NBC SIGNS OSCAR AND GOLDEN GLOBE WINNER JAMIE FOXX TO STAR IN HIS OWN MUSICAL SPECIAL FOR 2005-06
NEW YORK -- May 16, 2005 -- Oscar and Golden Globe-winner Jamie Foxx ("Ray") will headline his own musical special for NBC in the 2005-06 season. The announcement was made today at the network's annual Upfront presentation by Kevin Reilly, President, NBC Entertainment, and Jeff Gaspin, President, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment & Cross Platform Strategy.
"Jamie Foxx rocked the entertainment world this year with his two Oscar nominations, his Oscar and Golden Globe wins and his tour-de-force performance in 'Ray,'" said Reilly. "He is truly inspirational and we are excited to have him host his own special that will highlight his passion for music as he delves into his past and reminisces about the people who have inspired him."
"Jamie is a rare person who entertains us on so many different levels - he's an actor, comedian and of course, singer and musician. We are thrilled to showcase him in this unique special that draws on the personal life experiences of this multi- talented man," added Jeff Gaspin, President, NBC Universal Cable Entertainment & Cross-Network Strategy.
"The Jamie Foxx Special" (tentative title) would be a one-hour showcase of Foxx's multiple skills and would follow the release of his first music CD release this Fall. The special will feature all original music by Foxx and will include major musical guest stars.
In particular, the special will trace Foxx' musical roots back to his home town of Terrell, Texas -- with an accent on his own personal musical story.
Earlier this year, Foxx received an Academy Award as Best Actor for his work as the legendary entertainer Ray Charles in "Ray" (and was also nominated as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in "Collateral"). He also received a Golden Globe and a Screen Actor's Guild Award for Best Actor for "Ray."
Foxx recently completed production on the upcoming feature films "Stealth" and "Jarhead," and is starring as Detective Ricardo Tubbs in the big-screen version of "Miami Vice" (opposite fellow star Colin Farrell). He began his career as a series regular on "In Living Color" and then headed his own comedy series, "The Jamie Foxx Show."
Among Foxx' previous film credits are "Any Given Sunday," "Ali" and "Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story."
Foxx will serve as executive producer along with Marcus King, Stu Schreiberg and Marilyn Seabury.
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