This Day in Black History: Dec. 13, 1967
Before he was known as the famed Oscar-winning actor, Jamie Foxx was born Eric Marlon Bishop in Terrell, Texas, on Dec. 13, 1967. From a young age, Foxx took an interest in the arts and eventually went on to study music, earning a scholarship to the U.S. International University in San Diego.
After leaving school and moving to Los Angeles, his big break came as a cast member on In Living Color. Because of his popularity on the show, he was given his own, The Jamie Foxx Show, in 1996. In 2001, his role in the dramatic film Any Given Sunday led to other celebrated roles in Ali and Collateral.
But it was his Oscar-winning performance in Ray, the biopic of late singing legend Ray Charles, that solidified his name among the greats in the acting world. Since then Foxx returned to music and released Unpredictable in 2006. He has starred in Django Unchained and White House Down.
On Dec. 19, Foxx will star opposite Quvenzhané Wallis in a remake of Annie.
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(Photo: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)