Jamie Foxx
A shape-shifting entertainer who vaulted from stand-up comedy stages to an Oscar-winning dramatic performance as Ray Charles.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American comedian and actor·Birthday: December 13·Generation X
Biography
Born Eric Marlon Bishop in Texas and raised by his grandmother, Jamie Foxx learned the power of performance early, playing piano in church. He chose his androgynous stage name to get more stage time at comedy club open mics, a savvy move that led to a breakout role on the anarchic sketch show 'In Living Color.' Foxx refused to be pigeonholed, building a sitcom around his charm before stunning Hollywood with his transformative, deeply researched portrayal of Ray Charles in 'Ray,' which earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor. He has since balanced blockbuster action films, soulful R&B music projects, and sharp comedic turns, proving himself a multifaceted force who operates on his own rhythm.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jamie was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jamie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Jamie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 film 'Ray'.
- Hosted his own self-titled sitcom, which ran for five seasons on The WB network.
- Released the number-one R&B album 'Unpredictable,' which also debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart.
- Starred as the titular antihero in Quentin Tarantino's revisionist western 'Django Unchained.'
Did You Know?
He was a star quarterback in high school and received scholarship offers from several universities.
He attended United States International University on a classical piano and composition scholarship.
He legally changed his name to Jamie Foxx in the 1990s.
He is the second male performer in history to receive Oscar and Grammy nominations in the same year (2005).
““I think the best way to teach anybody anything is to make them laugh while you're doing it.””
