Jamie Foxx’s life underwent a tremendous turmoil in the past after playing Ray Charles in the popular 2004 biopic Ray. In addition to bringing him an Academy Award for Best Actor, Foxx’s legendary performance catapulted him to a new level of recognition and admiration.
Foxx partied hard and savored his newfound stardom. In fact, things reportedly got so out of hand that Oprah Winfrey personally contacted him to arrange an intervention that included A-listers like Quincy Jones and Sidney Portier from Hollywood.
Jamie Foxx’s new lifestyle had become so concerning that Oprah Winfrey decided to pick up the phone and call Fox. Winfrey went straight to the point when she said,
“You’re blowing it, Jamie Foxx. All of this galavanting, all this kind of s–t, it’s not what you want to do. So I want to take you somewhere, to make you understand the significance of what you’re doing.”
In the end, Winfrey took the actor and singer to the home of a well-known producer in Hollywood, Quincey Jones. There, Foxx recalled meeting extraordinary black actors from the ‘60s and the ‘70s who wished Ray actor all the best and advised him not to “blow it”.
The legendary Sidney Poitier, who in 1963 became the first African-American to win the Best Actor Oscar for his work in Lilies of the Field, was one of the movie icons Winfrey introduced him to at the meeting. According to Foxx, Portier told him,
“I want to give you responsibility. When I saw your performance [in Ray], it made me grow two inches.”
Foxx broke down in that moment and ever since describes it to be “the most significant time” in his life.
Jamie Foxx’s health issues have been concerning for his fans. The updates have been sparse ever since the actor was rushed to the hospital from the sets of his upcoming Netflix movie. Over the last two months, Foxx has been battling a mysterious illness that hasn’t been disclosed. After the actor thanked his fans for their love, he has not been in touch ever since.
