Dear Superstar: Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx spent this morning shooting at people.

“Yeah, I was shooting guns, falling and yelling, ‘Go on without me!’” deadpans the 37-year-old, who is currently playing Detective Ricardo Tubbs to Colin Farrell’s James “Sonny” Crockett in a movie version of Miami Vice. “Just the regular thing.”

So much for the day job. Tonight, however, at a Miami recording studio, the actor-comedian is keen to talk about his other career — or rather, his other other career — as a singer. The Texan originally moved to L.A. to become “the next Lionel Ritchie” but found greater success on the small screen (In Living Color, The Jamie Foxx Show) and then the big (Ali, Collateral) than he did with his 1994 album, Peep This.

But he is currently at work on a brand-new, as yet untitled release after a series of music-oriented triumphs that include his Oscar-rewarded acting-and-singing turn in Ray, a performance at the 2004 Grammy party held by Clive Davis (who subsequently signed him to J Records) and his contribution to Twista’s Kanye West–produced 2004 hit “Slow Jamz.”

“Kanye came to a party at my house” recalls Foxx, as if it were an everyday event. “He asked if I would like to sing on a hook. We recorded it, I went off to do a movie, and when I came back it was No. 1.”

Despite his grueling schedule, Foxx is charm itself, as befits his party- and female-friendly reputation. He is also prepared to answer questions about anything, from the incident last year in which a workman claimed to have found raunchy pictures of Foxx and a lady friend to the time his neighbors complained about the naked basketball game that was being held in his backyard. “Coming from the comic world, the best thing I have in my favor is that I can talk about anything and defuse it,” he explains. “As long as I’m honest, I’m gonna be cool.”

What would you say is your favorite part of the female body?
vmd222, Warren, NJ
Ass. The ass. The badonkadonk. The bump-ums. The show bumps. The fluff-ums. All of that. Long as you got a bump, know what I’m saying? Sometimes I go out with a girl, she may not look that good. Guys’ll be like, why? Then they look behind her. Oh … because of the ass!

Has Philip Michael Thomas — the original Tubbs— called to say, Hey, That’s my role, bitch!
hofstettler, Garrison, NY
No he hasn’t. We’re waiting, though. Philip — if you’re out there, hit me!

Who’s been getting more screams from the ladies — you or Colin Farrell?
chicagovice, Lee, MA
Colin Farrell. That’s his thing: the good looks, the Irish charm … I’m always the Ed McMahon, never the Johnny Carson. But he’s a great guy. He’s got the right idea of what it should be about: Make movies, have fun, enjoy life.

What did you think when you saw your Collateral co-star Tom Cruise jumping up and down on Oprah’s sofa?
steph222, Boston
I thought Katie Holmes was rocking his world. You have to know who Tom Cruise is. He’s a hundred percenter. There’s not an evil, calculating bone in his body. When he talks about love or when he’s excited about something, that’s what he’s like. When he talked about the ladies that he dated, he really fell for them. He always said, Foxx, I’m not a guy that likes to be with a lot of girls, I like to be in a relationship. He said, I dig showing them things and being their knight in shining armor.

You own a house in Las Vegas. Are you a gambling man?
amdoba, San Jose, CA
No, not at all. I did when I first got there. I was trying to impress these girls, when I was gambling and losing my ass. The pit boss was like, It’s not going to happen — I don’t care how famous you are, you’re not gonna win.

What did you learn about heroin addiction from playing Ray Charles?
raylette929, Gulfport, MS
I needed to learn about the mannerisms of a heroin user. You hear that this drug is so fantastic that it could take the place of sex, but at the same time, not a lot of people make it out alive. There were a few guys on set who had experienced heroin.

Are there any other musicians you’d like to play on film?
insomnia24, Holiday, FL
Oh, Marvin Gaye. His story has so many layers. That’s what you need to make it work. There are so many interesting things about him other than his singing. So as a moviegoer, you’d be caught up with the story and then you’d be, like, oh, that’s right, he sings too.

If they had announced that someone else had won the Best Actor Oscar, would you have smiled or sworn like when Samuel L. Jackson lost to Martin Landau?
starcomplx, Chapel Hill, NC
Well, clearly, Samuel should have won. But no, not at all. Win or lose, I was only thinking good thoughts. I’d had such a blast, man. It just seemed so overwhelmingly that Ray was going to be appreciated that night.

When was the last time you saw a celebrity and thought, man, she is really hot?
denverhigh, State College, PA
Halle Berry, last week. Phenomenal. She walks out, she looks so great that she actually made all of us giddy. It was me, Denzel and her for the cover of Ebony magazine. She didn’t have a dress on: pants, jacket, hair pulled back. Flawless. I ponder how beautiful she is.

What was the first concert you ever attended?
aplgal, Mamaroneck, NY
1984. Texas Stadium. Michael Jackson. The Victory tour. Incredible. The man was a god at the time.

