Jamie Foxx is a popular comedian, musician, and actor who has proved his mettle in several movies. The 55-year-old actor is an Academy Award winner for his role as Ray Charles in the film Ray (2004). His famous work includes Django Unchained, Day Shift, Collateral, White House Down, Law Abiding Citizen, and more. The actor has played a variety of characters over the years, however, the role of The Soloist had a massive impact on him.
The Spider-Man: No Way Home star shared in an interview about a character that brought back his dark memories and anxiety issues.
Jamie Foxx recalled being drugged as a prank
Jamie Foxx played a homeless musician battling schizophrenia in the 2009 film, The Soloist. As per the requirements for the character, Foxx had done intense mental and physical preparation for bringing life to the character. However, while prepping for his mental state, he was reminded of a dark phase of his life when he was drugged as a prank.
Talking to Collider, the actor shared,
“Someone played a practical joke on me and slipped something to me and I went off. I ended up going to [the] hospital, and I’m in college.”
The actor revealed that the drug triggered a terrifying experience for him. He added,
“It makes you feel like your worst nightmares, like you’re afraid of the dark, all the things you’ve seen on television.”
Foxx said that even after years, the traumatic incident still impacted him and his role in The Soloist.
“So basically the movie is parallel to what I went through 20 years ago. So when I take on a part [like that] I start to have anxiety,” Foxx said. “[Soloist director] Joe Wright actually had to come to my house and say, ‘If you don’t want to do the movie I understand.’ And I said, ‘But I’m just feeling that I really am this character!’”
The film featured Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. in the lead roles.
Jamie Foxx was fixated on his character in The Soloist
Foxx shared that he had trouble letting go of his character in The Soloist, which made his friends and acquaintances concerned about him. They were worried that the dark character had taken a toll on him. Foxx recalled,
“One of my friends, Chris Burren, came to stay with me and was like, ‘You gonna be okay?’ Because we were going through some dark moments, you know,” Foxx remembered. “I was like, ‘Chris, how come I can’t shake this character?’ We ran into Steven Spielberg at that Easter thing last year, not this year, and he said, ‘How are you doing, are you okay?’ And I was like, ‘Why?’ And he said that character you are playing, you know, that can be a little touch and go.’”
However, the effect was just temporary on Jamie Foxx. He said,
“And when I finally left it was sort of days and days where I was like, ‘Oh, I haven’t thought like Nate in a while.’ So after a couple of months it was gone.”
The Soloist was directed by Joe Wright and is based on the true story of Nathaniel Ayers, a musician who became a homeless schizophrenia patient.
Source-Showbiz Cheat Sheet
