When film director Taylor Hackford decided to bring the Ray Charles story to the big screen, he knew the project had great potential -- and great risk. A film biography would only work if he could find just the right actor to portray the musical legend.
At first, Jamie Foxx may not have seemed like a natural choice for the leading role. He made his name as a comedian, and in film, usually played tough guy roles. But in an interview with NPR's Michele Norris, Foxx reveals that there's more to his resume. A trained classical pianist and gifted singer, Foxx convinced the filmmakers that he could embody Charles on screen in the way he moved, spoke and sang.
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