This episode is easily one of my favorites I’ve ever done.

Jamie Foxx (@iamjamiefoxx) is an Academy Award-winning actor, a Grammy Award-winning musician, and a famous standup and improv comedian. He is, without a doubt, the most consummate performer and entertainer I have ever met.  In the 2.5 hours we spent together in his home studio, he blew my mind.

We cover a TON in this wide-ranging episode, including many never-before-heard stories. Here’s just a tiny sample of what you’ll hear:

• Jamie’s workout routine





• Jamie’s origin stories — how he used $400 to match a $1,000,000 party thrown by Puff Daddy; building up his network with Kanye, Jay Z, and Pharrell; expanding his fan base; and bombing horribly at the beginning.





• What he learned during the magic of In Living Color





• Jamie playing live music throughout our interview





• Impersonations (and lessons learned from many of the following) — Quincy Jones, Ed Sheeran, Ray Charles, Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Cosby, Doc Rivers, Kermit the Frog, Sammy Davis, Jr., LeBron James, Bill Clinton, Tamara Rawitt, Shawn Wayans, Jim Carrey, Oprah Winfrey, Norman Lear, Mike Tyson, and others





• The key skills Jamie learned from his grandmother





• Jamie’s parenting style





• Check out the show notes below for much, much more. Enjoy!

You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

Want to hear another podcast with a mega-successful Hollywood actor and director? Listen to my conversation with Jon Favreau. In this episode, we discuss the movie Swingers, how to reinvent oneself, and how to create art that can be massively successful.

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: In your opinion, who are the greatest living performers? What makes them impressive? Please let me know in the comments.

And please be sure to say hello to Jamie on Twitter at @iamjamiefoxx. He’s a good dude and was extremely generous with his time.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Enjoy!

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

• Jamie Foxx – Hollywood: A Story of a Dozen Roses





• Twista ft. Kanye West and Jamie Foxx – Slow Jamz





• Jamie Foxx ft. T-Pain – Blame It (On The Alcohol)





• Terrell, Texas





• Seattle during the Jazz Age





• Ray





• Ray Charles performing on The Dinah Shore Show, 1963





• In Living Color





• The Laugh Factory Hollywood





• Black Lives Matter





• The home of Martin Luther King, Jr.





• Minority of One





• The Pianist





• Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America by James Allen





• The Harrison Narcotic Act





• Giuseppe Zanotti shoes





• Sleepless Night





• Django Unchained





• Connect with Jamie Foxx:

Periscope | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

SHOW NOTES

• Why does Jamie keep a grand piano in his home studio? [06:49 ]





• What is automated dialogue replacement (ADR)? [08:13 ]





• How did Jamie break into music? [09:32 ]





• How did a then-unknown Jamie Foxx got into Puff Daddy’s parties? [09:57 ]





• Jamie challenges Puff Daddy by throwing down the party gauntlet [10:55 ]





• Before social media, Jamie had a unique way of staying connected with people, which involved comedy shows, cue cards, and text messages [11:59 ]





• Why nobody leaves Jamie’s house without performing  [16:56 ]





• What makes Jamie’s studio magical [19:34 ]





• How Jamie learned the nuances of performing on both sides of the tracks (literally and metaphorically) when he was a kid [23:59 ]





• How young Jamie dealt with racially insensitive grown-ups at a Christmas party [28:31 ]





• What convinced Jamie to leave Texas and head to California [30:42 ]





• Life lessons Jamie learned from his grandma [33:38 ]





• Why Jamie is always willing to help his family, but he’s no sucker [39:45 ]





• Jamie’s parenting style  [41:27 ]





• How portraying Ray Charles in Ray gave Jamie the opportunity to bring all of his comedic, acting, and musical talents into play [42:00 ]





• What Ray Charles told Jamie was possible if he could play the blues [43:15 ]





• Lessons from Ray Charles [47:19 ]





• What’s on the other side of fear? [50:42 ]





• Jamie’s first impression? [54:07 ]





• What Bill Cosby had to say to Jamie on the subject of booty calls [56:44 ]





• How Jamie uses his musical background to help him do impressions [57:34 ]





• How raising kids in Hollywood differs from Jamie’s own small-town Texas upbringing [59:52 ]





• Jamie Foxx’s real name [01:03:06 ]





• Could Prince or Michael Jackson find a career break in