Born:
December 13, 1967
in
Terrell, Texas
Best Known For:
The films Collateral and Ray.
Early-life:
Born Eric Marlon Bishop on December 13, 1967, in Terrell, Texas. His parents' marriage broke up and he was adopted by his grandparents when he was seven months old. He was raised in a strict household, was a member of the church choir and scouts, and had piano lessons from the age of five. He went on to win a classical piano scholarship at the International University in San Diego.
Career:
Encouraged by a girlfriend, he made his stage debut as a stand-up comic in 1989. Foxx changed his name to something androgynous after learning that women were first on the bill at open-mic nights in comedy clubs. By 1991 he was a star in the US thanks to TV show In Living Color. His first film was 1992's Toys. Since then he's had his own, self-titled show, and featured in movies The Truth About Cats and Dogs, Any Given Sunday, Ali and Collateral. His leading role in Ray Charles biopic Ray propelled him onto Hollywood's A-list. He's also released several albums, and collaborated with Kanye West on hit single Gold Digger.
Quote:
"When a project becomes magic and special it means that at certain points in the script it parallels your story."
Trivia:
He took his surname from one of his favourite comedians, Redd Foxx, is a big fan of wrestling and won a grand total of 22 awards for his performance in Ray, including an Oscar.