Jamie Foxx Went to Extreme Lengths for His Oscar-Winning Role in Ray'

The Big Picture

• Jamie Foxx's mesmerizing portrayal of Ray Charles in the film Ray showcases his multi-talents and dedication to the role.
• Foxx's physical and emotional transformation to embody Ray Charles involved shedding 30 pounds, doing intense workouts, and gluing his eyes shut.
• Shared childhood musical experiences and dedication to authenticity enabled Jamie Foxx to deliver a nuanced and remarkable performance as Ray Charles.

Jamie Foxx is one of the most talented artists of his generation, seamlessly transitioning between comedy, music, and acting, even hosting the Fox game show Beat Shazam and an episode of the popular web talk show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. His renowned impressions of other figures almost chart a career trajectory of their own. When the opportunity to play legendary musician Ray Charles in Taylor Hackford's 2004 biopic Ray came along, it was as if the role had been waiting for Foxx. Foxx's mesmerizing Best Actor Oscar-winning performance in the film makes use of all his multi-talents, producing an unmatched physical and emotional authenticity that weaves an empathetic impression of the multiple Grammy-winning Ray Charles. Foxx's remarkable performance was the result of his dedication to the role. A Grammy-winning musician himself, Jamie Foxx underwent a grueling physical and emotional transformation to fully inhabit Ray Charles with his glowing presence in Ray.

Ray

The story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s.

Jamie Foxx Gives a Must-See Performance in 'Ray'

Ray Charles Robinson was a music legend with many contradictions. Witnessing helplessly as his brother drowned at the age of five and becoming blind at the age of seven, he went on to become a pop culture figure, earning a fanbase across the world for his unique music gel that infused various elements of his upbringing, most notably, combining gospel and R&B. His personal life was also a subject of interest. He had complicated romantic relationships with multiple women in his life and had a drug addiction that occasionally caused him to brush shoulders with the law. In Ray, Jamie Foxx paints this picture of Ray Charles on the big screen with a precision that redefines the portrayal of biopic characters.

Ray explores 30 years of Ray Charles' life, focusing on his journey between the ages of 18 and 49, which covers his ascent to becoming a prominent musician and his controversies, including romantic relationships and drug addiction, up to 1966, when he conquers the latter. The musical biopic also includes elements of Ray Charles' childhood and a brief glimpse into his later years, such as Georgia honoring the singer by adopting his "Georgia On My Mind" song as the official state song.

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Jamie Foxx is introduced as a young Ray Charles, an aspiring music sensation who is relentless in achieving his dreams. Drawing inspiration from his childhood experiences (played by C. J. Sanders), he navigates life, particularly embracing lessons on independence learned from his late mother (Sharon Warren). Foxx's Ray Charles navigates multiple complicated relationships with women, with his marriage to Della Bea Robinson (Kerry Washington) and romantic interactions with two female band members (Aunjanue Ellis as Mary Ann Fisher and the Academy Award-winning Regina King as Margie Hendricks) prominently featured. His extroverted demeanor and musical genius are explored, portraying music as the aspect of his life untouched by drug addiction, ultimately becoming his salvation from heroin addiction. Foxx infuses this character with unparalleled physical and emotional depth.Ray also features screen greats, including Harry Lennix, Terrence Howard, and Wendell Pierce, among others.

How Did Jamie Foxx Prepare To Play Ray Charles?

