Oscars goes hip

Jamie Foxx, who seamlessly blended his piano playing with Ray Charles8217; vocal tracks, collected the best actor Oscar for starring as the legendary rhythm and blues singer in the biopic, Ray. Foxx thanked Charles, who died last June, and his late grandmother, who taught him to be both an actor and a 8220;Southern gentleman8221;. Foxx also was nominated for best supporting actor for Collateral, but lost it to Million Dollar Baby8217;s Morgan Freeman, who played the ex-boxer who managed Eastwood8217;s gym. Freeman8217;s first win won him a standing ovation. 8220;This is the fight I8217;ve been fighting all my life. This isn8217;t serendipity, in terms of being here,8221; he said.

The victories for the Black actors comes three years after Denzel Washington Training Day and Halle Berry Monster8217;s Ball won top prizes.

But it was Million Dollar Baby8217;s evening. 8220;I8217;m just a girl from a trailer park who had a dream,8221; Swank said, describing both her life and that of her character. 8212;LAT-WP