Born Eric Morlon Bishop Jr. on December 13, 1967, in Terrell, Texas, Foxx was adopted by his grandparents at the age of seven months when his parents' marriage fell apart. Thereafter he had a strict upbringing, starting piano lessons at his grandmother's insistence, at the age of three. He joined the Boy Scouts and sang in his local church choir. A fan of sports (he now often attends Miami Heat basketball games) he played quarterback on his high school football team and received praise in Dallas newspapers. His cousin Michael Bishop, also a quarterback, went on to star in the Arena Football League's Grand Rapids Rampage. Fox did not neglect his academic work, however, and went on to Juilliard to study classical piano. He received a scholarship to attend the United States International University (now Alliant International University), where he majored in music.
After graduating, Foxx found it difficult to make a living, and resorted to working as a shoe salesman. His big break came in 1989 when his girlfriend persuaded him to try stand-up comedy doing impressions of former president Ronald Reagan. It was at this point that he changed his name, choosing an androgynous moniker after noticing that women tended to receive the best spots at open mic nights. Quickly winning acclaim, Foxx was cast in the comedy TV series Roc and joined the cast of In Living Color, alongside Keenan Ivory Wayans and Jim Carrey. This led to The Jamie Foxx Show in 1996, which was a massive hit and ran for five years. As well as starring in the show, Foxx directed and produced several episodes himself. His performance won him an NAACP Image Award.
While making his way in comedy, Foxx was also trying to break into the music business, specifically R&B. He released his first album, Peep This, in 1994, and followed it up with Unpredictable, which topped the Billboard pop album chart and went on to achieve silver status. Foxx also enjoyed a #1 chart hit, "Gold Digger" with Kanye West.
Foxx's first feature film role came in 1992, alongside Robin Williams in Toys. He went on to star in such hits as The Truth About Cats and Dogs, with Uma Thurman, Ben Chaplin, and Janeane Garofalo; the Oliver Stone directed Any Given Sunday, with Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, and Dennis Quaid; and Jarhead, with Jake Gyllenhaal. He won critical acclaim for a supporting role in boxing biopic Ali, which starred Will Smith and Jon Voight. In 2004 Foxx starred as Ray Charles in the biopic Ray. The film was very personal to him, as he had become good friends with the singer in the months before his death, and it also showcased his piano playing talents. As a result of his performance, he became only the third African American (after Sidney Poitier and Denzel Washington) to win the Best Actor Oscar. His ten year old daughter, Corinne, accompanied him to the ceremony.
Foxx's career suffered a brief downturn in 1994 when he was convicted of disturbing the peace after a fight with a police officer in New Orleans. He received a $1,500 fine and two years' probation. Foxx was soon back on his feet, however, and has now completed filming on the big screen version of Miami Vice, opposite Colin Farrell. The film is set to open in 2007.
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