Performer
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio rank
#165
of 909177 performers
Top 1%
Jamie Foxx represents the rare performer whose career became more ambitious with every decade — 29 years in, and Jamie is still choosing the harder script.
The essay
Our editors on the work, the patterns and the reason this body of work holds together.
Jamie Foxx appears in 47 films in the Nutevio catalogue, and none of them would work the same way without Jamie. Django Unchained is the clearest case: a film rated 8.4 by our editors, where the performance carries weight the script only implies.
The recognisable elements are versatility, transformation, quiet performance. Watch two of these films back to back and the method separates from the material — the same instrument, tuned differently for documentary, action, comedy. It is a style built on what is withheld as much as what is played.
Working with Angus Wall, Seth Gordon, Dawn Porter and others, Jamie Foxx helped set a standard other performers now audition against. Awards bodies have been slower than the work, which is usually the sign of a career built on choices rather than campaigns.
Django Unchained (2012) as Django Freeman · Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) as Max Dillon / Electro · Soul (2020) as Joe Gardner (voice)
Career snapshot
Ranked #165 of 909177 performers tracked in the Nutevio library.
Films in Nutevio
47
1996–2025
Career length
29 yrs
Measured across our catalogue
Academy Awards
—
Unknown
Oscar nominations
—
Unknown
Highest Nutevio score
8.4
Django Unchained
Average Nutevio score
6.6
Across catalogue work
Highest IMDb rating
8.2
Django Unchained
Most frequent director
Michael Mann
3 films together
Longest collaboration
3×
With Michael Mann
Most common genre
Drama
16 titles
Average runtime
1h 53m
Across catalogue work
Golden Globe wins
—
Unknown
Nutevio metric
Ten weighted categories, applied identically to everyone we cover.
Nutevio Performer Score
7.0
out of 10
A performer whose catalogue work here is strong, with the fuller case still to be made.
Nutevio metric
Cultural impact and legacy, measured separately from craft — how far the work travelled once it left the cinema.
Nutevio Influence Score
6.6
out of 10
A quieter influence — felt inside the films rather than across the industry.
How far the work travelled past the people who saw it first.
What survives once the release-week conversation has burned off.
Institutional acknowledgement, weighted but never decisive.
Years of chosen, relevant work rather than years merely employed.
Statuettes, read as evidence rather than verdict.
Roles named without needing the film named alongside them.
Directors who wrote parts because this performer existed.
The reading other performers now have to answer.
Actor DNA
A fingerprint derived from the roles themselves — register, range and the kind of film they carry.
The shape of a career
Every performance plotted in time. Hover a point to read the title behind it.
Peak years
Where the scores, the awards and the sheer volume of work agree with each other.
Best decade
2000s
6.8 average MV
The 2000s are where the work and the material meet. Law Abiding Citizen, The Soloist, The Kingdom — the run our editors reach for first when the argument is about range rather than fame.
Highest average Nutevio score
2000s
6.8
Across 8 catalogue films in this decade, our scores never drop below the level a career is judged on.
Highest average IMDb rating
2000s
6.8
The public agrees most strongly about this stretch — useful context, and occasionally a decade behind our own reading.
Most awarded era
1990s
0 Academy Awards
Statuettes for the films themselves, which is the honest way to read an ensemble career. Any Given Sunday, The Truth About Cats & Dogs.
Most productive era
2010s
20 films
The busiest stretch of the catalogue — volume that reads as appetite rather than availability.
Range, mapped
Genres down the side, decades across the top. Warmer cells mean stronger titles.
| Genre | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drama | 6.81 film | 6.97 films | 6.96 films | 7.62 films |
| Action | — | 6.42 films | 6.55 films | 6.56 films |
| Thriller | — | 6.94 films | 6.13 films | 5.93 films |
| Comedy | 6.11 film | — | 6.38 films | 6.05 films |
| Crime | — | 6.93 films | 6.94 films | 5.93 films |
| Romance | 6.11 film | — | 5.91 film | — |
| Horror | — | — | — | 6.52 films |
Chronology
Firsts and peaks
The turning points, in the order they happened.
First film in Nutevio
1996The Truth About Cats & Dogs
Where our catalogue meets this career, as Ed.
Highest rated performance · Career peak
2012Django Unchained
8.4 on the Nutevio scale, the top of the catalogue for this performer. Weighing billing against the film's own quality, this is the point where everything aligned at once.
Most recent film
2025Tin Soldier
The current state of the argument, as The Bokushi.
Our order
Every performance in the catalogue, ordered by Nutevio Score.
Every title
Filter by genre or decade, and compare any two titles side by side.