Ray Charles had been involved in the making of the film before Jamie Foxx came on board, with the decision to approve who would get the top billing job lying squarely with him. According to director Taylor Hackford in a report by the New York Times, Ray Charles made minor changes to the film's script, but his major contribution was approving Foxx for the lead role. Although Hackford knew that Foxx was a musician, he didn't know that he could play the piano professionally, something that Ray Charles was keen on. Hackford planned to enlist a professional pianist while using camera tricks to edit Foxx into the scenes. However, he was pleasantly surprised when Foxx informed him that he could play the piano. Eager to secure Ray Charles' approval for Foxx as the man who would portray him, Hackford arranged for the two men to meet. Foxx found himself auditioning before Ray Charles, an experience he likened to waiting in a doctor’s office. However, having grown up playing the blues, he gained more assurance from the iconic musician when Ray Charles remarked, "You know what, man, if you can play the blues, baby, you can do anything. Don’t worry about playing me." During a behind-the-scenes video for the movie, Foxx played the piano alongside Ray Charles. Despite unease when he hit the wrong note, Foxx, a trained musician, impressed the senior musician and secured the role. "I had cast Jamie as Ray Charles, but it was at that moment Ray anointed him," Hackford recalled (as per the New York Times).

The audition to play Ray Charles was just one step. Foxx was determined to embody Ray on a deeper level, both physically and emotionally. As per the New York Times, to achieve the physical transformation necessary to portray the wiry Ray Charles, he embarked on a rigorous weight-loss regimen, shedding nearly 30 pounds from his 185-pound frame. He endured fasting, intense workouts, and a strict diet. Reflecting on the process, Foxx remarked, "There was a period of about four days when I was like, 'What the hell is going on with my body and my mind?'" During filming, Hackford presented Foxx with his most challenging task yet. He asked to have his eyes glued shut and prosthetics added to mimic Ray Charles' blind eyes. "Imagine having your eyes glued shut for 14 hours a day...That's your jail sentence," Foxx said of the ordeal, admitting that it was traumatic at first before he acclimated to the claustrophobia it induced. The result of his efforts is an on-screen Foxx who resembles Ray Charles in body and spirit, accentuated by his oversized, black, opaque glasses and eccentric mannerisms – whether playing the piano or moving about – with a near-perfect impersonation of Ray's voice. The use of Ray Charles' original music for Foxx's performances in the film further enhances the authenticity, adding depth to Foxx's portrayal.

Jamie Foxx's Similarities to Ray Charles Laid the Groundwork for His Performance

Similar to his character in Ray, Foxx learned to play the piano from a young age, with his maternal grandmother, who had adopted him after his parents' separation, enrolling him in lessons. Their shared childhood musical experience may have played a role in his nuanced portrayal of Ray Charles. Like Ray Charles, who drew much from his mother's guidance during his early years, Foxx also credits his grandmother for the decisions that set him on his musical journey. Similarly, like his character, whose girlfriend-turned-wife was influential in encouraging him to find his musical voice in the film, Foxx also acknowledges his girlfriend for daring him to take the stage at an open mic night in an LA comedy club, where his impressive impersonations propelled him toward a comedy career.

These shared anecdotes helped Foxx better understand Charles. Their shared exposure to the piano likely aided Foxx in comprehending the physicality and emotional connection Charles had with music. In Ray, this is evident as Foxx goes beyond technical accuracy in playing the piano to embody the passion and soulfulness of the music, mirroring the character he portrays. With the significant roles the women in their lives played in their respective journeys, Foxx likely empathized with the influence of external factors, similar to his character. These parallels, combined with Foxx's dedication and acting experience, were crucial to his nuanced portrayal of Ray Charles. It's no wonder it's been said that Jamie Foxx was born to play legendary musician.

Ray is not the first time Jamie Foxx has gone to great extremes to portray a character. In Michael Mann's 2001 film Ali, he gained 35 pounds to match the appearance of Muhammad Ali's boxing corner man, whom he was portraying. It was this role that piqued Hackford's interest in Foxx for the role of Ray Charles. In Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story, a film about the founding member of the Crips street gang, he gained 40 pounds. However, it is in Ray that Jamie Foxx finds his perfect screen biopic role, just like the character he plays finds his musical voice after trials imitating Nat King and others in the film. Jamie Foxx's hard work and dedication to authenticity paid off handsomely, earning him a well-deserved golden statuette for his remarkable talent and a place among the best portrayals of a real-life figure in a movie.

Ray is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.

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