Will Smith Wishes Jamie Foxx a Happy Early Birthday: 'Glad to See You Back Doing What You Love'

Mar. 15, 2025

Will Smith and Jamie Foxx on Nov. 1, 2015.Photo:Kevin Mazur/HFA2015/WireImage

Kevin Mazur/HFA2015/WireImage

Will Smithis shouting outJamie Foxxas hisnew Netflix specialbegins streaming.On Tuesday, Dec 10, Smith, 56, shared a black-and-white photo of himself and Foxx, who turns 57 on Dec. 13, toInstagramas he wished his friend a happy birthday and celebrated Foxx’s return to standup comedy inWhat Had Happened Was…“First Off: Happy Early Bday, Foxx! I feel blessed to take another adventure around the Sun ☀️ with you,” Smith wrote in a caption to his photo. “Second: I’m glad to see you back doing what you LOVE. Welcome home. I can’t wait to check it out.““Y’all go watch @iamjamiefoxx’s special on @netflix TODAY,” Smith added in the caption.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.In Foxx’s Netflix special, the actor and comedian revealed that he experienced a “brain bleed that led to a stroke” during that medical emergency on the set of his upcoming movieBack in Action. “Before I could get the aspirin [clicks his fingers] I went out. I don’t remember 20 days,” he said, sharing that his sister Deidra Dixon took him to Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, where he underwent emergency surgery. As Foxx recalled, he “woke up” on May 4, 2023 and found that he was sitting in a wheelchair as a friend explained to him that he experienced a stroke.Jamie Foxx and Will Smith on Feb. 8, 2011.Kevin Winter/GettyFoxx and Smith memorably costarred in director Michael Mann’s 2001 biopicAli, in which Smith portrayed the late boxing legendMuhammad Ali. Foxx played Drew Bundini Brown, one of Ali’s personal trainers.Smith was vocally supportive of Foxx on social media after Foxx firstbegan sharing information about his conditionfollowing his health scare back in July 2023. “Awww Man!! Who’s cuttin’ onions?? Love U Foxx,” Smith wrote in a comment on avideoFoxx shared at that time, in which the singer and actor first stated he “went through something I thought I would never ever go through.““Your Light Is Needed ‘n Appreciated Right Now,” Smith added in that Instagram comment.Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…is streaming on Netflix now.

Will Smithis shouting outJamie Foxxas hisnew Netflix specialbegins streaming.

On Tuesday, Dec 10, Smith, 56, shared a black-and-white photo of himself and Foxx, who turns 57 on Dec. 13, toInstagramas he wished his friend a happy birthday and celebrated Foxx’s return to standup comedy inWhat Had Happened Was…

“First Off: Happy Early Bday, Foxx! I feel blessed to take another adventure around the Sun ☀️ with you,” Smith wrote in a caption to his photo. “Second: I’m glad to see you back doing what you LOVE. Welcome home. I can’t wait to check it out.”

“Y’all go watch @iamjamiefoxx’s special on @netflix TODAY,” Smith added in the caption.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In Foxx’s Netflix special, the actor and comedian revealed that he experienced a “brain bleed that led to a stroke” during that medical emergency on the set of his upcoming movieBack in Action. “Before I could get the aspirin [clicks his fingers] I went out. I don’t remember 20 days,” he said, sharing that his sister Deidra Dixon took him to Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, where he underwent emergency surgery. As Foxx recalled, he “woke up” on May 4, 2023 and found that he was sitting in a wheelchair as a friend explained to him that he experienced a stroke.

Jamie Foxx and Will Smith on Feb. 8, 2011.Kevin Winter/Getty

Kevin Winter/Getty

Foxx and Smith memorably costarred in director Michael Mann’s 2001 biopicAli, in which Smith portrayed the late boxing legendMuhammad Ali. Foxx played Drew Bundini Brown, one of Ali’s personal trainers.

Smith was vocally supportive of Foxx on social media after Foxx firstbegan sharing information about his conditionfollowing his health scare back in July 2023. “Awww Man!! Who’s cuttin’ onions?? Love U Foxx,” Smith wrote in a comment on avideoFoxx shared at that time, in which the singer and actor first stated he “went through something I thought I would never ever go through.”

“Your Light Is Needed ‘n Appreciated Right Now,” Smith added in that Instagram comment.

Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…is streaming on Netflix now.

source: people.com