The Evolution of Jamie Foxx

From In Living Color to the Oscars, here is how Jamie Foxx rose to stardom.

We’re all hoping for the best as actor, singer and comedian Jamie Foxx is suffering from a “medical complication” in an Atlanta hospital. Thankfully, he’s already on the road to recovery.

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As we let the accomplished entertainer get better, we look back at the incredible career that Foxx has had up to this point. Here is the evolution of Jamie Foxx.

Born in Texas

Photo: City of Terrell

Born Eric Marlon Bishop, Foxx was born in Terrell, Texas on Dec. 13, 1967. He was raised by his mom’s adoptive parents Estelle Marie and Mark Talley.

College

Photo: Alliant International University

Some may not know this but after graduation from Terrell High School (currently Alliant International University), Foxx attended United States International University where he studied at the performing arts school.

Early Career

Photo: Getty Images ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Conten

Growing up Foxx was always a talented entertainer and performer, so naturally, after he finished school, he decided that he wanted to pursue a comedy career. He explained on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that he chose the name Jamie Foxx because he found that female comedians were first called up to perform when he was doing stand-up in California.

In Living Color

Foxx’s big break was on the sketch comedy show In Loving Color. He joined the show in 1991 and stayed on it until its end in 1994.

The Jamie Foxx Show

Photo: Warner Bros. Studios

Due to his popularity and success on In Loving Color, Foxx booked other acting opportunities. He first earned a recurring role on the short-lived sitcom Roc during the show’s second and third seasons. Shortly after, Jamie Foxx starred in his sitcom called The Jamie Foxx Show from 1996 to 2001.

Film Debuts

Photo: Getty Images Getty Images

Although Foxx’s film debut was in the 1992 film Toys, the film that first gained the comedian national popularity was the 1999 movie Any Given Sunday, where he starred alongside Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz and Dennis Quaid.

Collateral

Photo: Dreamworks Pictures

One of Foxx’s best film roles came in 2004 when he starred opposite Tom Cruise in the movie thriller Collateral. His performance was critically-acclaimed which resulted in the young actor being nominated for an Academy Award.

Ray

Photo: Getty Images SGranitz/WireImage

His most celebrated movie role came in 2004, where he played the role of Ray Charles in the 2004 biopic Ray. At the 76th Academy Awards, Fox received an Oscar for Best Actor for his incredible acting in the film.

Collaborations with Kanye West

Foxx also enjoyed success as a singer. He was featured on two of Kanye West’s earlier hits, including “Slow Jamz” in 2003 and “Gold Digger” in 2005.

Music Career

Photo: Getty Images Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archive

Foxx dropped his debut album, Peep This, in 1994 while still a regular on the sketch comedy show In Living Color.

Unpredictable

The accomplished comedian didn’t drop his sophomore album, Unpredictable until 2005. Unlike his debut album, his sophomore album was well-received by fans and critics alike. It featured multiple hit singles including, “Extravaganza,” “Unpredictable,” and “DJ Play a Love Song.”

Intuition

There was a short wait between Foxx’s second and third albums. Intuition was released in 2008 and featured many popular artists of the time including Fabolous, Ne-Yp, Kanye West, Lil Wayne and T.I. The project featured hit singles, “Just Like Me,” and “Blame It.”

Django: Unchained

Photo: Columbia Pictures

While Foxx appeared in dozens of movies in his career, another one of his critically-acclaimed performances came in 2012 in the movie Django: Unchained directed by Quentin Tarantino.

Family

Photo: Getty Images Gregg DeGuire

Jamie Foxx has two daughters. His oldest, Corinne Foxx, who was born in 1994, and his youngest, Annalise Bishop, was born in 2009.

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