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Topics: Celebrity, US News, Parenting, Netflix, TV And Film
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Celebrity, US News, Parenting, Netflix, TV And Film
They say 'life imitates art', but in the case of Jamie Foxx's latest project - action-comedy Back In Action - it seems to be the other way around.
The star-studded spy movie landed on Netflix today after much anticipation, with the 57-year-old actor revealing to Tyla this week that a 'riff' he'd endured with his own children actually inspired one of the film's most hilarious scenes.
For those out of the loop, Academy Award-winning actor Jamie returned to showbiz last year after taking a lengthy break due to his health.
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The father-of-two suffered a stroke in 2023, which triggered a bleed on his brain and put his life in critical condition.
Thankfully, Jamie recovered, and last year, began seeking work in the entertainment industry again - around the time that the script for Back In Action landed on his doorstep.
The movie - in which he stars as lead, alongside long-time friend Cameron Diaz - tells the story of two CIA spies, who give up their work after discovering they're having a baby.
Fast-forward 15 years, and Matt and Emily are living undercover as parents-of-two with normal jobs, desperately seeking the affection and approval of their teenage children - particularly their daughter, who has just found herself a new boyfriend.
That is, until they're dragged back in to the world of espionage when a blast from the past catches wind of their whereabouts.
All in all, the film is a knee-slapping success, with Jamie and Cameron receiving praise for the authentic way they're both able to portray uber-protective parents.
And when asked by Tyla this week whether Back In Action's family themes of rang any bells from his own personal life, Jamie replied: "When you have kids, that’s you everyday, especially if you care about your kids. Your kids will humble you.
"Cameron was so great in saying, ‘When we make the transition to just being parents [in the movie, as opposed to spies], we have to be mindful of certain things.’ And you see that."
Discussing winning over his real-life youngest daughter Anelise, he joked: "With my 16-year-old, I’ll say, 'Come on! Aren’t you excited’, and she’ll say [looking at the ground, ‘Huh? Yeah…'."
It was then that the actor disclosed that one of the film's funniest scenes - which sees his on-screen daughter accusing him of hating on her new beau because 'he's white' - was inspired by very real beef with his eldest child, Corrine.
"My oldest daughter, we were having our first little tiff," Jamie recalled of his now 30-year-old, whom he shares with ex Corrine Kline.
"And she said, 'Dad, you’re just mad because my boyfriend is white', and I’m like, 'Girl, your mamma is white. What are you talking about?'.
"So, we actually put that in. We’ve got kids and I believe that plays really well."
Revealing how he came to be involved in the new streaming-service production, Jamie told press: "I was working on another project in Greece when this came to me.
"I thought it was a great premise and I humbly laid down at the feet of Cameron Diaz to ask, 'Would you just wave at your fans and come hang out and do this film with me?'. And she was gracious."
Back In Action is on Netflix 17th January.