The 10 best Jamie Foxx movies

2023 got off to a rocky start for Jamie Foxx, who reportedly spent months in the hospital following a medical emergency. Recently, the actor has broken his silence following months of rumors and speculation regarding his health. In a video posted on Instagram, Jamie Foxx discussed his health problems, mentioning that he had been through a hard patch but was on the mend and feeling better.

Although Jamie Foxx’s current health problems were an unfortunate setback, the actor has proven that he is resilient and still has the same undiminished brilliance and charisma that make him successful in the film industry. As Foxx continues his healing journey and embarks on new projects and initiatives, fans eagerly await the next chapter in his remarkable career, knowing that he will continue to provide powerful and unforgettable performances on the big screen. In the meantime, let’s look back at some of his best roles over the years. 

10. Any Given Sunday (1999)

The sports drama Any Given Sunday delves deep into the politics, personal conflicts, and ethical dilemmas inside professional football, providing an intelligent and realistic look at this world. The Miami Sharks, a once-proud professional football club, are at the center of this drama as they deal with setbacks, injuries, and internal strife. Tony D’Amato (Al Pacino), the team’s longtime coach, struggles with his traditional values going against the team’s ambitious new owner, Christina Pagniacci (Cameron Diaz).

After the injury of Jack “Cap” Rooney (Dennis Quaid), the starting quarterback for the Sharks, third-string quarterback Willie Beamen (Jamie Foxx) finds himself propelled into the spotlight. Beamen, nervous and inexperienced with the team’s strategy, has a rough start but eventually becomes a standout player and a fan favorite. But Beamen’s growing ego and success cause friction within the group. Any Given Sunday is often noted for Jamie Foxx’s breakthrough performance. His portrayal of the talented but hot-headed Willie Beamen marked a significant step in his career as a leading actor.

9. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Jamie Foxx plays Max Dillon, a mild-mannered and socially awkward electrical engineer at Oscorp Industries who transforms into the villainous Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Max Dillon’s metamorphosis into Electro begins after he falls into a tank of genetically enhanced electric eels while working for Oscorp. Dillon gains the power to control electricity due to the accident, but it also negatively affects his psyche. Before his change, Dillon idolized Spider-Man. 

However, his transformation into Electro amplifies his preexisting feelings of bitterness and rage, which stem from his experience of feeling invisible and undervalued by society. Electro is given a sympathetic edge through Jamie Foxx’s interpretation. His portrayal highlights Dillon’s loneliness and yearning to be noticed, making his metamorphosis into a villain heartbreaking rather than just evil. Electro becomes one of Spider-Man’s principal enemies, along with Dane DeHaan’s Green Goblin. 

8. Dreamgirls (2006) 

Based on the 1981 Broadway musical of the same name, Dreamgirls is a musical drama based on the legacy of Motown and its most successful act, The Supremes. Curtis Taylor Jr., played by Jamie Foxx, is a former car salesman turned music manager who helps a female vocal group called The Dreamettes rise to fame. As Curtis Taylor Jr., Foxx portrays a cunning, ambitious character who isn’t afraid to make tough and sometimes morally questionable decisions to ensure the group’s success. 

Curtis’s promotion of Deena (Beyoncé Knowles) as the group’s main singer over the more talented but less conventionally attractive Effie (Jennifer Hudson) is one of his more divisive choices. The women are inevitably hurt and strained by this choice. Dreamgirls was a box office and critical hit. It received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Supporting Actor for Eddie Murphy, and won two, including Best Supporting Actress for Jennifer Hudson. 

7. Rio (2011)

The Blue Sky Studios and Carlos Saldanha collaboration Rio is an animated musical comedic adventure film starring Jamie Foxx, who provides the voice for Nico, a tiny and energetic yellow canary with a bottle-cap hat. Cardinal Pedro, voiced by Will.i.am, is Nico’s best friend. They provide comedic relief throughout the film as the owners of a samba club in Rio. They also aid the story’s protagonist, Blu, a captive macaw who can’t fly and is far from his Minnesota home, in adjusting to the vibrant culture of Rio de Janeiro.

Foxx’s interpretation of Nico is full of life and charm, combining humorous timing and musical flare. Nico’s cheerful outlook and love of music and dance add a dimension of fun and energy to the picture. As a musical adventure, Rio fully uses Foxx’s vocal prowess. He and Will.i.am perform numerous songs in the film, including the infectious samba number “Hot Wings (I Wanna Party),” contributing to the film’s energetic soundtrack and representing Rio de Janeiro’s lively culture.

