Act better! Academy Award-winner Jamie Foxx takes a dig at Will Smith's Oscar boycott
PUBLISHED: 11:42 EST, 24 February 2016 | UPDATED: 15:51 EST, 24 February 2016
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Foxx versus Smith: Jamie Foxx took a veiled dig at Will Smith's #OscarsSoWhite boycott during the American Black Film Festival Awards in Beverly Hills on Sunday
The reason Will Smith doesn't have an Oscar is because he isn't a good enough actor, Jamie Foxx has implied.
Speaking at the American Black Film Festival Awards in Beverly Hills on Sunday, the Academy Award-winning actor make a joke about how he doesn't get 'what's the big deal' with Smith's Oscar boycott.
Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith are not attending this year's Academy Awards, citing systemic racism in the industry that has led the acting nominees to be all white actors for a second year in a row.
'All these Oscar talks, I don't even trip about that. I mean, what's the big deal? I was sitting at home with my Oscar, like 'What's all the hubbub?' Foxx said at Sunday night's event, as he was introducing producer Will Packer for the Distinguished ABFF Alumni Award.
'My friend said, "Are you mad?" "Um, kind of, but not really,"' Foxx continued. 'I started calling Denzel [Washington], and we just Instagrammed our Oscars together.'
He also made fun of Smith's Nigerian accent in the film Concussion, for which the 47-year-old actor only received a Golden Globes nomination of the three major American award ceremonies.
Foxx finished his bit by calling out '#WhatsTheBigDeal?' and '#ActBetter' - with the audience reportedly roaring with laughter.
As he changed the subject to acting legend Sidney Poitier, Foxx explained whey he doesn't care so much for the #OscarsSoWhite movement.
'I was with Sidney Poitier just a couple weeks ago, and in 1963 all he asked for was an opportunity to act,' Foxx said. 'That's all we have to do, opportunity. If you turn the camera on and say "OK . . . win an award . . . and action," we'll all have taken, like, 10 steps back. It's all about the art. Who cares about anything else?'
Drama: The 48-year-old Django Unchained star made fun of Smith's accent in the film Concussion (above) and then implied black actors should 'act better' if they want to win awards
Usually the presenting roles at award ceremonies are written by a staff, so it's unclear if Foxx's statements were his own.
Smith was not in the crowd for the award ceremony which was taped Sunday night, but other stars such as Pharrell Williams and Kerry Washington were in attendance.
While Smith has been a critic favorite since his jump into dramatic roles in the early 2000s, he has yet to win an Oscar, Golden Globe or Screen Actors Guild Award - despite being nominated for his roles in The Pursuit of Happyness and Ali.
AWARD NOMINATIONS AND WINS FOR JAMIE FOXX AND WILL SMITH
Jamie Foxx
Academy Awards
2004 - Nominated - Best Supporting Actor – Collateral
2004 - Won - Best Actor – Ray
Will Smith
Academy Awards
2002 - Nominated - Best Actor - Ali
2007 - Nominated - Best Actor - The Pursuit of Happyness
Winners and losers: Foxx swept the Oscars, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2005 for his role in Ray (left). Smith has never won a major American acting award, despite being nominated for his roles in Ali (right) and The Pursuit of Happyness
Golden Globes
2005 - Won - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy - Ray
2004 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television - Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story
2004 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Collateral
Golden Globes
1993 - Nominated - Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Series - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1994 - Nominated - Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Series - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
2002 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama - Ali
2007 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama - The Pursuit of Happyness
2015 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama - Concussion
Screen Actors Guild
2007 - Nominated - Actor Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture – Dreamgirls
2005 - Won - Actor Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role – Ray
2004 - Nominated - Actor Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture – Ray
2004, Nominated - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role – Collateral
2004 - Nominated - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries – Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story
Screen Actors Guild
2007 - Nominated - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role - The Pursuit of Happyness
RELATED ARTICLES
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Trophy holder: Foxx also name-dropped buddy Denzel Washington in his speech. Washington has won an Oscar twice - in 1989 for Best Supporting Actor in Glory and in 2001 for Best Actor in Training Day (above)
Foxx on the other hand, swept the Oscars, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2005 for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the biopic Ray.
This isn't the first time the two men haven't seen eye to eye.
Foxx was cast at the lead role in Quentin Tarantino's critically-acclaimed spaghetti western Django Unchained, after Smith dropped out.
Smith later said he quit the movie because he and Tarantino couldn't see eye to eye on the focus of the story.
'It was about the creative direction of the story. To me, it's as perfect a story as you could ever want: a guy that learns how to kill to retrieve his wife that has been taken as a slave. That idea is perfect. And it was just that Quentin and I couldn't see [eye to eye],' Smith told The Hollywood Reporter.
'I wanted to make that movie so badly, but I felt the only way was, it had to be a love story, not a vengeance story.'
Some critics have accused Smith of boycotting this year's Oscars for personal reasons, since he was not nominated for his role in Concussion.
Nevertheless, the boycott has resulted in the Academy admitting there is a problem and they have pledged to double minority membership by 2020.
In addition to the Smiths, Oscars host Chris Rock and even President Obama have weighed in on the awards ceremony scandal.
- Jamie Foxx asked 'what's the big deal' with the Oscars boycott while speaking at the American Black Film Festival Awards on Sunday
- Foxx said he's 'not really' mad that the field of Oscar acting nominees are all white for a second year in a row
- 'I started calling Denzel [Washington], and we just Instagrammed our Oscars together,' Foxx said.
