Jamie Foxx is kind of a legend, in both music and acting. Of course, we absolutely love every role this talented and versatile actor takes on. With his new flick, Just Mercy, premiering in December, 2019, we thought it only fitting to make a list of some of this man's best flicks.
In fact, he even has 6 movies in production, so you better get caught up on this man's film roster before it gets even bigger. Jamie Foxx can be our villain or our hero, so this list is here to sort some of his best roles this way. Here are 10 Jamie Foxx characters, ranked from most heroic to most villainous.
Django, Django Unchained (2012)
It's probably not surprising to see this iconic role as Jamie Foxx's most heroic. This Quentin Tarantino directed Western tells the story of a freed slave, Django, who partners up with a German bounty hunter to rescue his wife from a cruel plantation owner.
This movie has a ton of Tarantino goodness, and yes, it's pretty violent. You could argue that violence doesn't equate to heroism, but it's pretty hard to argue against the fact that Django is a straight badass hero. In fact, this is probably one of our favorite roles of this actor of all time. Yes, it's that good.
Nick Rice, Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
This is likely one of Jamie Foxx's most famous roles. He stars alongside Gerard Butler, and plays Nick Rice. Nick is a D.A. officer, and when he only has circumstantial evidence of a family's brutal murder, he must work tirelessly to find a way to convict the guilty.
Nick Rice must fight against tampered evidence, a murderer who's not quite finished, and a grieving family. This role is a bit dirtier, but he definitely goes to great lengths to achieve the justice he feels is deserved. Plus, this movie is certainly a classic.
Yahya/John, Robin Hood (2018)
This movie didn't do the best with the critics, but it was hard for us to pass up a Robin Hood flick with Jamie Foxx and Taron Egerton. Jamie Foxx plays Yahya (John), who is Robin's commander. Together, they revolt against the corrupt English crown, and you probably know the story of Robin Hood.
Sure, they're vigilantes, which meant this role couldn't quite take the most heroic spot. Still, this is pretty heroic, and we love Jamie no matter how mediocre the movie seems to be.
Ronald Fleury, The Kingdom (2007)
This war drama follows a team who is sent to investigate the bombing of an American facility in the Middle East. Jamie Foxx is Ronald Fleury, an FBI agent who blackmails the Saudi Arabian consul in order to get time to investigate the terrorist attack.
He and his team try to find out who's responsible, all while dealing with the hostile and war-torn environment. Sure, blackmail isn't super heroic, but this character's intentions are certainly on the good side. Plus, this movie actually got some pretty good reviews.
Walter McMillian, Just Mercy (2019)
This is Jamie Foxx's newest flick. While Michael B. Jordan plays the lawyer, Jamie Foxx's character deserves some recognition.
He plays Walter McMillian, an innocent man wrongfully convicted of the murder of an 18-year-old girl. With little evidence, this man must fight for his innocence while living on death row. This character is certainly a hero, and shows how important it is to keep hope and fight for the truth. Plus, this new movie will certainly give you your crime and justice fill, and includes some incredible actors.
President Sawyer, White House Down (2013)
This is a pretty basic action film, but it's still entertaining. It tells the story of a policeman (Channing Tatum) who must protect his daughter and the president after the White House is invaded by a heavily armed group.
While Jamie Foxx plays the president, his character is not totally useless. He actually does some pretty heroic things, and, of course, he's the President of the United States. This movie will definitely fill all your action needs, and this role definitely leans towards the heroic side.
Vincent, Sleepless (2017)
Jamie Foxx often acts in crime dramas, and in this particular film he plays Vincent, a policeman who robs a shipment of cocaine from an infamous mobster with his partner. They volunteer to investigate the robbery in order to cover up their involvement, and this movie quickly becomes a game of cat and mouse.
This role is clearly not the most heroic, but, at least he's still a police officer? This movie didn't blow away the critics, but it's definitely an interesting role to watch. And clearly, falls closer to the "villain" side.
Dean 'MF' Jones, Horrible Bosses (2011)
Jamie Foxx takes a secondary role in this crime comedy, but it's certainly one of our favorites. Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis are all friends, and they all have horrible bosses. They conspire to murder their bosses, and hire a murder consultant, Mr. Dean "MF" Jones, to help them pull it off.
Jamie Foxx is the consultant, and his role is hilarious and dark. Obviously, this is more of a villainous role, because he literally helps people commit murder. Still, this movie is incredibly funny, and it's a role that you certainly don't want to miss.
Bats, Baby Driver (2017)
This action crime drama did incredibly well with the critics, and tells the story of Baby (Ansel Elgort), a young getaway driver who is coerced into working for a crime boss and a team of criminals to pull off huge heists.
Jamie Foxx is Bats, one of the team members. He taunts Baby the entire film, and he's the baddest of the bad on this team. His character is actually incredible, and Jamie slays this villainous role. If you love heists, getaway driving, and some badass characters, we definitely recommend tuning into this incredible crime drama.
Electo/Max Dillon, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
This probably isn't one of the best movies out there, but it's definitely one of Jamie Foxx's most villainous roles. This movie is from the Andrew Garfield Spider-Man series, and the villain of this flick is Jamie Foxx (AKA Electro).
You guessed it, this villain has some pretty badass electrical powers, and he proves quite the challenge for Spider-Man. His role is pretty intriguing, and Jamie Foxx blows it out of the water (as per usual). If you love a good superhero flick AND Jamie Foxx, you don't need to look any further than this villainous role.