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CNN Live Today

Interview with Jamie Foxx

Aired October 02, 2002 - 11:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: For years now, actor Jamie Foxx kept audiences in stitches on his self-titled sitcom on the WB network, you saw an excerpt there, but this musically trained actor has also made a name for himself on the big screen as well, starring in films from "Booty Call," and "Bait," "Any Given Sunday."
And most recently, Foxx received notable reviews for his role as Muhammad Ali's trainer Drew "Bundini" Brown in the blockbuster hit "Ali."

Well now, Foxx is returning to his comedic roots. He is starring in Live from Laughapalooza (ph), which is a four-hour live stand-up show that will be taped right here in Atlanta for network TV, on another channel, we should say. And Jamie Foxx joins us now live in living color, as I said, right here in the studios -- good to see you, man.

JAMIE FOXX, COMEDIAN: Good to meet you, man.

HARRIS: Nice to meet you finally.

FOXX: Hotlanta.

HARRIS: Yes, and it's hot now that you are here with all of your friends -- let's tell the folks about Laughapalooza (ph), because you are not coming to town alone.

FOXX: All right, here it is. Laughapalooza (ph) is learning through laughter. You know, it is for the kids and everything like that, and then we have a whole host of comedians from -- everybody you have seen from BET to HBO that are going to come down...

HARRIS: Give me some names.

FOXX: Sharolin Dawoo (ph), we got Arie Spears from "Mad TV," we just had David Alan Grier coming in from "In Living Color," and a lot of other stars that are just going to guest appear, and Showtime is following this now. This is our fifth year, founding this foundation, and they are going to follow the whole thing where we have this whole, huge cavalcade of comics come up, do about four hours of comedy, man, and we want everybody to come out to the Civic Center, 8:00 this Saturday. It is going to be real hot.

HARRIS: Now, I got some names here too, some other guys coming here for your basketball game...

FOXX: Oh, yes. HARRIS: I have got to bring some of these names in. Morris Chestnut.

FOXX: Morris Chestnut. Now the ladies, now, you all know you need to come see Morris Chestnut. He is going to be here for a celebrity thing, we may have Brian McKnight on his way. We have got a few people that are going to come out and do their thing.

HARRIS: How about Al B. Sure, and Bow-Legged Lou, and full force. These dudes should be in a wheelchair by now, shouldn't they?

FOXX: Let me give you a little thing about Al B. Sure and Bow- Legged Lou.

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: We are talking about '80s, early '80's.

FOXX: As a matter of fact, Al B. Sure -- I want you to get off on your own -- he actually helped me with my stand-up, as far as putting it all together.

HARRIS: No kidding?

FOXX: Al B. Sure and Bow-Legged Lou, and Bow-Legged Lou started 'NSYNC. A lot of people don't know that he wrote those songs for 'NSYNC, so Bow-Legged Lou has a lot of Bow-Legged loot.

So he is actually coming down. These are great friends of ours, and it's just an amazing thing.

I just left a charity with Andre Agassi. I have to give him props this past week. We were in Las Vegas. It was Andre Agassi, Dennis Miller, Robin Williams, Elton John, Rod Stewart, India.Arie, Baby Face, and myself, and it was just so great -- and what Andre did for the kids was he got a high school for them.

So I told him about my charity, and he may sneak in, and he may not, I don't want to put it out there, but I told him that this is what I'm doing for the children, inner-city kids in Atlanta, and we hit about 15,000 kids here, and also Bruce Willis, we have talking about his foster-care thing, so it is all for the kids, man. You know, Trick (ph) loves the kids.

HARRIS: All right. Well, it is nice to see that you all -- these celebrities who really don't -- who have got busy schedules, and you really do have other things to do with your time, getting together for something good like this.

But -- quickly, I have got to ask you about a couple of things here. First of all, Ali.

FOXX: Right.

HARRIS: What was it like working on that? I mean, I have to give you all the credit in the world. When I was told that they had to come up with somebody to play "Bundini" Brown, I must say, you were not the first one that came to my mind, but when you did, it was like, immediately, perfect choice.

FOXX: It was an incredible experience. Will Smith, the most well-adjusted millionaire you will ever meet in your life. Michael Mann, and then to be able to work with Muhammad Ali, because he would come in on the set.

HARRIS: How was that?

FOXX: I will never forget. Will was working on Ali, and he was going, "Thing is, I'm the greatest thing ever happened to boxing, and so and so," and next thing you know, the door opens up and the real Ali goes, "the greatest of all time."

