop |
| Net Worth | $170 million |
Jamie Foxx’s Early Life and Education
Jamie Foxx was born in Terrell, Texas. His father Darrell Bishop later changed his name to Shahid Abdula after converting to Islam and worked as a stockbroker. His mother Louise Annette Talley Dixon gave him up for adoption shortly after he was born. Foxx was then raised by his maternal grandparents Esther Marie and Mark Talley. Growing up he had little contact with his birth parents. He spent his childhood in the segregated part of Terrell where he credits his grandmother for influencing his success.
Foxx started playing the piano at the age of five and was involved in the Baptist church community in Terrell playing piano and leading the choir part-time during his teenage years. He was known for his talent in making people laugh from a young age often entertaining his classmates with jokes as a reward for good behavior.
In high school at Terrell High, Jamie Foxx excelled academically and was active in sports playing both basketball and football as the quarterback. His dream was to play for the Dallas Cowboys and he set a record at his school by passing for more than 1000 yards. He was also a member of a band called Leather and Lace during this time.
After graduating Foxx earned a scholarship to study musical and performing arts composition at United States International University.
Career
Jamie Foxx began his comedy career in 1989 after a dare from his girlfriend. He noticed female comedians were often called up first so he chose the name Jamie Foxx to avoid any bias. His last name pays homage to Redd Foxx a famous black comedian. Foxx joined In Living Color in 1991 where he played the recurring character Wanda. He later starred in his sitcom The Jamie Foxx Show which he co-created and produced.
Foxx made his film debut in Toys (1992) and gained acclaim for his role in Any Given Sunday (1999) drawing on his own football experience. In 2001 he acted alongside Will Smith in Ali followed by a notable role in Collateral (2004) for which he earned an Academy Award nomination.
Musically Jamie Foxx released an album titled Peep This in 1994 though it wasn’t a commercial success. His collaboration with Kanye West on “Slow Jamz” (2003) and “Gold Digger” (2004) topped the charts showcasing his talent beyond acting. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Ray Charles in Ray (2004) becoming only the third male to earn two acting Oscar nominations in one year.
Foxx’s album Unpredictable (2005) debuted at No. 2 and later hit No. 1 selling nearly 2 million copies in the U.S. He also achieved success with singles like “Unpredictable” and “DJ Play a Love Song.”
In 2006, Foxx won awards at the BET Awards and received four Grammy nominations. His roles in Jarhead Miami Vice and Dreamgirls further cemented his status as a Hollywood star.
In 2007, Jamie Foxx landed a major role in the action movie “The Kingdom” alongside stars like Chris Cooper, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, and Ashraf Barhom. That same year he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame calling it one of the best days of his life. Foxx continued his film career with “The Soloist” in 2009 and “Law Abiding Citizen” later that year.
Jamie Foxx also pursued music releasing his third album “Intuition” in 2008. The album featured collaborations with Kanye West, T.I., Ne-Yo, Lil’ Kim and T-Pain. His single “Blame It” became a hit topping charts and earning him a Grammy Award. Foxx’s influence in music extended to collaborations with artists like Rascal Flatts, Tank, The-Dream, Plies, Ne-Yo, Fabolous, The Game, and T.I.
In 2007, Foxx launched The Foxxhole on Sirius Satellite Radio showcasing African-American performers and his material. His variety talk-radio show “The Jamie Foxx Show” featured guests from music film and comedy. Foxx faced criticism in 2009 for jokes made on the show about Miley Cyrus leading to a public apology.
Foxx’s career diversified further with projects like voicing Nico in “Rio” in 2011 and producing “In the Flow with Affion Crockett.” His fourth album “Best Night of My Life” dropped in 2010. He also starred in Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” in 2012 reflecting on the emotional challenges of portraying a freed slave.
Throughout his career, Jamie Foxx balanced music acting, and hosting. He hosted the BET Awards in 2009 paying tribute to Michael Jackson. Foxx’s roles expanded into producing and hosting the game show “Beat Shazam” from 2017 onwards. His contributions to television include executive producing “White Famous” and starring in the Netflix sitcom “Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!” in 2021.
Looking forward Foxx remains active in both film and television. He reprised his role as Electro in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” in 2021 and released a memoir titled “Act Like You Got Some Sense: And Other Things My Daughters Taught Me” the same year. Foxx continues to work on upcoming projects like the Spawn film reboot and a miniseries about Mike Tyson‘s life.
Net Worth
Jamie Foxx has an estimated net worth of $170 Million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Jamie Foxx’s net worth comes from his work as an actor, comedian, and musician. He has earned money from starring in movies, TV shows, and performing music.
Personal life
Foxx has two daughters: Corinne Foxx who is a model actress and TV producer born in 1994; and another daughter born in 2009. Corinne officially debuted at the Bal des débutantes in November 2014 and was named Miss Golden Globe 2016 on November 18, 2015.
In 2008, Foxx filmed a public service announcement with Do Something to encourage food drives in local communities.
From 2013 to 2019, Foxx was rumored to be in a relationship with actress Katie Holmes.
On January 18, 2016, he saved a young man from a burning car that crashed outside his home. The driver Brett Kyle was speeding lost control and crashed into a ditch rolling over several times. Kyle was later arrested for driving under the influence.
Foxx announced on October 26, 2020, that his sister Deondra Dixon had passed away at the age of 36. She had Down syndrome and was an ambassador for the Global Down Syndrome Foundation.
On April 12, 2023, his daughter Corinne revealed that he had been hospitalized due to a medical emergency but was now recovering. By May 12 amidst rumors of his serious illness, Corinne clarified that he had been out of the hospital for weeks and was recuperating. He received treatment at a specialized physical rehab facility in Chicago known for handling strokes and brain injuries. On July 22 Foxx shared a video about his health mentioning his tough journey back to health.
Finally, on December 3, 2023, he made his first public appearance since his hospitalization to accept the Critics Choice Association’s Vanguard Award. During his speech, he talked about his recovery journey including initial difficulties with walking but did not disclose the exact cause of his hospitalization.
Legal issues
In April 2003, Jamie Foxx and his 25-year-old sister Deondra Dixon got into trouble at Harrah’s casino in New Orleans. Security guards approached them because they didn’t show ID and started swearing when asked to leave. They ended up in a physical altercation with police officers during the arrest.
Foxx’s sister was even pepper-sprayed and hit officers with her handcuffs. Two officers were injured. Foxx was initially charged with several offenses but pled no contest to disturbing the peace. He got probation a suspended jail term and a fine.
In November 2023, Foxx faced a lawsuit from a woman who claimed he sexually assaulted her in 2015.
