Eileen Condon digs into the Oscar rumours surrounding Hollywood's latest biopic, Daily Post
AMONG the usual contenders for this year's Oscars, such as Leonardo DiCaprio, and Cate Blanchett, the name Jamie Foxx doesn't exactly stand out.
But, the Oscar buzz is that he'll be right up there with all the A-listers, thanks to his stunning lead performance in the new biopic Ray, opening on Friday January 21.
The 36-year-old star is probably best known to British fans for his supporting role in the recent Tom Cruise movie Collateral.
But all that is about to change. Texas-born Jamie is set to go global in 2005, and he certainly deserves it when you realise just what he was willing to do to portray legendary jazz and blues singer Ray Charles.
Not only did the hunky star shed more than 35lbs for the role, he agreed to have his eyes sealed up for up to 14 hours a day to play the blind singer.
The result is an astonishingly realistic portrayal of Charles, who died last year, aged 70, leaving behind a legacy of classic hits, such as Unchain My Heart and Hit The Road Jack.
But despite the accolades being heaped on him, Jamie is the first to admit that losing his sight - albeit temporarily - was the toughest thing he's had to do.
"I couldn't cheat, even off set. During lunch I would eat lunch blind," he explains. "In the beginning it wasn't easy - I would panic and it made me angry because it's so frustrating to be without your sight. But then I noticed my sense of hearing became more acute and I became sensitive to all kinds of sounds nobody else was even hearing."
Despite his uncannily accurate performance of Ray Charles, off screen Jamie seems as different from the talented musician as you can get.
