Interview: Jamie Foxx Talks Music, Movies, and Comedy

Jessica Biel, comedy millions, and a new movie... life is good when you're Jamie Foxx!
Actor Jamie Foxx attends the 2009 UJA-Federation of New York Music Visionary Of The Year award luncheon on June 18, 2009.
Actor Jamie Foxx attends the 2009 UJA-Federation of New York Music Visionary Of The Year award luncheon on June 18, 2009. - Getty Images
Dave Mendonca

Life is good for Jamie Foxx. Think about it. He has an Academy Award on his resume. He's made millions laugh with his comedy, and he has a music career on the rise. It's no wonder LG Electronics made him its spokesperson at the official launch of its Life's Good Film Fest in Toronto this week. While discussing the HD short film festival that's open to budding moviemakers worldwide, Foxx mentioned the importance of giving the next generation an opportunity to prove themselves. "It gives people a chance to live their dreams," says the 41-year-old. "A lot of people are waiting in the wings." At the LG press conference, Foxx recalled his early days in show business. In fact, he was all smiles while remembering his movie debut in his self-described "cult classic" 1997 film, Booty Call. Jokingly, he didn't understand why it wasn't a bigger hit.

Jamie, I don't get it either. If Al Pacino was in it, it would have won a few Golden Globes, guaranteed. Regardless, Foxx has come a long way since then. Nowadays, he's a versatile talent whose movies have grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide.

Yep, life is good.

Jessica BielIt also doesn't hurt that one of his upcoming films, Valentine's Day (due out next February), features an all-star team of beauties including Jessica Alba and Jessica Biel. "They're friends of mine," says the Texas native. "I've worked with Jennifer Lopez, too, who I think is one of the most beautiful women in the world. They strive so hard to be taken seriously. But, I do realize as I'm having lines with Jessica Biel, every man in the world would want to be in my shoes for obvious reasons."

Even though this entertainment jack-of-all-trades is hanging out with Hollywood's elite ladies, there are two women that truly own his heart. Foxx officially announced that his popular, photogenically-challenged Wanda Wayne character from the TV show In Living Color and actor Martin Lawrence's creation, Sheneneh Jenkins from the 1990s TV sitcom Martin, will team up in a comedy which will start filming early next year.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!!!! [in Wanda Wayne character] Yo dude, I'm going to be honest with you. It's soooo freakin' funny, the way it's set up, they start out robbing banks, but they don't know each other. Sheneneh Jenkins robs a bank in San Francisco. She's very smart. She's like a MacGyver. Wanda is all smash and grab. She starts out robbing a bank in Oakland. As they're going down from Northern California to Southern California, they end up robbing a bank at the same time. That's how they meet each other. So, I'll just leave it at that. It's absolutely hysterical."

Foxx came up with the idea to get these beloved characters together while preparing for his 2009 BET Awards hosting job. He had wanted to work with Lawrence for awhile and felt the world needed some laughs, so he convinced him this union had to happen. As a result, a fake movie trailer was shot and it received a standing ovation at the BET Awards. Now, the film will be coming soon to a theater near you.

You'd think Foxx would be content with a successful movie and comedy career. Actually, though, he feels music is his calling. It's been a part of his life ever since his grandmother made him take piano lessons as a young kid.

Yes, I know, there is always skepticism when an actor decides to take the musical route. Kevin Bacon, I hope you're not reading this.

With Foxx though, life is good in the music department. He's a Grammy-nominated R&B artist who is currently traveling across North America on his "Blame It" tour, which is supporting his third studio album, "Intuition." During his musical exploits, he's worked with an impressive list of R& B and hip hop stars including Kanye West, Ludacris, and Mary J. Blige. That's not bad for a guy who used to pucker his lips as Wanda Wayne back in the day.

RayIt's well known now that Foxx was able to utilize his musical talents in an Oscar-winning portrayal of the legendary Ray Charles in the 2004 movie Ray. However, he realizes succeeding in the real-life music industry presents some on-going challenges.

"Music is so tricky," Foxx tells Film.com. " I know I don't know how to call a hit song. My daughter will listen to my music and she will go, 'Dad, that's old.' 'Dad, that's not good.' We've been fortunate to have "Gold Digger" and "Blame It On the Alcohol." It's amazing. It blows your mind because I know what a good movie is, I know what a joke is, but don't know what a hit song is."

Foxx has an incredible knack for instantly connecting with people. For example, at a concert of his I recently attended, he was on stage talking about his CDs and telling the audience, "Burn it. Steal it. Download it. I don't care. I don't need the money. I just want you to have my music." Let's just say he won some new fans that night. I mean, who says stuff like that? I don't think you'll hear U2 or Britney Spears or even Michael Bolton take that stance.

Foxx can say those words because his life is good. He's not worried about living paycheck to paycheck. He doesn't have hospital bills piling up to the ceiling. He doesn't have to scramble for money to put food on the table. He's not stressed if he will lose his job or not. He just wants to entertain those who are and help them escape their problems for a few hours.

When you meet him in person, you realize quickly, he's just a regular guy. He's laid back yet energetic. You can tell he's appreciative of his success. He doesn't act like someone who has exploding pockets of money. During the Life's Good Film Fest press junket, I watched as reporter after reporter asked him questions. They most likely asked the same things over and over again. Most people might have been visibly irritated by that process, but not Foxx. I was the last journalist he spoke to, yet he treated me like I was the first. He gave me his full attention. Not once did I get the sense he was staring at his public relations person hoping he could end the interview. Foxx is definitely a person you feel instantly comfortable around. At one point during our interview, I joked with him by saying, "Hey Jamie, I'm in trouble with my girl. We'll be going to your concert tonight. Can you cook up some of those tunes?" All of a sudden, he breaks out into an a capella version of one of his slow jams which was hilarious. He knew what needed to be done to remedy the situation. My girlfriend got a kick out of it, and there you go, Jamie Foxx saves the day.

He's unlike many movie and music stars because he's actually accessible. He's a people person who doesn't act like a big shot. He's the real deal.

Yep, life is good for Foxx.


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