The lead actor in Pixar's *Soul* (2020) is **Jamie Foxx**, who provides the voice for the protagonist, Joe Gardner. Jamie Foxx is an extremely prolific "triple threat"—an Oscar-winning actor, a Grammy-winning singer, and a stand-up comedian.
If you feel like you’ve seen or heard him before, it is likely from one of the major roles below. Here is a detailed list of his most notable film and television work:
### **1. Award-Winning & Dramatic Roles**
* **Ray (2004):** His most legendary role, where he played **Ray Charles**. Foxx won the Academy Award for Best Actor for this performance. He famously wore prosthetic eyelids that rendered him blind for up to 14 hours a day during filming to fully inhabit the role.
* **Django Unchained (2012):** He played the titular character, **Django**, a freed slave-turned-bounty hunter in Quentin Tarantino’s Western.
* **Collateral (2004):** He played **Max**, a taxi driver held hostage by a hitman (played by Tom Cruise). He earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for this role in the same year he won for *Ray*.
* **Just Mercy (2019):** He gave a powerful performance as **Walter McMillian**, a man wrongfully convicted of murder on death row, alongside Michael B. Jordan.
* **The Soloist (2009):** He played **Nathaniel Ayers**, a real-life musical prodigy who developed schizophrenia and became homeless.
### **2. Blockbusters & Franchise Roles**
* **Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) & The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014):** He played the supervillain **Max Dillon / Electro**.
* **Baby Driver (2017):** He played the volatile and impulsive criminal **Leon "Bats" Jefferson III**.
* **White House Down (2013):** He played **President James Sawyer**, an action-oriented President of the United States who teams up with Channing Tatum to fight off terrorists.
* **Miami Vice (2006):** He played **Ricardo Tubbs** in the big-screen adaptation of the 80s TV show.
* **Jarhead (2005):** He played **Staff Sgt. Sykes**, a career Marine during the Gulf War.
### **3. Comedies & Musicals**
* **Horrible Bosses 1 & 2 (2011, 2014):** He played the hilariously named "murder consultant" **Dean "MF" Jones**.
* **Dreamgirls (2006):** He starred as **Curtis Taylor Jr.**, a ruthless record executive, showcasing his actual singing voice.
* **Annie (2014):** He played **William Stacks**, a modern-day version of "Daddy Warbucks."
* **Booty Call (1997):** One of his breakout early film roles as **Bunz**, which solidified him as a leading man in comedy.
### **4. Voice Work (Besides *Soul*)**
* **Rio & Rio 2 (2011, 2014):** He voiced **Nico**, the yellow canary with the bottle-cap hat who loves to samba.
* **Strays (2023):** He voiced **Bug**, a foul-mouthed Boston Terrier.
### **5. Early TV Breakthroughs**
If you grew up in the 90s, you almost certainly recognize him from:
* **In Living Color (1991–1994):** He was a core cast member of the sketch comedy show, famous for characters like **Wanda**, the "ugly" girl.
* **The Jamie Foxx Show (1996–2001):** He starred as **Jamie King**, an aspiring actor working at his aunt and uncle's hotel in Los Angeles.
### **6. Recent & Notable Projects**
* **They Cloned Tyrone (2023):** He played the pimp **Slick Charles** in this sci-fi mystery.
* **The Burial (2023):** He played a flamboyant personal injury lawyer named **Willie Gary**.
* **Day Shift (2022):** A Netflix action-comedy where he plays a blue-collar dad who hunts vampires.
* **Project Power (2020):** A Netflix superhero film where he plays **Art**, a man hunting for his daughter in a world where pills give people temporary superpowers.
**Summary of older/smaller credits:**
He also appeared in *Toys* (1992 - his film debut), *The Truth About Cats & Dogs* (1996), *The Great White Hype* (1996), *The Players Club* (1998), *Any Given Sunday* (1999), *Ali* (2001), *Law Abiding Citizen* (2009), and *Robin Hood* (2018).