Foxx, Jamie (1967– )

US comedian, actor, and singer. He became popular in the 1990s for his comedy routines on US comedian Keenan Ivory Wayans's television series In Living Color (1991–94) and went on to star in his own self-titled show (1996). In films he has played an arrogant quarterback in Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday (1999), US music legend Ray Charles in the biopic Ray (2004), for which he earned the 2005 Academy Award for Best Actor, and a manipulative record producer in the musical Dreamgirls (2006).

Foxx wrote, performed, and produced two singles featured on the Any Given Sunday soundtrack, including the title track ‘My Name is Willie’. His albums include Peep This (1994) and Unpredictable (2005), and his collaborations with rappers Twista (born Carl Terrell Mitchell, 1973) and Kanye West led to top-ten singles in the UK and USA.

Other films include the comedies The Truth About Cats and Dogs and The Great White Hype (both 1996), the biopic Ali (2001), the blockbuster thriller Collateral (2004), and the war drama The Kingdom (2007).

He was born in the small town of Terrell, Texas, and studied music at the US International University in San Diego, California. He moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in stand-up comedy, and achieved roles on In Living Color and the sitcom Roc. He returned to stand-up comedy for his US cable Home Box Office (HBO) special Jamie Foxx: I Might Need Some Security (2002).