So we were getting blessed like that on the set, and it was just an incredible experience, and to be able to work with people like -- to be able to work with Oliver Stone, and be able to work with Michael Mann, who are great directors, now I'm on my way to working with another great director in Taylor Hackford, and we are going to do the Ray Charles story.

HARRIS: Hey. And you will be?

FOXX: I will be the young Ray Charles. And it is going to be an incredible, incredible experience.

HARRIS: You know what? I can see that. Other folks in the audience may not really be aware of this, but Jamie's background really was in music. You studied classical music.

FOXX: I started out on the classical piano, and then I moved on to jokes, and I don't know how it all happened, but sometimes I take the music and put it together, you know, make it work.

HARRIS: Are you a Ray Charles fan?

FOXX: I'm a huge Ray Charles fan, and to be able -- now, I am going to give you another blessing. Myself and Ray Charles are playing tandem piano with each other. We're getting to know each other. He says, Jamie, I only fool with people if they know how to sing the blues. So we're singing the blues together, stuff like that.

HARRIS: No. You are kidding me. Have you ever thought about cutting an album like that?

FOXX: Oh, I am going to cut an album. There is going to be some funny stuff in it, some -- you know, some real songs in it...

HARRIS: There has got to be some funny stuff.

FOXX: ... and the folks know, the folks -- the people that have been coming out to this Laughapalooza (ph) thing, and all the fans that have been coming out supporting the Jamie Foxx thing, they know about the music, so I am going to drop a little bit on that. HARRIS: OK. All right. Listen, we have got people who have been begging for you to drop something on us this morning. You got an impersonation, or a little rendition you want to give us this morning?

FOXX: Well, on this special, I'm going to do everybody. I am going to do Mike Tyson, heavy-weight boxer, champion of the world, I'm going to do Bill Cosby, the -- I'm going to do everybody coming up this Saturday at the Civic Center, 8:00, we are going to do all of that. So, make sure you are there, and invite all of these people.

HARRIS: You just did.

FOXX: Yes, good.

HARRIS: Well, listen, we sure wish you luck, and I am going to do the best I can to get over there and check you out. Jamie Foxx, thank you.

FOXX: And you holding it down, too, man. You know, brothers be watching you.

HARRIS: Listen, you set a high standard, man. Thanks. Not but a very few brothers on television doing what you do, and I appreciate you.

FOXX: All right.

HARRIS: All right.

FOXX: Stay black.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired October 2, 2002 - 11:50   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: For years now, actor Jamie Foxx kept audiences in stitches on his self-titled sitcom on the WB network, you saw an excerpt there, but this musically trained actor has also made a name for himself on the big screen as well, starring in films from "Booty Call," and "Bait," "Any Given Sunday."
And most recently, Foxx received notable reviews for his role as Muhammad Ali's trainer Drew "Bundini" Brown in the blockbuster hit "Ali."

Well now, Foxx is returning to his comedic roots. He is starring in Live from Laughapalooza (ph), which is a four-hour live stand-up show that will be taped right here in Atlanta for network TV, on another channel, we should say. And Jamie Foxx joins us now live in living color, as I said, right here in the studios -- good to see you, man.

JAMIE FOXX, COMEDIAN: Good to meet you, man.

HARRIS: Nice to meet you finally.

FOXX: Hotlanta.

HARRIS: Yes, and it's hot now that you are here with all of your friends -- let's tell the folks about Laughapalooza (ph), because you are not coming to town alone.

FOXX: All right, here it is. Laughapalooza (ph) is learning through laughter. You know, it is for the kids and everything like that, and then we have a whole host of comedians from -- everybody you have seen from BET to HBO that are going to come down...

HARRIS: Give me some names.

FOXX: Sharolin Dawoo (ph), we got Arie Spears from "Mad TV," we just had David Alan Grier coming in from "In Living Color," and a lot of other stars that are just going to guest appear, and Showtime is following this now. This is our fifth year, founding this foundation, and they are going to follow the whole thing where we have this whole, huge cavalcade of comics come up, do about four hours of comedy, man, and we want everybody to come out to the Civic Center, 8:00 this Saturday. It is going to be real hot.

HARRIS: Now, I got some names here too, some other guys coming here for your basketball game...

FOXX: Oh, yes. HARRIS: I have got to bring some of these names in. Morris Chestnut.

FOXX: Morris Chestnut. Now the ladies, now, you all know you need to come see Morris Chestnut. He is going to be here for a celebrity thing, we may have Brian McKnight on his way. We have got a few people that are going to come out and do their thing.

HARRIS: How about Al B. Sure, and Bow-Legged Lou, and full force. These dudes should be in a wheelchair by now, shouldn't they?

FOXX: Let me give you a little thing about Al B. Sure and Bow- Legged Lou.

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: We are talking about '80s, early '80's.

FOXX: As a matter of fact, Al B. Sure -- I want you to get off on your own -- he actually helped me with my stand-up, as far as putting it all together.

HARRIS: No kidding?

FOXX: Al B. Sure and Bow-Legged Lou, and Bow-Legged Lou started 'NSYNC. A lot of people don't know that he wrote those songs for 'NSYNC, so Bow-Legged Lou has a lot of Bow-Legged loot.

So he is actually coming down. These are great friends of ours, and it's just an amazing thing.

I just left a charity with Andre Agassi. I have to give him props this past week. We were in Las Vegas. It was Andre Agassi, Dennis Miller, Robin Williams, Elton John, Rod Stewart, India.Arie, Baby Face, and myself, and it was just so great -- and what Andre did for the kids was he got a high school for them.

So I told him about my charity, and he may sneak in, and he may not, I don't want to put it out there, but I told him that this is what I'm doing for the children, inner-city kids in Atlanta, and we hit about 15,000 kids here, and also Bruce Willis, we have talking about his foster-care thing, so it is all for the kids, man. You know, Trick (ph) loves the kids.

HARRIS: All right. Well, it is nice to see that you all -- these celebrities who really don't -- who have got busy schedules, and you really do have other things to do with your time, getting together for something good like this.

But -- quickly, I have got to ask you about a couple of things here. First of all, Ali.

FOXX: Right.

HARRIS: What was it like working on that? I mean, I have to give you all the credit in the world. When I was told that they had to come up with somebody to play "Bundini" Brown, I must say, you were not the first one that came to my mind, but when you did, it was like, immediately, perfect choice.

FOXX: It was an incredible experience. Will Smith, the most well-adjusted millionaire you will ever meet in your life. Michael Mann, and then to be able to work with Muhammad Ali, because he would come in on the set.

HARRIS: How was that?

FOXX: I will never forget. Will was working on Ali, and he was going, "Thing is, I'm the greatest thing ever happened to boxing, and so and so," and next thing you know, the door opens up and the real Ali goes, "the greatest of all time."

So we were getting blessed like that on the set, and it was just an incredible experience, and to be able to work with people like -- to be able to work with Oliver Stone, and be able to work with Michael Mann, who are great directors, now I'm on my way to working with another great director in Taylor Hackford, and we are going to do the Ray Charles story.

HARRIS: Hey. And you will be?

FOXX: I will be the young Ray Charles. And it is going to be an incredible, incredible experience.

HARRIS: You know what? I can see that. Other folks in the audience may not really be aware of this, but Jamie's background really was in music. You studied classical music.

FOXX: I started out on the classical piano, and then I moved on to jokes, and I don't know how it all happened, but sometimes I take the music and put it together, you know, make it work.

HARRIS: Are you a Ray Charles fan?

FOXX: I'm a huge Ray Charles fan, and to be able -- now, I am going to give you another blessing. Myself and Ray Charles are playing tandem piano with each other. We're getting to know each other. He says, Jamie, I only fool with people if they know how to sing the blues. So we're singing the blues together, stuff like that.

HARRIS: No. You are kidding me. Have you ever thought about cutting an album like that?

FOXX: Oh, I am going to cut an album. There is going to be some funny stuff in it, some -- you know, some real songs in it...

HARRIS: There has got to be some funny stuff.

FOXX: ... and the folks know, the folks -- the people that have been coming out to this Laughapalooza (ph) thing, and all the fans that have been coming out supporting the Jamie Foxx thing, they know about the music, so I am going to drop a little bit on that. HARRIS: OK. All right. Listen, we have got people who have been begging for you to drop something on us this morning. You got an impersonation, or a little rendition you want to give us this morning?

FOXX: Well, on this special, I'm going to do everybody. I am going to do Mike Tyson, heavy-weight boxer, champion of the world, I'm going to do Bill Cosby, the -- I'm going to do everybody coming up this Saturday at the Civic Center, 8:00, we are going to do all of that. So, make sure you are there, and invite all of these people.

HARRIS: You just did.

FOXX: Yes, good.

HARRIS: Well, listen, we sure wish you luck, and I am going to do the best I can to get over there and check you out. Jamie Foxx, thank you.

FOXX: And you holding it down, too, man. You know, brothers be watching you.

HARRIS: Listen, you set a high standard, man. Thanks. Not but a very few brothers on television doing what you do, and I appreciate you.

FOXX: All right.

HARRIS: All right.

FOXX: Stay black.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com