Jamie Foxx on Voicing Disney-Pixar’s First Black Lead in ‘Soul’ and Being Unapologetically Black in Hollywood
Angelique Jackson There are few entertainers like Jamie Foxx; he’s a multihyphenate superstar with the trophy case to back it up. Though Foxx has the range and a backlog of dramatic, comedic and generally off-the wall characters to pull from, when it came to voicing Joe Gardner in Disney-Pixar’s “Soul,” the film’s creative team just wanted the Oscar- and Grammy-winner to be himself, which also meant bringing the full breadth of his Blackness to the role.“In my career, I’ve never had to apologize for being Black,” Foxx tells Variety, looking back on his Hollywood journey.