Time has not made bygones of the rift Tommy Davidson and Jamie Foxx seemingly endured over three decades ago. The two men were among the stars of the ’90s sitcom “In Living Color,” but the comedic chemistry viewers witnessed did not translate into a friendship when cameras were not rolling.
Even now, a year after Foxx rebounded from a mysterious “medical complication” that led to him being in a coma and in need of rehabilitation for weeks at a Chicago facility, the former co-stars have not made amends.
As for what rocked their working dynamic, the public still isn’t entirely clear, but, according to Davidson, distance and maturity have not made their hearts grow fonder of each other.
The infamous Sammy Davis Jr. impersonator recently revisited his past remarks where he called Foxx “mean.”
While speaking with Atlanta radio host Big Tigger on the “Big Tigger Morning Show,” Davidson explained, “Well, we got along on ‘In Living Color,’ but when I came to the set on ‘Booty Call,’ he was a whole ’nother dude.”
Davidson is apart of the 1990s sketch comedy’s original cast of “In Living Color,” which began in 1990 and ran for five seasons. Foxx joined the roster of talented jokesters in 1991. He and Davidson participated in a number of skits together, though their most popular pairing saw the “Unpredictable” singer portray the sight for sore eyes Wanda, with Davidson as the uninterested object of her desires.
In 1997, the TV series’ alums reunited for the raunchy comedy flick “Booty Call” as friends Bunz (Foxx) and Rushon (Davidson) who were looking to score with ladies, respectively played by actresses Vivica A. Fox and Tamala Jones.
Jamie Foxx and Tommy Davidson in Booty Call (1997) pic.twitter.com/1RMioQQ2AT
— Frame Found (@framefound) June 28, 2019
Despite their on-screen antics, Davidson claimed that there was no semblance of rapport between the men. Instead, he said their dynamic was more like junior high school.
“I spent the whole movie saying my own lines. You know, ’cause when you’re off-camera you gotta say your lines. He wouldn’t say ’em. So I had to memorize his part and my part, you know,” he said, adding, “It was a new zoo review.”
A fan reacting to the discussion said, “Jamie looks like he mean though. Alot of folks are mean in person [and] friendly on cam. The Rock too.”
A second person commented, “Trying to think, do we ever hear people talk about how nice Jamie is in person? Nope. Talented, but not kind or nice.” A third commenter remarked, “He still ain’t explained exactly what Jamie did that was mean I’m confused.”
When asked if Foxx’s health scare prompted an attempt to reach out, Davidson said, yes, but that his efforts did not yield any results. “That was happening before that,” admitted Davidson.
“My man, most important thing is that he’s OK, because that was like, you know, he was one of them things. You knew it was because Jamie’s everywhere. You know, he gave me a break. … The boy is talented. He’s talented, man, and that was a little tricky.”
Foxx has previously shared that he had a headache last and remembered getting an Advil from a friend in April 2023. The 20 days that followed are a void that he has no recollection of experiencing.
While his ailment has been the subject of wild speculation, the Academy Award-winning actor is set to reveal it all, on his terms, in the new comedy special “What Had Happened Was,” streaming exclusively on Netflix on Dec. 10.
Catch #JamieFoxx December 10th on #Netflix in his “What Had Happened Was” as he tells his story when tragedy happened in his life, and how his family was all he could lean on in those moments to make sure he continued to live and dream…… pic.twitter.com/Y0Qc7yBQso
— Weather Da Storm Entertainment (@WDSENT06) December 3, 2024
A V-103 fan wrote, “Ppl dont wanna say aloud that foxx has been a man ‘of substance’ for a long while,” seemingly speculating that illegal drug use may have been a factor.
As for Davidson, he can’t say what did or did not happen. “Love is my motivation, know what I mean. So as long as I got that for him, it doesn’t matter,” he said.
In his 2021 book, “In Living Color: What’s Funny About Me,” Davidson wrote about nearly coming to blows with Foxx while making their movie. If it weren’t for quick-moving crew members, a heated scene between their characters could have escalated into a real-life brawl.
