The Evolution of Jamie Foxx

The talented jack-of-all-trades makes stardom look so easy.

The Evolution of Jamie Foxx - Over the last 20 years, Jamie Foxx has gone from having his own television show to scoring some of the biggest roles on the silver screen. As an established comedian, platinum-selling musician and Academy Award-winning actor, it's more than just jokes with Jamie. In anticipation of his upcoming film The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which hits theaters on May 2, we take a look at how Foxx has grown from stand-up comic to the triple threat entertainer that he is today. (Photo: Kevin Lynch/Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.)

1 / 11

The Evolution of Jamie Foxx - Over the last 20 years, Jamie Foxx has gone from having his own television show to scoring some of the biggest roles on the silver screen. As an established comedian, platinum-selling musician and Academy Award-winning actor, it's more than just jokes with Jamie. In anticipation of his upcoming film The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which hits theaters on May 2, we take a look at how Foxx has grown from stand-up comic to the triple threat entertainer that he is today. (Photo: Kevin Lynch/Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.)

Triple Threat - Jamie Foxx, real name Eric Marlon Bishop, is a triple threat. The actor/singer/comedian got his big start back in 1991 when he joined the cast of the hit television series, In Living Color. (Photo: Courtesy J Records)

2 / 11

Triple Threat - Jamie Foxx, real name Eric Marlon Bishop, is a triple threat. The actor/singer/comedian got his big start back in 1991 when he joined the cast of the hit television series, In Living Color. (Photo: Courtesy J Records)

Funny Man - Throughout his career, the Texas native has continued to pursue his passion for comedy, with a successful career in stand-up comedy. (Photo: Vince Bucci/PictureGroup)

3 / 11

Funny Man - Throughout his career, the Texas native has continued to pursue his passion for comedy, with a successful career in stand-up comedy. (Photo: Vince Bucci/PictureGroup)

Ray - As an actor, Jamie Foxx received the most recognition for his unforgettable role in Ray — the film based on life of music icon Ray Charles. (Photo: Courtesy Universal Pictures)

4 / 11

Ray - As an actor, Jamie Foxx received the most recognition for his unforgettable role in Ray — the film based on life of music icon Ray Charles. (Photo: Courtesy Universal Pictures)

Jamie Foxx - "He's gotta work on his dance moves. He's got to be able to represent America in any dance-related diplomatic situations that may arise." – Jamie Foxx on President Obama(Photo credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

5 / 11

Award Winner - Jamie Foxx is the first African-American to receive two Oscar nominations in one year, for Best Male Actor and Best Male Supporting Actor. But he has various Awards in music also. (Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

ADVERTISEMENT
  Kanye West and Jamie FoxxSong: "Gold Digger" - Jamie Foxx had just stepped away from an Oscar-winning silver screen portrayal of R&B singer Ray Charles in the biopic Ray (2004) when West commissioned him to record the hook on "Gold Digger." The light-hearted ode to money-grubbing beauties' clever sample of Ray Charles' "I Got a Woman" made it an instant classic. Once holding the title for most digital downloads in one week (80,000) as well as the fastest selling digital download, the song has sold more than three million digital copies to date, indicating it's stance as a must-have song. Although both records have since been broken, "Gold Digger," which was featured on Ye's second album, Late Registration (2005), won a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance in 2006.    (Photo: By  Reuters/Lucy Nicholson /Landov)

6 / 11

Winning Collaboration - One of the most memorable Jamie Foxx collaborations was when he teamed up with Kanye West for the Grammy Award-winning hit single, "Gold Digger," in 2004. (Photo: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson /Landov)

Miami Swagger - Jamie Foxx's acting career has continued its run after receiving the Oscar. He's starred in Miami Vice, Dreamgirls and Jarhead. (Photo: Courtesy Universal Pictures)

7 / 11

Miami Swagger - Jamie Foxx's acting career has continued its run after receiving the Oscar. He's starred in Miami Vice, Dreamgirls and Jarhead. (Photo: Courtesy Universal Pictures)

His Kingdom - His role in the action-packed thriller The Kingdom helped to solidify him as one of the most lucrative Black actors in Hollywood. (Photo: Courtesy Universal Pictures)

8 / 11

His Kingdom - His role in the action-packed thriller The Kingdom helped to solidify him as one of the most lucrative Black actors in Hollywood. (Photo: Courtesy Universal Pictures)

Solo Player - Although he's been a part of forgettable comedies like Due Date (2010) and Rio (2011), his roles in the critically acclaimed dramas The Soloist and Law Abiding Citizen in 2009 solidified his stance as a solid actor.(Photo: Courtesy Dreamworks Pictures)

9 / 11

Solo Player - Although he's been a part of forgettable comedies like Due Date (2010) and Rio (2011), his roles in the critically acclaimed dramas The Soloist and Law Abiding Citizen in 2009 solidified his stance as a solid actor.(Photo: Courtesy Dreamworks Pictures)

/content/dam/betcom/images/2013/04/Celeb-04-01-04-15/041013-celebs-django-unchained-dvd-movie-poster.jpg

10 / 11

Jamie, Unchained - As the title character in Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino's edgy retelling of a slave-era Western, Foxx found himself in the center of the most talked-about film of the year. Foxx wasn't recognized with an Oscar nomination for his role as a freed slave hell-bent on rescuing his kidnapped wife, and many felt he was robbed. (Photo: Columbia Pictures)

Amazing Spider-Man 2: May 2 - Jamie Foxx lights up the screen as the villianous Electro in this installment of the Spider-Man franchise. This time out, Andrew Garfield is donning the red and blue jumpsuit to protect New Yorkers from his fan-turned-foe. The movie also stars Emma Stone. (Photo: Columbia Pictures)

11 / 11

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - What a tangled web he weaves! Foxx plays Electro in the upcoming film The Amazing Spider-Man 2, a supervillian who manipulates electricity to control people. We can't wait to see Foxx play the bad boy in the film, which comes out on May 2. (Photo: Columbia Pictures)