47 of 47 films
as Django Freeman
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
as Joe Gardner (voice)
Directed by Pete Docter
as Max Dillon / Electro
Directed by Jon Watts
as Narrator (voice)
Directed by Todd Kapostasy
From the library
Every movie and TV credit stored for this name in the Nutevio catalogue — filter by media, role or sort by rating.
Loading credits…
The defining work
#1
Django Freeman
Django Unchained (2012)
Performance score8.8
The performance the rest of the career is read through. Django Freeman gives Jamie Foxx a structure to work against, and the film hands over its centre of gravity without hesitation.
View movie#2
Joe Gardner (voice)
Soul (2020)
Performance score8.7
Soul asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Joe Gardner (voice) is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#3
Max Dillon / Electro
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Performance score8.3
Spider-Man: No Way Home asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Max Dillon / Electro is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movie#4
Self
Luther: Never Too Much (2024)
Performance score8.2
Luther: Never Too Much asks for something the previous films did not, and gets it. Self is played without a single line of pleading for the audience's sympathy — which is exactly why it lands.
View movieStart here
A guided path through the work, ordered so each film explains the next.
Best entry point
as Django Freeman
Start here. Django Unchained is the clearest statement of what Jamie Foxx does — accessible, 165 minutes, and rated 8.4 by our editors. No context required.
Our editors order this path by accessibility first and chronology second. You meet Jamie at the most legible performance, then move forward in time so each film reads as a response to the one before it rather than a repetition of it.
Rodman: For Better or Worse (2019)
A deliberate change of key after Django Unchained — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Soul (2020)
A deliberate change of key after Rodman: For Better or Worse — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
A deliberate change of key after Soul — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Luther: Never Too Much (2024)
A deliberate change of key after Spider-Man: No Way Home — same instrument, unfamiliar tuning, and the reason range gets mentioned.
Company kept
The directors and performers this career keeps returning to.
Michael Mann
Director
3 films together
Notably Collateral
Carlos Saldanha
Director
2 films together
Notably Rio
Seth Gordon
Director
2 films together
Notably Horrible Bosses
Michael Lehmann
Director
1 film together
Notably The Truth About Cats & Dogs
Oliver Stone
Director
1 film together
Notably Any Given Sunday
Sam Mendes
Director
1 film together
Notably Jarhead
Bill Condon
Director
1 film together
Notably Dreamgirls
Peter Berg
Director
1 film together
Notably The Kingdom
Joe Wright
Director
1 film together
Notably The Soloist
F. Gary Gray
Director
1 film together
Notably Law Abiding Citizen
Casey Affleck
Director
1 film together
Notably I'm Still Here
Garry Marshall
Director
1 film together
Notably Valentine's Day
Todd Phillips
Director
1 film together
Notably Due Date
Quentin Tarantino
Director
1 film together
Notably Django Unchained
Roland Emmerich
Director
1 film together
Notably White House Down
Will Gluck
Director
1 film together
Notably Annie
Marc Webb
Director
1 film together
Notably The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Baran bo Odar
Director
1 film together
Notably Sleepless
Edgar Wright
Director
1 film together
Notably Baby Driver
Otto Bathurst
Director
1 film together
Notably Robin Hood
Ben Turner
Director
1 film together
Notably Hitsville: The Making of Motown
Todd Kapostasy
Director
1 film together
Notably Rodman: For Better or Worse
Reginald Hudlin
Director
1 film together
Notably The Black Godfather
Destin Daniel Cretton
Director
1 film together
Notably Just Mercy
Henry Joost
Director
1 film together
Notably Project Power
Pete Docter
Director
1 film together
Notably Soul
Nas
Director
1 film together
Notably You're Watching Video Music Box
Jon Watts
Director
1 film together
Notably Spider-Man: No Way Home
J.J. Perry
Director
1 film together
Notably Day Shift
Nick Cassavetes
Director
1 film together
Notably God Is a Bullet
Josh Greenbaum
Director
1 film together
Notably Strays
Dawn Porter
Director
1 film together
Notably Luther: Never Too Much
Angus Wall
Director
1 film together
Notably Being Eddie
Behind the camera
Who casts this performer, how often, and what the pairing produces.
Michael Mann
Director
3 films together · 6.7 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 3 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
CollateralCarlos Saldanha
Director
2 films together · 6.7 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
RioSeth Gordon
Director
2 films together · 6.5 avg MV
A working relationship rather than a booking — 2 films, and the register shifts each time.
