Jamie Foxx "The Soloist" Interview with Kam Williams

By Kam Williams

Kam Goes Solo with Jamie (Excerpts from the article)

Texas native Jamie Foxx was born Eric Marlon Bishop on December 13, 1967 and raised by his grandparents from the age of seven months following the failure of his parents’ marriage. Although he was a star athlete at Terrell High on both the school’s football and basketball teams, he majored in classical music and composition in at the U.S. International University in California.

The versatile actor/comedian/singer/musician/writer/producer/director got his start in showbiz in 1989 when he went on stage on a dare on open mic night and tried his hand at standup. After spending time on the comedy circuit, he joined Keenan Ivory Wayans, Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans and Tommy Davidson in the landmark Fox sketch comedy series "In Living Color," creating some of the show's funniest and most memorable moments.

Here, he talks about his new movie, The Soloist, a true story in which he plays Nathaniel Ayers, a Juilliard-trained child prodigy, who ended up homeless after developing schizophrenia. In the film, Ayers is befriended by Steve Lopez (Robert Downey, Jr.), an L.A. Times reporter who hears him playing the violin in the park.

Kam Williams: Jamie, I loved The Soloist and I’m so honored to get this time with you.
Jamie Fox: Thank you, bro.

Kam Williams: My first question is, did you get to meet Nathaniel Ayers on the streets in preparing to portray him?

Jamie Foxx: Yes I did. As a matter of fact, I snuck downtown with a little bit of a disguise and a security cat, and I just hung out right next to Nathaniel. He had no idea that I was watching him. I got a chance to see him speak to the world, and get excited, and be happy, and sad, and play his music. And I saw him preach. Watching that I was able to gather a lot of great information about who this guy was that I was about to play, without hearing anybody’s opinion of him, but just from my firsthand look at him. Later, I was formally introduced to him, and he was on his best behavior. He smiled because he gets it that they were going to do a movie about his life. And then you see him not get it, and wondering, “What’s going on here?” And then he’d swing back around and get it again. So, it was very interesting. And while all that was happening, I had a video camera on my phone that I used to record him the whole time. So, I came home, watched that footage, the footage I filmed when he wasn’t watching, and the footage I filmed when he was aware.

Kam Williams: When you mentioned videotaping Nathaniel, it reminded me of a video I saw of you on the internet at the presidential inauguration where you were using your phone to tape a student from the Naval Academy, Chidiebere Kalu, singing acappella in his dress uniform.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5CgQgDwL_k&feature=player_embedded]

He actually happens to be a friend of my son, who's producing some tracks with him. Were you really impressed with Kalu?

Jamie Foxx: Yes,

he just text-messaged me. I let him know to have some patience. I'm trying to get it all together, so when I come to him it's real legit. [Jamie starts singing the same song Kalu sings on youtube]. Whatever that song was, I called him on his answering machine, and said, "Young man, I've got some great ideas for you, I'm just trying to put it all together." I think we could really do something special with him. When I listened to his music, I just didn't think that was the way he should go. I think that he could stay clean. He could be a real beacon coming from the military, doing some great inspirational music that would also sell. I don't want him to feel like he's corny, because I know he's got his thing going. But with some of the music I heard, I was like, "That's cool," but we need to find the right music for him and then capitalize on where he's coming from. This video footage I have of him is just amazing!