All in the family! Jamie Foxx revealed that he’s been joined by a pair of unconventional house guests for quite some time: his divorced parents.
The 52-year-old actor opened up about why his latest movie, Just Mercy, struck a personal chord with him during an appearance on the U.K.’s Graham Norton Show on Friday, January 17. The film tells the story of a young lawyer (Michael B. Jordan) who travels to Alabama to defend a man (Foxx) who was wrongfully convicted of murder.
Playing an incarcerated man in Just Mercy brought up a mix of strong emotions for Foxx. Years ago, his father, Darrel Bishop, was put in jail for seven years after being caught in possession of a small amount of illegal substances.
“This man was an educator of kids in the inner city and he taught me everything I know,” the SAG nominee explained, tearing up slightly as he remembered his father’s impact on his life.
The Grammy winner continued, “I couldn’t visit him in jail because I saw him as a king. But I wrote to him to say, ‘Things have gotten good for me and when you get out I will save your life,’ and he has been living with me for 20 years now.”
Supporting his father over the years has been rewarding, but Foxx’s living situation became even more unconventional when his mother, Louise Talley Dixon, decided to move in as well.
“I would always send her a ticket to come and visit, and about 12 years ago, she took me up on the offer and she came for Christmas,” Foxx said. “New Year’s came and went, then her birthday in January and then all of a sudden it was February and she hadn’t left.”
Foxx’s parents divorced more than 25 years ago, but the Beat Shazam host hasn’t been put in an uncomfortable position by their shared presence in his home.
“They live under the same roof and what’s crazy is that he still dates, and my mother will go to his side of the house to check things out!” Foxx joked. “It’s a weirdly fun household.”