Best film together
Horrible BossesQuentin Tarantino
Director
1 film together · 8.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Django UnchainedJon Watts
Director
1 film together · 8.3 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Spider-Man: No Way HomePete Docter
Director
1 film together · 8.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
SoulDawn Porter
Director
1 film together · 8.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Luther: Never Too MuchTodd Kapostasy
Director
1 film together · 8.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Rodman: For Better or WorseDestin Daniel Cretton
Director
1 film together · 7.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Just MercyBen Turner
Director
1 film together · 7.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Hitsville: The Making of MotownEdgar Wright
Director
1 film together · 7.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Baby DriverF. Gary Gray
Director
1 film together · 7.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Law Abiding CitizenJosh Greenbaum
Director
1 film together · 7.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
StraysAngus Wall
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Being EddieMarc Webb
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Amazing Spider-Man 2Peter Berg
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The KingdomOliver Stone
Director
1 film together · 6.8 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Any Given SundayJ.J. Perry
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Day ShiftJoe Wright
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The SoloistBill Condon
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
DreamgirlsSam Mendes
Director
1 film together · 6.7 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
JarheadReginald Hudlin
Director
1 film together · 6.6 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Black GodfatherRoland Emmerich
Director
1 film together · 6.5 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
White House DownNas
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
You're Watching Video Music BoxHenry Joost
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Project PowerTodd Phillips
Director
1 film together · 6.4 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Due DateNick Cassavetes
Director
1 film together · 6.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
God Is a BulletWill Gluck
Director
1 film together · 6.2 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
AnnieMichael Lehmann
Director
1 film together · 6.1 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
The Truth About Cats & DogsCasey Affleck
Director
1 film together · 6.0 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
I'm Still HereOtto Bathurst
Director
1 film together · 5.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Robin HoodBaran bo Odar
Director
1 film together · 5.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
SleeplessGarry Marshall
Director
1 film together · 5.9 avg MV
One film, but the kind that reorganises how a performer is cast afterwards.
Best film together
Valentine's DaySix degrees
Follow the thread outward — director, film, co-star, and the film after that.
Categories of our own
Six editorial categories we apply to every performer we cover.
Most rewatchable
Spider-Man: No Way Home
as Max Dillon / Electro
The one that survives a fourth viewing. Nothing in the performance depends on surprise, which is why it keeps paying out.
Most emotional performance
Soul
as Joe Gardner (voice)
Grief played at conversational volume. The film never asks the audience to cry; the performance simply makes it difficult not to.
Most influential performance
Django Unchained
as Django Freeman
You can hear this reading in other actors' auditions a decade later — the surest measure of influence there is.
Best ensemble performance
You're Watching Video Music Box
as Self (archive footage)
Work that makes everyone else in the frame better without ever pulling the camera towards itself.
Career defining performance
Django Unchained
as Django Freeman
If the career had to be argued in a single scene, our editors would pick one from this film and rest the case.
In their films' words
“You can build a whole film around a performer who knows when not to speak. Jamie Foxx has known it for a long time.”
Head to head
Put two careers on the same scale and see where the argument actually sits.
Ours alone
Recognitions handed out by this desk, on criteria no awards body uses.
Career Achievement
Awarded
29 years of relevant work — not merely a long career, but a long career of choices.
Modern Classic Performer
Awarded
Defining performances delivered inside the last twenty-five years, in films already being taught rather than merely remembered.
Drama Legend
Awarded
16 catalogue titles in drama, each one a reference point for the films that followed.
Our desk
Best ending, best opening, best twist and the rest — categories we apply to everyone we cover.
Best ending
Soul
as Joe Gardner (voice)
The last five minutes reorganise everything before them, and hold up when you already know what's coming.
Best opening
Spider-Man: No Way Home
as Max Dillon / Electro
A first sequence that states the rules of the film without explaining a single one of them.
Most emotional
The Burial
as Willie E. Gary
The film where the technique steps aside and lets the feeling arrive undefended.
Best twist
They Cloned Tyrone
as Slick Charles
A reversal earned by information the film gave you and trusted you to misread.
Best visual achievement
Spider-Man: No Way Home
as Max Dillon / Electro
Images that would survive with the sound switched off.
Best action sequence
Spider-Man: No Way Home
as Max Dillon / Electro
Geography, stakes and consequence held in the same frame — spectacle you can follow.
Best dialogue
Soul
as Joe Gardner (voice)
Lines written to be spoken, staged so the pauses do half the work.
Most underrated film
Spider-Man: No Way Home
as Max Dillon / Electro
The public vote sits below ours on this one, and the direction is the reason for the gap.
If you like this performer
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Built a career in the same territory: adventure and drama
Michael Caine
Built a career in the same territory: adventure and drama
Tom Hanks
Built a career in the same territory: animation and family
Bonnie Hunt
Built a career in the same territory: animation and family
Harvey Keitel
Works with the same directors — Quentin Tarantino
Ted Levine
Works with the same directors — shared collaborators
Have your say
Community
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Reference
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