Jamie Foxx once credited Tom Cruise for his success, said 'Mission: Impossible' star 'changed the projection' of his career

Jamie Foxx said, 'I don’t see him for years and then 'Collateral' came up and everyone was searching for this person to be next to Tom Cruise'
PUBLISHED JUN 10, 2023
Jamie Foxx once credited Tom Cruise for placing him on the road to stardom (Gregg DeGuire/Joe Maher/Getty Images)
Jamie Foxx once credited Tom Cruise for placing him on the road to stardom (Gregg DeGuire/Joe Maher/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Jamie Foxx, an Academy Award winner, has had success in every field of entertainment that he has pursued. His transitions between comedy, music, and somber acting were effortless. His perseverance eventually paid off when he took home the best actor Oscar for the 2004 film 'Ray.' He won the Academy Award for best actor in the Ray Charles biography, a victory he didn't think he could accomplish at the time. And 'Ray' wouldn't have been as successful if Tom Cruise's intervention hadn't played a small role.

Meanwhile, Puck News reported that Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' is kicking Tom Cruise's upcoming 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One' movie out of IMAX theaters, and the actor is "pretty pissed" about it. On Friday, July 21, 2023, two eagerly anticipated films will be released: Greta Gerwig's fantasy comedy 'Barbie' and Nolan's historical thriller 'Oppenheimer.' And, the 'MI' actor is reportedly trying to get the release dates moved.


 
 
 
 
 
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How Jamie Foxx ended up working with Tom Cruise in 'Collateral'

Foxx attributes his rise to fame to Cruise, the 'Top Gun' actor who helped the Oscar-winning film 'Ray' gain backing in Hollywood by utilizing his connections. The comedian first met Cruise while he was being considered for a part in the 1996 movie 'Jerry Maguire,' which finally went to Cuba Gooding Jr. The 'Mission: Impossible' actor was so charmed by Foxx that eight years later, when Collateral's casting call went out, Cruise remembered his friend and put his name forward.

The 2004 movie strengthened Foxx's reputation as a dramatic performer and gave him his first Oscar nomination prior to 'Ray'. Foxx's supporting performance in the 2004 criminal thriller garnered positive reviews, nominations for the Oscar, the Bafta, and the Golden Globe, and created a lot of buzz for Ray, which was released over three months later. Foxx recounted at the time: "I don’t see him for years and then 'Collateral' came up and everyone was searching for this person to be next to Tom Cruise. He remembered this personality test that I did and we ended up working together."

Jamie Foxx in the 2004 film 'Collateral' (IMDb)
Jamie Foxx in the 2004 film 'Collateral' (IMDb)

Tom Cruise 'allowed 'Collateral' to come out first'

Foxx's odds of winning an Oscar for his portrayal of Ray Charles was not only boosted by Cruise's selection for the 'Collateral' role. It was also how Cruise planned the release of 'Collateral'. "And in actuality, he changed the projection of my career because he allowed 'Collateral' to come out first, and then let Ray Charles come out, so there would be heat (interest) for Ray Charles," Foxx admitted at the time. He added, "Cause if Ray Charles had come out before Collateral, I wouldn’t have had that look (buzz), so I always take my hat off (to Cruise.)"

Actor Jamie Foxx attends 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise Of Electro' Rome Premiere at The Space Moderno Cinema on April 14, 2014 in Rome, Italy.
Actor Jamie Foxx attends 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise Of Electro' Rome Premiere at The Space Moderno Cinema on April 14, 2014 in Rome, Italy (Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images)

'Oppenheimer' and 'Barbie' take 'Mission: Impossible 7' IMAX screens

The action-spy movie 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One,' starring Tom Cruise, is scheduled to hit theaters on July 12, 2023. The eagerly awaited 'Oppenheimer' and 'Barbie' movies, on the other hand, will hit theaters just one week later, on July 21. Cruise reportedly complained to Paramount about the fact that Nolan's 'Oppenheimer' will be playing only in IMAX theaters in North America and other regions for three weeks after its release. This means that fans who want to watch the latest 'Mission: Impossible' film in IMAX just have nine days in hand before Nolan's historical epic takes up every screen on this renowned premium platform.


 
 
 
 
 
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RELATED TOPICS JAMIE FOXX TOM CRUISE

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