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In 2004, nobody saw a quicker rise in his acting stock than Jamie Foxx, 37. He started the year with Breakin' All the Rules, another in his long series of third-rate comedies. That only made his smash performance this summer in Michael Mann's Collateral more surprising: As an embattled cabby, Foxx held his own against Tom Cruise's hit man. It was all just a warm-up for Ray, in which Foxx's impersonation of Ray Charles brought the late genius to life.
Describe your year in five words.
Fun, courageous, crazy, cool, challenging.
Was this the best year of your life?
No, the two best years of my life were the year I was born, and then my sophomore year in high school, fifteen years old, playing football on the varsity team.
What music meant the most to you?
"Lean Back" [by the Terror Squad], that was an anthem.
What's the best movie you saw this year?
Uh, wow. [Pauses] Ray.
You're cheating.
I know I'm cheating, but it was.
What freaked you out this year?
When Michelle [Williams] fell on Destiny's Child and they didn't pick her up. It was on BET: All three walked out and she fell, and they just looked at her like, "Um, you better get up."
Tell me one day from 2004 that stands out.
Jay-Z was in concert -- 20,000 people. I come out onstage, they don't know who it is, and I say, "Yo, Jigga, I hear you need a new hype man." People went nuts. We rocked the crowd.
What was your biggest regret this year?
That we couldn't get the troops back.
Are you getting more political?
Of course. You start to understand more things. I'm doing this Marine movie, Jarhead, so I got a chance to hang out with the Marines and get a feel for what it's like to be over there.
What was your take on the election?
The Democrats were scared to stand up -- this is a world now where fear will drown you, so next time, hopefully, they'll be able to speak more clearly about what we want. You have to respect the Republicans, because they tell you exactly how they feel. My disappointment? That nobody's really ready to go yee-hah for what I believe in.
Did you cry this year?
I sure did. My grandma passed a couple of weeks ago. You prepare yourself, but. . . .
What did you learn this year?
You got to speak up for what you want.
You didn't know that before?
Not really. Like, with the movie of Miami Vice, I spoke up with Michael Mann. It could have been a two-year process, but that got the ball rolling to where Michael said, "Let's do it."
If you could tell the world one thing for 2005, what would it be?
Wake up!
Next: Gwen Stefani