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Further Proof of Oprah's Greatness: She Once Staged an Intervention That Saved Jamie Foxx's Career

When you think of certain individuals that run the world, chances are the name Oprah Winfrey pops into your mind.

By Ghezal AmiriPublished 6 years ago 2 min read
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'The Butler' [Credit: The Weinstein Company]

When you think of certain individuals that run the world, chances are the name #OprahWinfrey pops into your mind. The billionaire media proprietor once gave an entire studio audience a car each which spawned an entire generation of memes that begin with "YOU GET A-":

So many concert tix, got us feeling like #Oprah. You get a Reward, you get a Reward...everybody gets a Reward! — Global Citizen (@GlblCtzn) May 1, 2017

As if we needed more reason to love O, she apparently managed to pull #JamieFoxx out of a hole he had been digging during the mid-2000s. In an interview with Howard Stern on his SiriusXM radio show, Foxx revealed his hard partying and drinking threatened to derail his career following the success of the 2004 biopic Ray and his subsequent Oscar nomination for his portrayal of singer Ray Charles.

He admitted "having such a good time" during those days while heavily drinking and "doing every f---ing thing you could possibly imagine." But as he continued his dangerous ways, he received an unexpected phone call from #Oprah bluntly telling him, "You're blowing it, Jamie Foxx.":

"[She said], ‘all of this gallivanting and all this kind of s---, that’s not what you want to do … I want to take you somewhere. Make you understand the significance of what you’re doing.’"

She organized an intervention at legendary composer Quincy Jones' house that included a number of talented older black actors encouraging him to not screw up his chance:

“We go in the house and there are all these old actors... Black actors from the ’60s and the ’70s. Who look like they just want to say, ‘good luck.’ They want to say, ‘don’t blow it.’“

Despite the overwhelming support that was present for Foxx, he revealed the touching moment with an icon that affected him the most. Winfrey asked whether he was ready to meet who "[he was] supposed to meet" and pointed to the first African-American to ever win an Oscar for Best Actor, #SidneyPoitier.

In a flawless impersonation of the actor, Foxx relayed the message Poitier gave him:

"I want to give you responsibility. When I saw your performance [in Ray], it made me grow two inches."

He broke down following that moment and when all the actors gathered around him and discussed his role, he ultimately understood the immense significance the portrayal had. Foxx's passionate retelling of the meeting/intervention illustrates the impact it had on him by his occasional interruption to remind Stern just how "hard" he was going during that time. The intervention showed him what his success means for some of the greatest actors alive which truly is an enormous responsibility and honor for an actor.

Foxx went on to win the Oscar for his performance in Ray, becoming just the third black man in history behind Poitier in 1964 and Denzel Washington in 2002 to take home the Best Actor award.

You can catch Jamie Foxx next in Edgar Wright's upcoming action-comedy #BabyDriver, starring Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Kevin Spacey and Jon Hamm. It hits theaters on June 28, 2017.

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About the Creator

Ghezal Amiri

Afghan-Canadian writer who enjoys witty quips and BTS, proper grammar and Jodie Comer.

I tweet with @MrsBananaPhone because it's the best and beats the rest.

I also have designs: https://www.teepublic.com/user/designingsimple

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