Did you have much success with the ladies when you were a teenager?
rawkstar207, Kent, OH
Yes, of course. That’s how I know what a woman wants. I learned that from older women. Because I used to play the piano for the church when I was 15 and I’d have women that were 21, 25, 28 teach me what they like. They’d say, you’re a young guy, coming up, if you want to find a nice woman, this is what they like — pay attention! And I did.

As a teenager you played in a band called Leather and Lace. Were they as bad as their name?
fxyldy612, Stafford, TX
We were pretty bad. We did one show and we stunk. I believe I walked off stage going, I’m out of here.

Did you ever get any feedback from Prince after you impersonated him on In Living Color?
sinfulfanatic, Hoboken, NJ
Some people in his camp were like, oh, man, he didn’t like that. It was friggin’ hysterical.

What was Jennifer Lopez like when she was an In Living Color “fly girl”?
lalisa, Ithaca, NY
Very ambitious. Very tough. People shit on her a lot on In Living Color. They were tough on her. They made fun of her, made her cut her hair. And she said I’m gonna make it. She took the bumps and bruises, and look at her now.

Who’s the better straight actor — you or Jim Carrey?
calcytret, Morrison, CO
I think Jim Carrey. Jim Carrey’s great, man. I learned from him. I’ve got the Oscar — that is true. But you gotta kill that Oscar beast every day. I do. I put it in the corners of my mind and leave it there. Because if you walk out with that attitude, you’ll start to stink real fast.

Have you learned to keep your private photographs under lock and key after what happened last year?
bklynown72, Upper Darby, PA
Uh, yeah. But you know, I’ll say it again: Whatever! I don’t have anything to hide. I wasn’t with any animals. I wasn’t with any dudes. And [points down to crotch] it looks all right, you know what I’m saying?

What’s the secret to throwing a really good party?
yankees3136, Spencer, IA
Pay attention to what people want. Never run out of food. Never run out of drinks. And the music has to move the party. Early on, when they’re walking in, it’s like foreplay. Then, you’ve got to be really making love to that music in between 12:30 and 3:00 — it’s got to be crazy. Then the DJ has to wind it down with some nostalgia, some records maybe 10, 20 years back. Also, you need less chickenheads and more women.

What’s the coolest thing you own?
jsimpsonfan, Grand Forks, ND
A Lamborghini Gallardo. People just stare at it like it’s a spaceship.

Do you feel much Texas pride towards George W.?
annie725, Champaign, IL
No. Not everybody in Texas is like that, you know. Hopefully, one day I’ll be president of the United States and I can right some of the wrongs. I think there are certain wars that need to be fought. And then there are wars that are just being fought.

What was the last physical fight you were in — and did you win?
vanillatime, Pomona, CA
The last fight I had was in a club in L.A. This guy walks up to me, says, “Hey, Jamie, what’s up, man?” I say, “Chillin’.” Then he grabs my breast. I don’t know what he was thinking. We got at it. It was quick — and I didn’t even get hit once.

What’s your favorite movie of all time?
crunknatl, Decatur, GA
New Jack City. Wesley Snipes changed our whole vernacular. “See you — wouldn’t want to be you.” “Cancel this bitch. I’ll buy a new one.” For black culture, it was one of those must-haves.

What kind of drunk are you?
brendantemp, Estero, FL
Happy-till-I-cry. Ha! I’ll be partying, kicking it off. Suddenly my sister will go, “Uh-oh, he’s doing it again.” [Pretends to burst into tears.] Especially if my ex-girlfriend is in the room.

Are there going to be any more naked basketball tournaments at your place? And, if so, can I come?
imao, Edison, NJ
Sure you can come! No jerseys allowed. It’s skins and skins.

What’s your view on the whole Dave Chappelle saga?
falloutgirl, Asheville, NC
The one thing I can say is, never tell anybody how much money you’re earning. Ever! Always look like you might not be able to pay your tab in a bar. Always do this: [fumbles in pocket] Man, how much is it? What the fuck?

What do you think of Eddie Murphy’s 1985 hit song, “Party All the Time?”
pittsfieldmain, Lowell, MA
I have it on my computer! That’s a great song to play at a party — you’d be surprised. I’m an Eddie Murphy fan, period. I’m getting a chance to work with him on Dreamgirls [a ’60s-set film that will also star Beyoncé]. Think about him and Rick James — man, the parties that were going on at that time!

When did you last bomb onstage?
bboys, Salem, VA
I was 21, 22, opening for Latimore, this old blues player. The crowd was 45 and up. I saw a dude with a butterfly collar and went, ‘Look at this dude with the collar’ … That’s when I realized everybody had butterfly collars.

Have you had to pay for a cab ride since Collateral?
edie4teen, Bellingham, WA
Yeah, right. They’re giving me free cab rides in New York. Hell, no!