Jamie Foxx is first African American lead in Pixar film

Los Angeles, March 13

Actor Jamie Foxx says he is honored to be the first-ever African American lead in a Pixar film.

The actor voices the protagonist in Disney and Pixar’s upcoming film, “Soul”.

“Honoured to be the first ever African American lead in a Pixar film. 100 days away. I cannot wait for you all to see this beautiful story,” Foxx shared on his Instagram.

Directed by the two-time Oscar winner Pete Docter, the film’s voice cast include names like Tina Fey, Phylicia Rashad, Angela Bassett, Questlove and Daveed Diggs. It is slated to release in June.

The trailer of the animated film takes viewers on the journey of Joe Gardner, a middle-school band teacher (voiced by Foxx) and how he is about to find his true calling. Having lost his passion for music, Joe seeks the help of a soul named 22 to find his way back and, in the process, learn a lot about himself on a journey of discovery, introspection and self-realisation.

“Soul” will be the second Pixar original film for 2020 following the recent release of “Onward”, with Chris Pratt and Tom Holland.

Set in a suburban fantasy world, “Onward” is about two teenage elf brothers who embark on a quest to discover if there is a little magic left in the world. Pratt has voiced the character of Barley Lightfoot, the big brother to Holland’s Ian Lightfoot. “Onward” released in India on March 6.