August 29, 2004: Headlines: COS - Bolivia: Movies: Music: Hollywood: USA Today: Ray Charles himself insisted that director Taylor Hackford tell the truth, no matter how downbeat — the heroin addiction, cold-hearted business dealings and rampant womanizing that compromised his marriage — as well as celebrate the more up-tempo memories.

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Bolivia: Special Report: Screenwriter, Director, and Bolivia RPCV Taylor Hackford: August 29, 2004: Headlines: COS - Bolivia: Movies: Music: Hollywood: USA Today: Ray Charles himself insisted that director Taylor Hackford tell the truth, no matter how downbeat — the heroin addiction, cold-hearted business dealings and rampant womanizing that compromised his marriage — as well as celebrate the more up-tempo memories.

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-141-157-21-111.balt.east.verizon.net - 141.157.21.111) on Sunday, November 07, 2004 - 10:18 am: Edit Post

Ray Charles himself insisted that director Taylor Hackford tell the truth, no matter how downbeat — the heroin addiction, cold-hearted business dealings and rampant womanizing that compromised his marriage — as well as celebrate the more up-tempo memories.

Ray Charles himself insisted that director Taylor Hackford tell the truth, no matter how downbeat — the heroin addiction, cold-hearted business dealings and rampant womanizing that compromised his marriage — as well as celebrate the more up-tempo memories.

Ray Charles himself insisted that director Taylor Hackford tell the truth, no matter how downbeat — the heroin addiction, cold-hearted business dealings and rampant womanizing that compromised his marriage — as well as celebrate the more up-tempo memories.

The art & soul of Jamie Foxx

By Susan Wloszczyna, USA TODAY

TORONTO — For a good time, call Jamie Foxx.

Critical favorite: Jamie Foxx received a standing ovation at the Toronto International Film Festival for his role in the Ray Charles biopic.
By Nicola Goode, Universal Studios

The actor's rep as the L.A. host with the most is legendary. "I've thrown parties for Puffy, Mya, Tweet, Jay-Z," he says, ticking off an elite fleet of uni-monikered guests. "They've all been at my house."

[Excerpt]

Besides, Brother Ray himself insisted that director Taylor Hackford tell the truth, no matter how downbeat — the heroin addiction, cold-hearted business dealings and rampant womanizing that compromised his marriage — as well as celebrate the more up-tempo memories.

The truth is, you can't imagine another human being who could don the shades, pound the keys and smile that joyous smile with as much authority and power as Foxx. The transformation is seamless.

"When you make a biography, you live or die by the person who plays the lead role," says Hackford, who began his feature career with 1980's The Idolmaker, a tribute to early pop idols.

Foxx first caught his eye in supporting roles in dramas, as a cocky third-string quarterback in Any Given Sunday and as balding ring man Bundini Brown in Ali. But despite Foxx's physical resemblance to Charles, Hackford wasn't convinced he could pull it off.

"He hadn't carried a movie yet. We met, and I told him how difficult it was going to be to lip sync and everything else. As for the piano, I told him someone else would do it. He said, 'You don't have to do that. I play the piano.' I said, 'I play the piano, too, but we're not Ray Charles.' "

That's when Foxx explained how he started playing when he was 3, led the gospel choir in his church and went to university on a piano scholarship. Says a duly impressed Hackford, "I stopped looking."

Then there's the dedication factor. "His style sometimes belies his commitment," says the filmmaker, nursing his hoarseness with hot tea after a night of revelry with Foxx.

"I told him that to understand Ray Charles, he needed to cover his eyes and go blind," Hackford says. "Most actors would say, 'Yeah, I'll do that for a day.' Jamie went blind for the whole film."

During the shoot, Foxx wore prosthetic devices that obscured his vision.

"I hyperventilated for the first week and a half," he recalls. "You feel like you're being closed up. I got used to it, but other people didn't. They would say, 'Lunch, everybody,' and everybody would leave and forget I couldn't get up and walk around."

He also dropped 30 pounds, mainly muscle, to gain a leaner Ray-like physique. Other required attributes came more naturally, such as both men's shared abundance of seductive charm. Foxx has been known to cause the likes of racket-swinging diva Serena Williams to sweat just by serenading her with a silly ditty called Can I Be Your Tennis Ball?





When this story was posted in November 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Your vote makes a difference Your vote makes a difference
Make a difference on November 2 - Vote. Then take our RPCV exit poll. See how RPCV's are voting and take a look at the RPCV voter demographic. Finally leave a message on why you voted for John Kerry or for George Bush. Previous poll results here.
Kerry reaches out to Returned Volunteers Kerry reaches out to Returned Volunteers
The Kerry campaign wants the RPCV vote. Read our interview with Dave Magnani, Massachusetts State Senator and Founder of "RPCVs for Kerry," and his answers to our questions about Kerry's plan to triple the size of the Peace Corps, should the next PC Director be an RPCV, and Safety and Security issues. Then read the "RPCVs for Kerry" statement of support and statements by Dr. Robert Pastor, Ambassador Parker Borg, and Paul Oostburg Sanz made at the "RPCVs for Kerry" Press Conference.

RPCV Carl Pope says the key to winning this election is not swaying undecided voters, but persuading those already willing to vote for your candidate to actually go to the polls.

Take our poll and tell us what you are doing to support your candidate.

Finally read our wrap-up of the eight RPCVs in Senate and House races around the country and where the candidates are in their races.

Director Gaddi Vasquez:  The PCOL Interview Director Gaddi Vasquez: The PCOL Interview
PCOL sits down for an extended interview with Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez. Read the entire interview from start to finish and we promise you will learn something about the Peace Corps you didn't know before.

Plus the debate continues over Safety and Security.
Schwarzenegger praises PC at Convention Schwarzenegger praises PC at Convention
Governor Schwarzenegger praised the Peace Corps at the Republican National Convention: "We're the America that sends out Peace Corps volunteers to teach village children." Schwarzenegger has previously acknowledged his debt to his father-in-law, Peace Corps Founding Director Sargent Shriver, for teaching him "the joy of public service" and Arnold is encouraging volunteerism by creating California Service Corps and tapping his wife, Maria Shriver, to lead it. Leave your comments and who can come up with the best Current Events Funny?
 Peace Corps: One of the Best Faces of America Peace Corps: One of the Best Faces of America
Teresa Heinz Kerry celebrates the Peace Corps Volunteer as one of the best faces America has ever projected in a speech to the Democratic Convention. The National Review disagreed and said that Heinz's celebration of the PCV was "truly offensive." What's your opinion and can you come up with a Political Funny?


Read the stories and leave your comments.






Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: USA Today

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Bolivia; Movies; Music; Hollywood

PCOL14517
84

.


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: