Jamie Foxx broke into the film industry nearly 14 years ago in his first dramatic role “Any Given Sunday.” Since then, the comedian, singer and actor has enjoyed immense success, including an Oscar and several Grammy awards. At 45, Foxx may have found a way to secure another 14 years in the finicky industry.
The “White House Down” actor covers the latest issue of Men’s Health where he talks about adjusting his image, breaking into Hollywood and staying relevant. Check out some highlights below.
On staying relevant:
“One thing I’ve learnt is you have to rely on someone to tell you what’s hot and what’s not as you get older. That’s what I do: I ask. I’m still learning how to stay current – and at the same time not lose who I am, not be too young.”
On why he’s toned down his image:
“Here’s what you’re going to unlearn now. You have to pull yourself away from the media – not be so shiny in the next 10-years, because it hurts the art. When you go on talk shows, you have to be lighthearted, which helps and hurts. Now I’ve got to change the satellite a little bit. That’s the tricky part now. How do you navigate through the world you live in and still be an artist? Because that’s the only thing that’s going to survive.”
On working out:
“I had been doing bench presses my whole life. The chest, the front. But I hadn’t been working on my back, so it made me hunch forward.”
On making it in Hollywood:
“You just have to live. I did it in the ‘hood for a long time, and then I did it uptown, where the audience is Robert De Niro and Al Pacino and all those guys.
You still remain the same person, and you get your stamp. It’s like a passport.”
