Jamie Foxx and his sister, DeOndra Dixon
Jamie Foxx is often described as a triple threat for his versatility as an actor, musician and comedian.
He was born Eric Bishop and raised by his grandparents in Terrell, Texas.
He got his start in showbiz in 1989 when he tried his hand at standup on a dare at an open mic night. After realizing that the women who signed up were always selected, he used different unisex names with hopes of getting stage time. After he brought down the house as “Foxx,” the name Eric Bishop was relegated to the past. After spending time on the comedy circuit, he joined Keenan Ivory Wayans, Jim Carrey and Damon Wayans in the landmark Fox sketch comedy series “In Living Color.”
In 1996, he launched his own series, “The Jamie Foxx Show,” which was one of the top-rated programs on the WB Network during its five-year run. He received critical acclaim for his work in the movies “Any Given Sunday” and “Ali.” These breakout roles led to 2004, the “Year of the Foxx,” when he delivered a trio of powerful performances in “Ray,” “Collateral” and “Redemption.”
He won an Academy Award for his portrayal of the legendary Ray Charles as well as the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA and NAACP Image Awards. Foxx simultaneously garnered Oscar, Golden Globe, SAG Award, BAFTA Award, and Image Award nominations for his work in “Collateral.” And he landed Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations and won an Image Award for the television movie “Redemption.”
Jamie Foxx at the 2011 Be Beautiful Be Yourself Fashion Show
That marked the first time a single actor has received three Golden Globe nominations and four SAG Award nominations in the same year. Some of his other films include: “Dreamgirls,” “Miami Vice,” “Jarhead,” “The Kingdom,” “The Soloist,” “Law Abiding Citizen,” “Valentine’s Day,” and the soon-to-be-released “Django Unchained,” directed by Quentin Tarantino.
Besides his work in front of the camera, in January 2006, Foxx launched his own satellite radio channel, The Foxxhole.
Foxx also has a thriving career in music. His J Records debut, “Unpredictable,” released in December 2005, was nominated for three Grammy Awards, eight Billboard Music Awards, one Soul Train Music Award and two American Music Awards, for which he won Favorite Male Artist. Foxx received three Grammy nominations, including Best R&B Album, for his Platinum-selling “Intuition,” which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart in December 2008. In 2010, Foxx won a Grammy for his record-breaking smash hit “Blame It.”
The Global Down Syndrome Foundation is proud to present Jamie Foxx with the 2012 Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award.
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