Jamie Foxx Dishes on Why He Didn’t Take His Oscar Home
Going on 12 seasons now, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee has been a surprise hit. There’s nothing dramatic about it, just Jerry Seinfeld picking up another celebrity and taking them for a ride in a great car. Maybe because the format is so relaxed, or Seinfeld is naturally funny and doing this just for fun, the show is a favorite for many people.
Some people like the show best for the personal insight they get into the celebrities being interviewed, while the real thrill for others is seeing the fabulous cars. When Jamie Foxx appeared on the show, it didn’t disappoint on either front.
A unique car for a unique actor
For Seinfeld’s interview with Foxx, he picked a 1969 Maserati Mistral Spyder and headed to New Orleans to chat with the star. Seinfeld described the car as “sleek, smooth, and elegant,” with an attention to detail that is exceptional. With only 124 of them made, the Mistral Spyder is definitely rare.
What makes this car the perfect match for Foxx is that he also stands out. His career has spanned stand-up, television, movies, and music, and along the way, he’s picked up quite the armload of awards, including nine Grammy Awards, three Golden Globes, and an Oscar. Clearly Foxx is as rare and exceptional as the Mistral Spyder.
A wide-ranging career
Foxx started out as a comedian, and he landed a role on the Fox variety show In Living Color in 1991. He followed that up with his own sitcom, The Jamie Foxx Show in 1996. By 1999 he showed the world that he was more than a comedian with his role as football star Willie Beamen in the movie Any Given Sunday. His dramatic acting credits grew from there, and in 2004 he played musician Ray Charles in the biopic Ray. His portrayal of the R&B music pioneer earned him critical praise, a Golden Globe, and an Oscar.
Since then he’s appeared in a number of films that were a mix of dramatic, action, and comedy, including Dreamgirls, Horrible Bosses, Django Unchained, and Spider-Man 2. He’s also voiced some animated movies, such as Rio and Rio 2. Recently he played the role of a man unjustly sentenced to death in the movie Just Mercy. Many people thought his performance was Oscar-worthy, but the Academy didn’t give it any attention.
Foxx released his first album, Peep This, in 1994 and has gone on to record four more albums, working with some of the greats in the business, including Kanye West and Lil’ Wayne.
In his personal life, Foxx has garnered attention for his relationship with actress Katie Holmes. The two reportedly started dating just after her divorce from Tom Cruise, but they worked so hard to stay out of the public eye that not many details are known. They seem to have been together for six years, and rumors suggest that the breakup was caused by his involvement with other women.
How he stays humble
When Foxx appeared on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee he shared with Seinfeld how he keeps his feet on the ground, given his impressive record of success. For example, there’s the unusual way he reacted to receiving the Oscar for his performance in Ray: he didn’t even take the statue home with him.
Foxx explained that he handed the coveted statue off to his manager because he didn’t want the win to go to his head. “I said, ‘because if I take that, I’ll buy into the Oscar sh*t and I won’t be funny anymore.'”
It’s clear in the episode that his technique worked because he’s still as funny as ever. Whether you’re a fan of the show for its outrageously beautiful cars or its interesting stars, Foxx and Seinfeld in a 1969 Maserati Mistral Spyder is an experience to remember.
