Jamie Foxx

The man who would be free.

Jamie Foxx is an American actor who stars in Quentin Tarantino's 2012 revisionist Western film Django Unchained. He plays the title character, Django, an enslaved man who trains under a German bounty hunter with the goal of reuniting with his wife. Foxx was cast after Michael K. Williams and Will Smith were considered for the role. His performance is part of a cast that includes Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Last updated 2026-09-29 from the source article.

Quick Facts

Birth name

Eric Marlon Bishop

Born

13 December 1967

Birthplace

Terrell, Texas, U.S.

Education

United States International University (BA)

Occupation

Actor
comedian
singer
producer
pianist

Children

2, including Corinne

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

In the film, set in the Antebellum South and Old West, Django is initially one of several male African American slaves being driven by the Speck Brothers, Ace and Dicky. He is sold off and separated from his wife, Broomhilda. Dr. King Schultz, a German ex-dentist and bounty hunter, buys Django's freedom in exchange for help tracking the Brittle Brothers. Django proves his natural ability with gunslinging and becomes Schultz's apprentice through the winter. He collects his first bounty, keeping the handbill as a good luck charm. The ultimate goal is to rescue Broomhilda from Calvin Candie's Candyland Plantation. After Schultz is killed, Django is captured and sold to a mine, but he escapes by convincing his escorts he is a bounty hunter, kills them, and returns to Candyland. He frees Broomhilda, kills Candie's remaining henchmen, kneecaps Stephen, and ignites dynamite to destroy the mansion before riding off with Broomhilda.

Reader's Guide

In Quentin Tarantino's explosive reimagining of the spaghetti Western, Jamie Foxx delivers a career-defining performance as Stephen. Unlike the overtly violent henchmen surrounding him, Foxx portrays a villain whose power stems from psychological manipulation and absolute loyalty to his master, Calvin Candie. As the head house slave on the Big Daddy plantation, Stephen serves as the gatekeeper of the estate's secrets, making him arguably more dangerous than the hired guns. His screen presence is understated yet terrifying, relying on subtle glances and calculated dialogue rather than shouting matches. Foxx captures the complexity of a man who understands his precarious position in a society built on slavery while simultaneously exploiting it to maintain control over others. This nuanced portrayal adds depth to the film's exploration of power dynamics beyond simple good versus evil narratives. Working alongside heavyweights like Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio, Foxx holds his own in every scene he inhabits. His character arc culminates in a violent confrontation that underscores the brutal stakes of the narrative.