Jamie Foxx Recalls Post-Stroke Recovery: “I Was Denzel Washington”

Jamie Foxx says the first moments after waking up from a medical emergency were so surreal that he thought he was being pranked.

The Academy Award-winning actor opened up about the life-altering experience during his appearance on The Graham Norton Show.

Foxx, 55, revealed that after suffering a stroke in April 2023 while filming in Atlanta, he re-emerged from a 20-day coma with no memory of the ordeal that placed him there.

“I didn’t remember anything happening, so when I came to 20 days later, I thought I was being pranked,” Foxx told host Graham Norton. “It was beyond crazy.”

Best known for his roles in Ray and Django Unchained, the actor said that humor became a vital part of his recovery process.

“I knew I had to get back and realized the way to do it was by being funny,” he shared. Jamie Foxx even joked that his impersonations of other Hollywood icons kept him going.

“I told so many jokes people thought I was mad, and then I would act as someone else—for three whole days, I was Denzel Washington!” Jamie Foxx said.

Foxx first disclosed the details of his health scare in 2023 during a Netflix special, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…, explaining that he suffered a brain bleed as a result of the stroke.

Speaking about the ordeal he reflected on how close he came to losing everything.

“It makes you realize that you need people that care and love you around to get you through it,” he said.

More than a year and a half after the medical crisis, Foxx reassured fans that he’s on the mend and feeling like himself again.

“I was very unwell, but now I am back feeling good,” he said during the interview.

Currently promoting his latest action-comedy film, Back in Action, which pairs him with Cameron Diaz, Foxx appeared upbeat and grateful for what he described as a second chance at life.

The highly anticipated movie marks Diaz’s return to acting after an eight-year hiatus, and Foxx’s trademark energy during his promotional rounds demonstrates he’s ready to jump back into the limelight.