When Oprah Winfrey, Quincy Jones and Sidney Poitier all tell you to straighten up…YOU LISTEN.
Jamie Foxx credits Oprah with saving his career. The “Ray” star said he was spiraling during the 2004-05 awards season following his Best Actor Oscar nomination.
“I’m having such a good time, and I’m not knowing I’m f–king up,” he said during an interview with Howard Stern. “I’m drinking, I’m doing every f–king thing you could possibly imagine.”
In the middle of his binge, he said, Oprah called him and told him he was “blowing it.”
“[She said], ‘All of this gallivanting and all this kind of s—, that’s not what you want to do … want to take you somewhere. Make you understand the significance of what you’re doing.’ “
To help Foxx get back on the right path, Winfrey organized a meeting of several legendary black actors at the home of Quincy Jones.
Quincy said ‘Hey man. Listen man, you’re doing good, man, We just don’t want you to blow it, baby.’ So we go in the house, and there’s all these old actors, Black actors from the ’60s and the ’70s who look like they just wanna say good luck. They wanna say, ‘Don’t blow it.'”
Then out walks legendary actor Sidney Poitier who told Foxx that watching his performance in “Ray” made him “grow two inches.”
“I want to give you responsibility,” Poitier added, which caused Foxx to break down in tears.
“To this day, it’s the most significant time in my life,” he said.
The actor went on to win the Oscar for his performance in Ray — at the time becoming just the third black man to take home the coveted award.
When Foxx won the Oscar, he referenced the night in his acceptance speech. But he didn’t mention at the time that it was part of a larger intervention.
“Oprah allowed me to meet somebody by the name of Sidney Poitier,” Foxx said while accepting the award. “I’m taking that responsibility tonight. Thank you, Sidney.”