- He then went on to make fun of Smith's Nigerian accent in the movie Concussion before yelling out '#ActBetter'
- Foxx, 48, won the Oscar, Golden Globe and Screen Actor's Guild awards for best acting for his role in the 2004 film Ray
- Smith, 47, has never won any of the three awards, despite receiving nominations for Ali, The Pursuit of Happyness and Concussion
- See more Oscars updates at www.dailymail.co.uk/oscars
PUBLISHED: 11:42 EST, 24 February 2016 | UPDATED: 15:51 EST, 24 February 2016
156
View comments
+5
Foxx versus Smith: Jamie Foxx took a veiled dig at Will Smith's #OscarsSoWhite boycott during the American Black Film Festival Awards in Beverly Hills on Sunday
The reason Will Smith doesn't have an Oscar is because he isn't a good enough actor, Jamie Foxx has implied.
Speaking at the American Black Film Festival Awards in Beverly Hills on Sunday, the Academy Award-winning actor make a joke about how he doesn't get 'what's the big deal' with Smith's Oscar boycott.
Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith are not attending this year's Academy Awards, citing systemic racism in the industry that has led the acting nominees to be all white actors for a second year in a row.
'All these Oscar talks, I don't even trip about that. I mean, what's the big deal? I was sitting at home with my Oscar, like 'What's all the hubbub?' Foxx said at Sunday night's event, as he was introducing producer Will Packer for the Distinguished ABFF Alumni Award.
'My friend said, "Are you mad?" "Um, kind of, but not really,"' Foxx continued. 'I started calling Denzel [Washington], and we just Instagrammed our Oscars together.'
He also made fun of Smith's Nigerian accent in the film Concussion, for which the 47-year-old actor only received a Golden Globes nomination of the three major American award ceremonies.
Foxx finished his bit by calling out '#WhatsTheBigDeal?' and '#ActBetter' - with the audience reportedly roaring with laughter.
As he changed the subject to acting legend Sidney Poitier, Foxx explained whey he doesn't care so much for the #OscarsSoWhite movement.
'I was with Sidney Poitier just a couple weeks ago, and in 1963 all he asked for was an opportunity to act,' Foxx said. 'That's all we have to do, opportunity. If you turn the camera on and say "OK . . . win an award . . . and action," we'll all have taken, like, 10 steps back. It's all about the art. Who cares about anything else?'
Drama: The 48-year-old Django Unchained star made fun of Smith's accent in the film Concussion (above) and then implied black actors should 'act better' if they want to win awards
Usually the presenting roles at award ceremonies are written by a staff, so it's unclear if Foxx's statements were his own.
Smith was not in the crowd for the award ceremony which was taped Sunday night, but other stars such as Pharrell Williams and Kerry Washington were in attendance.
While Smith has been a critic favorite since his jump into dramatic roles in the early 2000s, he has yet to win an Oscar, Golden Globe or Screen Actors Guild Award - despite being nominated for his roles in The Pursuit of Happyness and Ali.
AWARD NOMINATIONS AND WINS FOR JAMIE FOXX AND WILL SMITH
Jamie Foxx
Academy Awards
2004 - Nominated - Best Supporting Actor – Collateral
2004 - Won - Best Actor – Ray
Will Smith
Academy Awards
2002 - Nominated - Best Actor - Ali
2007 - Nominated - Best Actor - The Pursuit of Happyness
Winners and losers: Foxx swept the Oscars, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2005 for his role in Ray (left). Smith has never won a major American acting award, despite being nominated for his roles in Ali (right) and The Pursuit of Happyness
Golden Globes
2005 - Won - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy - Ray
2004 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television - Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story
2004 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Collateral
Golden Globes
1993 - Nominated - Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Series - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
1994 - Nominated - Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy Series - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
2002 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama - Ali
2007 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama - The Pursuit of Happyness
2015 - Nominated - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama - Concussion
Screen Actors Guild
2007 - Nominated - Actor Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture – Dreamgirls
2005 - Won - Actor Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role – Ray
2004 - Nominated - Actor Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture – Ray
2004, Nominated - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role – Collateral
2004 - Nominated - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries – Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story
Screen Actors Guild
2007 - Nominated - Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role - The Pursuit of Happyness
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Trophy holder: Foxx also name-dropped buddy Denzel Washington in his speech. Washington has won an Oscar twice - in 1989 for Best Supporting Actor in Glory and in 2001 for Best Actor in Training Day (above)
Foxx on the other hand, swept the Oscars, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2005 for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the biopic Ray.
This isn't the first time the two men haven't seen eye to eye.
Foxx was cast at the lead role in Quentin Tarantino's critically-acclaimed spaghetti western Django Unchained, after Smith dropped out.
Smith later said he quit the movie because he and Tarantino couldn't see eye to eye on the focus of the story.
'It was about the creative direction of the story. To me, it's as perfect a story as you could ever want: a guy that learns how to kill to retrieve his wife that has been taken as a slave. That idea is perfect. And it was just that Quentin and I couldn't see [eye to eye],' Smith told The Hollywood Reporter.
'I wanted to make that movie so badly, but I felt the only way was, it had to be a love story, not a vengeance story.'
Some critics have accused Smith of boycotting this year's Oscars for personal reasons, since he was not nominated for his role in Concussion.
Nevertheless, the boycott has resulted in the Academy admitting there is a problem and they have pledged to double minority membership by 2020.
In addition to the Smiths, Oscars host Chris Rock and even President Obama have weighed in on the awards ceremony scandal.
