“Beat Shazam” Co-Host Corinne Foxx Talks Upcoming Projects and Career Advice from Father Jamie Foxx

Photo Credit: Ryan West

Corinne Foxx is on the rise. The 25-year-old daughter of Jamie Foxx was first introduced to the world as Miss Golden Globe 2016, and now is following in her famous father’s footsteps by becoming immersed in the world of entertainment. She co-hosts (alongside her dad) and DJs on FOX’s hit show, “Beat Shazam,” which is now in its third season,  and can next be seen on the big screen this summer with a starring role (it’s her first feature film) alongside Sylvester Stallone‘s daughter Sistine in “47 Meters Down: Uncaged” releasing wide in theaters on August 16. We chatted with Foxx about growing up in Hollywood, her career goals, and the best advice she’s been given from her Oscar-winning dad. 

Photo Credit: Corinne Foxx

What is your favorite part about “Beat Shazam” this season?

My favorite part about the show is our contestants. Our producers do a great job at picking people with such amazing stories. I love to see our contestants win a life changing amount of money each week. We also have so much fun on the show. Now that I’m in my 2nd season on the show, I feel like I’m really in my groove and flow. There’s going to be a lot of funny moments with me and my dad this season.

We recently saw the teaser trailer for your new upcoming film “47 Meters Down: Uncaged.” Tell us more about the movie?

“47 Meters Down: Uncaged” is my first feature film so it’s really special to me. It was an incredibly difficult film to shoot because I didn’t know how to swim before the movie, and 70-80% was filmed underwater so that was a huge learning curve in addition to learning how to dive. I’m really excited for everyone to see it!

You star with Sistine Stallone. Did you know her growing up? Did you compare notes growing up as the daughters of two Hollywood stars?

I was really excited when I heard that Sistine was attached to the project because her and I have worked together in the past. We have done a Dolce & Gabbana show together and various shoots, so it was nice to have a familiar face on set. I think we really bonded because it was both of our first feature films and we got super close filming the movie. It is cool that both of our dads did a movie together in the past (“Shade”).

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

On that note, what is the best piece of advice your father ever gave you?

Career wise, my dad tells me to always have fun with whatever you are doing. If you’re not enjoying your work, then you’re not doing the right thing. Both of my parents are so passionate about their work, so I don’t want to settle for anything that doesn’t spark joy.

Was it hard or easy or somewhere in between growing up as the daughter of such a big star? Why/why not?

I grew up relatively as normal as possible. My parents prioritized me doing chores, getting a summer job, and not letting my dad’s status get in the way. When I was younger, I did struggle with people’s assumptions of me and looking at me a certain way.

What kind of career would you like to have? Whose career trajectory would you like to emulate and why?

I hope my career is very multi-faceted. I’m interested in a lot of different fields. Writing, acting, one day I hope to have a book, a show, and maybe run for office. The career trajectory I would like to emulate is Jessica Alba’s. She started in film, and now is the CEO of The Honest Company. She does both, she has a huge company and still does projects for film/television.

Photo Credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

You work with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Can you tell us more about the foundation, your work within it and why you became involved?

I’ve been working with NAMI for 2 years now and our relationship has been pretty organic. I was diagnosed with anxiety when I was 14. Once I got older and became more comfortable speaking about it, I got aligned with organizations that support mental health. There are a lot of campaigns we have worked on to help end the stigma. Now, this month I have been invited by NAMI to The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity where I will be speaking on a panel about de-stigmatizing mental health across creative industries. Getting to be a voice and strong advocate in this space has been very rewarding.

Outside of the entertainment industry, what else are you passionate about?

I have my own lifestyle website called Foxxtales. It’s an outlet for me and my writing. I have always been a writer and Foxxtales was created to share content with people. The other aspect to the website is that it’s a girl powered shop where we link people to women who have started their own businesses, and give those women a platform to launch off of.

Can you tell us something that others might not realize about you?

I think people wouldn’t assume that I wasn’t the “cool kid” growing up. I was actually bullied in high school. But I overcame it and ended up starting a Bullying Prevention campaign at my high school during my senior year.