Actor-singer’s crazy like a Foxx
Barack Obama’s inauguration was clearly an important day for many people – including Jamie Foxx.
The actor-musician-comedian says it was during the president’s inauguration festivities when he asked fellow Oscar-winners Ron Howard and Forest Whitaker to join him for his latest music video, “Blame It.” Not only has the song become a No. 1 R&B smash, the video – which also stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Samuel L. Jackson, T-Pain and Quincy Jones – has created plenty of buzz.
Things are going so well for Foxx musically that he plans to take a break from movies to concentrate on his singing career. In a phone interview from Philadelphia – where the 41-year-old entertainer is wrapping up “Law Abiding Citizen” with Gerard Butler – Foxx talked about the music video, touring and doing comedy again.
Question: The “Blame It” video may have the biggest cameos in music video history. How’d you get the guys involved?
Answer: “I was actually at the inauguration and there was so much great energy, and there was Ron Howard, and I sat next to his mom. I actually sang for her at the inauguration, just singing, and she started to tear up and we just bonded and the whole family just bonded … so I was telling Mr. Howard, ‘Listen, how about you do a music video?’ He’s like, ‘What?’ (I said), ‘Do this music video. I got a song coming out, I think it’s going to be the song of the year and if you do it man, I would appreciate it.’ And he said, ‘I’ll give you my number and call me.’ I said I’m going to ask Forest Whitaker and let him know that you’re in, so I walked over and asked Forest and I asked Samuel and Samuel was like, ‘What! Want me to do what?’ And I was like, ‘Man it would be something fun.’ And then I called Jake Gyllenhaal who’s my friend, I said, ‘Man, please come down, Ron Howard’s going to be here.’ He said, ‘Listen Jamie, you don’t have to lie to me, I’ll come down. You know I don’t come out and do things but I’ll do it for you.’ ”
Q.: So I guess Barack Obama deserves some credit for you guys coming together.
A.: Yeah, but I don’t want to put that on him. He got enough to deal with.”
Q.: Since your CD, “Intuition, is doing so well, will you tour this year?
A.: “After I finish this movie (in April) I want to go on tour for the rest of the year. There may be a movie in the works, but right now I think I really have to take advantage of the position that we’re in with the music. Clive Davis called and said this is the biggest song he’s had at J Records with the way that’s it moving (and) it’s early. So we’re going to take advantage of it, we’re going to go overseas … and (I’ll) be that musician that I’ve always wanted to be.”
Q.: Maybe you could jump on the tour of labelmate Jennifer Hudson and Robin Thicke.
A.: “We might try something a little different. Because that’s the chill (tour), we’re trying keep it rowdy. I might jump on something with Ne-Yo and get a little more pep in it.”
The birthday bunch
TV personality Peter Marshall is 83. Actor Richard Dysart is 80. Actor John Astin is 79. Actor Warren Beatty is 72. Guitarist Eric Clapton is 64. Actor Robbie Coltrane is 59. Actor Paul Reiser is 52. Rapper MC Hammer is 46. Actor Ian Ziering is 45. Singer Tracy Chapman is 45. Singer Norah Jones is 30.