6. The Kingdom (2007)

Peter Berg’s The Kingdom is an action film in the context of the war on terror and tensions between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Veteran FBI Special Agent Ronald Fleury, played by Jamie Foxx, leads an investigation team into a terrorist attack on an American compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The conflict between the American investigating team and the local Saudi police is crucial to the film. 

Foxx’s character finds a friend in Saudi Colonel Faris Al-Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom), and a sizable portion of the film follows their relationship as it develops from mutual hostility to respect. The Kingdom is renowned for its gripping action scenes and realistic depiction of international terrorism and diplomacy. Foxx’s performance is a highlight, adding to the film’s suspenseful tempo and allowing for a deeper examination of cultural understanding in the face of dangerous situations.

5. Jarhead (2005)

Jarhead, directed by Sam Mendes, is a military film adapted from the memoir of the same name by United States Marine Anthony Swofford about his time serving in the Gulf military. Staff Sergeant Sykes, played by Jamie Foxx, is a Marine veteran and mentor to Swofford (Jake Gyllenhaal). As a leader, Sykes is presented as solid yet fair, with unwavering loyalty to the Marine Corps and his men. 

He has the reputation of being a tough soldier who won’t put up with any foolishness, yet he also has genuine compassion for his fellow soldiers. Foxx’s performance captures the requisite harshness of the part without burying the character’s inner turmoil. He shows a soldier’s humanity in a difficult position while maintaining the strong façade of a Marine Sergeant. The uniqueness of Jarhead is that it doesn’t focus primarily on combat. Instead, it delves into the mental toll that military service takes and the time spent waiting and getting ready.

4. Law Abiding Citizen (2009)

Law Abiding Citizen is a crime film directed by F. Gary Gray. Starring Jamie Foxx, the film follows District Attorney Nick Rice (Foxx), who becomes caught in a dangerous game with a man seeking vengeance for the murder of his family. Nick Rice is an aggressive prosecutor with a high percentage of success. However, his focus on maintaining this high rate sometimes leads him to make deals with criminals instead of taking them to trial. One such plea bargain, made with a killer, results in a relatively short sentence for the murderer of Clyde Shelton’s (Gerard Butler) family. 

Rice finds himself in Shelton’s crosshairs when he starts on a violent vengeance expedition against the faulty legal system. Foxx’s pragmatic lawyer and Butler’s furious vigilante play a tense cat-and-mouse game in the film. Foxx gives a strong performance as Nick Rice, portraying a guy who begins to rethink his principles and approach to law enforcement as he becomes entangled in Shelton’s brutal game. His character develops from an overconfident prosecutor to a man urgently trying to keep control of an increasingly deadly situation.

3. Collateral (2004)

Starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx, Collateral is a neo-noir action film directed by Michael Mann. Foxx plays Max Durocher, an L.A. taxi driver forced to assist Vincent, a contract killer played by Cruise. At the film’s start, Max is shown as a modest, diligent man who aspires to own a limousine company. He’s used to his routine and doesn’t anticipate anything outside the norm disrupting his night when he picks up Vincent.

His life, however, takes a horrifying turn when he finds he’s become an unwitting accomplice in Vincent’s assassination spree. Max is dragged out of his comfort zone and pushed to his limits throughout one terrifying night. Afraid as he is, he exhibits courage and resourcefulness in the face of the threat posed by the situation and Vincent’s cold demeanor. Foxx received an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Max. 

2. Ray (2004)

Jamie Foxx gives a career-best performance as 20th-century music legend Ray Charles in the biopic Ray, directed by Taylor Hackford. He was the third African-American actor to win the Best Actor Award for portraying Charles. The film chronicles Ray Charles’ ascent to stardom, beginning with his early years in the South, where he went blind at seven. It also dives into Charles’ personal life, including his battle with drug addiction, relationships with women, and the development of his legendary songs.

With depth and sensitivity, Foxx depicts Charles’ charisma, musical genius, and psychological struggles. Notably, Foxx did much of his own singing and piano playing in the movie and worked with a dialect coach to replicate Charles’s distinct speech style. To better comprehend and convey Charles’ experience, he wore prosthetics that rendered him blind while filming. Thanks to Foxx’s stellar performance, the film was a critical and commercial success. In addition to winning the Academy Award, Foxx also won a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

1. Django Unchained (2012)

The 2012 Western Django Unchained, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, featured Jamie Foxx, a formerly enslaved person who travels to the plantation of their abusive master to save his wife, Broomhilda. Foxx offers a performance that is intense, dignified, and determined as Django. 

Django’s character develops from a meek and lowly man under the tutelage of bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) into a fearless and lethal gunslinger. Django’s evolution is the film’s main focus, and Foxx’s performance is its foundation. Django Unchained was well received by critics and audiences alike. It won two Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay for Tarantino and Best Supporting Actor for Waltz.