Anecdotes

While performing as a stand-up comedian, changed his last name to Foxx after one of his favorite comics Redd Foxx and changed his first name to Jamie because it could be a girls name as well. In comedy clubs, female comics often perform before the male comics so when a club manager read his name on the list, he would often be moved up on the list of performers.

As a second grader, he was so talented in telling jokes that his teacher used him as a reward. If the class behaved, Foxx would tell them jokes.

Won 22 awards for his performance as Ray Charles in Ray (2004).

He said that Richard Pryor is his idol in comedy, Denzel Washington is his idol in acting, and that Steve Hardin is his idol in music.

Is one of only five performers to have both a Billboard #1 single and an Oscar for acting. The others are Barbra Streisand, Cher, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby.

In Ray (2004), he wore prosthetic eyelids which made him virtually blind.

His piano lessons started at the age of three at his grandmother's insistence.

Is only the second male in history to receive two acting Oscar nominations in the same year for two different movies. The first male to do so was Al Pacino.

His performance as Ray Charles in Ray (2004) is ranked #31 on Premiere magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

Is the first person to have been nominated for three acting awards at the Golden Globe Awards in the same year.

At the 2005 Grammy Awards, he performed "Georgia on My Mind" with Alicia Keys as a tribute to Ray Charles, whom he portrayed in Ray (2004) the previous year and became good friends with him before he passed away.

Auditioned for the role of Rodney "Rod" Tidwell in Jerry Maguire (1996), which went to Cuba Gooding Jr..

He often impersonated Ray Charles when he was a cast member on In Living Color (1990), satirizing Charles' 1992 Diet Pepsi advertisements.

Began his career as a stand up comedian.

His Oscar win for Ray (2004) along with Morgan Freeman's win for La fille à un million de dollars (2004), was the second time two African-Americans won Oscars in the same year. The first was in 2002 when Denzel Washington won Best Actor for Jour de formation (2001) and Halle Berry won Best Actress for Le bal du monstre (2001).

Has played Kerry Washington's husband in two movies: Ray (2004) and Django déchaîné (2012). As of 2018, those are the only two Best Picture Oscar nominated films that either has appeared in.

Is the first African-American to be nominated for two Academy Awards in the same year.

Only one of a few actors to win the quadruple award crown during motion picture award season. Foxx won a Golden Globe Award, the SAG Award, the BAFTA Award and topped this off with the Academy Award.

Is one of 14 actors to have won an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, Critics' Choice Award, and SAG Award for the same performance. The others in chronological order are Geoffrey Rush for Le prodige (1996), Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote (2005), Forest Whitaker for Le dernier roi d'Écosse (2006), Javier Bardem for Non, ce pays n'est pas pour le vieil homme (2007), Daniel Day-Lewis for Il y aura du sang (2007), Heath Ledger for Le chevalier noir (2008), Christoph Waltz for Le commando des bâtards (2009), Colin Firth for Le discours du roi (2010), Christopher Plummer for Les débutants (2010), J.K. Simmons for Whiplash (2014), Leonardo DiCaprio for Le revenant (2015), Sam Rockwell for Trois affiches tout près d'Ebbing, Missouri (2017), and Gary Oldman for L'heure la plus sombre (2017).

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on September 14, 2007.

To play Ray Charles from the years 1949 to 1979 for the movie Ray (2004), he dropped more than 30 pounds, going from 189 to 157.

His three Golden Globe Award nominations were announced on his 37th birthday.

Was a football quarterback in high school.

Had the role of Slim in Le Wood (1999), but had to drop out when he got the role of Willie Beamen in Les héros du dimanche (1999).

Second actor to receive an Academy Award for "Best Actor" and to have had a #1 Billboard single ("Gold Digger" by Ye). The first to do so was Bing Crosby.

He and Holly Hunter have both won Oscars for playing pianists - and for playing the piano themselves in their respective roles. In 1993, the same year that Hunter won Best Actress, she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for La firme (1993) in which she appeared opposite Tom Cruise. In 2004, Foxx was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Collatéral (2004), also opposite Cruise.

When he sings "I Got a Woman" for Ray (2004), he recites almost the same backup refrain in Ye's "Gold Digger".

Started out as a stand-up comedian, often doing imitations of former president Ronald Reagan.

During 2005, he was nominated nine times for both Best Actor in Ray (2004) and Best Supporting Actor in Collatéral (2004). Eight out of those nine times he won Best Actor for Ray (2004) and lost for Best Supporting Actor for Collatéral (2004).

His 10-year-old daughter, Corinne Foxx, accompanied him to the Academy Awards (2005).

Along with Fay Bainter, Teresa Wright, Barry Fitzgerald, Jessica Lange, Sigourney Weaver, Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Emma Thompson, Julianne Moore, Cate Blanchett and Scarlett Johansson, he is one of only twelve actors to receive Academy Award nominations in two acting categories in the same year. He was nominated for Best Actor for Ray (2004) and Best Supporting Actor for Collatéral (2004), winning the former award.

[January 2000] First man of the decade and century to host Saturday Night Live (1975).

As of January 25, 2005, he became the sixth actor nominated for playing a pianist. The first to be nominated (and win) was F. Murray Abraham, who beat out co-star Tom Hulce for the Best Actor Oscar in Amadeus (1984). The second to be nominated was Holly Hunter, who won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance as a mute pianist in La leçon de piano (1993). Geoffrey Rush won the Best Actor Oscar for his work in Le prodige (1996). In 2002, Adrien Brody won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Le pianiste (2002). Foxx was nominated, and won, for his performance as the legendary musician Ray Charles in the hit biopic Ray (2004).

At the AFI tribute to Al Pacino he credited ''Any Given Sunday'' and his work with Oliver Stone and Al Pacino for helping him become a better actor and cementing his path to win an Oscar five years later for ''Ray.''.

Currently resides in Hidden Valley, California.

Is a huge fan of the Miami Heat basketball team and professional wrestling.

His top five favorite songs are "Do Me, Baby" by Prince, "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye, "Always and Forever" by Heatwave, "It's All About the Benjamins" by Sean 'Diddy' Combs and "Lady" by Lionel Richie.

Named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in the World (2005).

Ray (2004), which he played the titled role in, is ranked #99 on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time (2006).

Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of disturbing the peace, involving charges of battery against a New Orleans policeman in a casino in April 2003. He received two years probation and a $1500 fine. (février 2004)

Like some of his fellow actors, Jamie has featured with Barbra Streisand on her 2016 album "Streisand Encore - Movie Partners Sing Broadway" where the couple duetted on the Rodgers & Hammerstein song "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" (from La mélodie du bonheur (1965)).

Named one of People magazine's "Hottest Bachelors" (2006).

Attended United States International University (now known as Alliant International University) from 1986 to 1988 on a music scholarship.

Was considered for the role of Ordell Robbie in Jackie Brown (1997), which went to Samuel L. Jackson.

Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2006 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was suggested in the Worst Actor category for his performance in the film Furtif (2005). However, he failed to receive a nomination.

Best friends with Garcelle Beauvais.

Friends with Terrence Howard, Tom Cruise, Meagan Good, Idris Elba, Amber Rose, Luenell and Odell Beckham Jr..

Invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in 2005.

Jamie won his Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of an artist who won 11 Grammy awards, namely, Ray Charles.

His character Staff Sergeant Sykes in Jarhead (2005) ironically took place the same time (during the Gulf War of 1990) as his In Living Color (1990) stint.