Jamie Foxx Blasts Director That Told Him He Was A 'Slave To Television'

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter released Wednesday, Jamie Foxx and fellow actors Tom Hanks, Adam Sandler, Robert De Niro, Adam Driver, and Shia LaBeouf discussed their careers at the Actor Roundtable.

Foxx, 51, opened up about his days as a young actor trying to transition from a television actor to a movie actor. During the discussion, Foxx called out “Natural Born Killers” and “Scarface” director Oliver Stone for his “toughness” during that transition.

“I remember Oliver Stone, when I first auditioned [for 'Any Given Sunday'], he was like, 'You're horrible.' And I was like, 'What?' He was like, 'Just get the [expletive] out of here.' As I'm walking out he said, 'Jamie Foxx, slave to television.'” Foxx said.

Foxx admitted that he learned from that audition and later in the interview, shared the advice he would give to his younger self.

“If I gave myself any advice, I would have gone left instead of right, then I probably wouldn't have ended up in this situation,” Foxx began. “I wanted to be married and work at Kodak — and all that sort of fell through. So, boom! I said, 'I'm on my way and I'll figure it out.' You've got to live it and then look back and say, 'OK.' Anything could have set [me] in a different direction and I wouldn't be sitting here, and I wouldn't change sitting here for the world.”

Foxx also touched on his new movie, “Just Mercy,” which co-stars Michael B. Jordan. In the movie, Foxx plays Walter McMillian, a man who is wrongfully convicted and on death row. Foxx was asked if this role had any connection to his own life.

“My father was an educator for 25 years in the hood. He dedicated his life to saving black kids in the hood and they ended up putting him in jail for $25 worth of illegal substance for seven years,” he responded. “That was a huge thing that I carried inside. I didn't share it with a lot of people.”

“Just Mercy” releases in theaters on Jan. 20.