Ray (2004)

The extraordinary life story of Ray Charles.

DramaMusic

Born on a sharecropping plantation in Northern Florida, Ray Charles went blind at seven. Inspired by a fiercely independent mom who insisted he make his own way, He found his calling and his gift behind a piano keyboard. Touring across the Southern musical circuit, the soulful singer gained a reputation and then exploded with worldwide fame when he pioneered coupling gospel and country together.

Release Date: October 29, 2004
Runtime: 2h 32m
Rating: 7.4/10 (2201 votes)

Director: Taylor Hackford

Cast: Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Regina King, Harry Lennix, Clifton Powell, Bokeem Woodbine, Sharon Warren, C.J. Sanders

Production: Bristol Bay Productions, Universal Pictures, Anvil Films, Baldwin Entertainment Group

blindness and impaired vision country music jazz loss of loved one overdose bus ride georgia melancholy record producer biography

Budget: $40M
Revenue: $125M

Full Cast (31 people)

Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles
Kerry Washington as Della Bea Robinson
Regina King as Margie Hendricks
Harry Lennix as Joe Adams
Clifton Powell as Jeff Brown
Bokeem Woodbine as Fathead Newman
Sharon Warren as Aretha Robinson
C.J. Sanders as Young Ray Robinson
Curtis Armstrong as Ahmet Ertegun
Richard Schiff as Jerry Wexler
Larenz Tate as Quincy Jones
Terrence Howard as Gossie McGee
David Krumholtz as Milt Shaw
Wendell Pierce as Wilbur Brassfield
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Mary Ann Fisher
Chris Thomas King as Lowell Fulson
Thomas Jefferson Byrd as Jimmy
Rick Gomez as Tom Dowd
Denise Dowse as Marlene
Warwick Davis as Oberon
Patrick Bauchau as Dr. Hacker
Robert Wisdom as Jack Lauderdale
Kurt Fuller as Sam Clark
Jedda Jones as Mercedes
Gary Grubbs as Billy Ray
Carol Sutton as Eula
Paula Jai Parker as Ruth Brown
Eric O'Neal Jr. as Ray Charles Jr. - 5-6 Yrs.
Tequan Richmond as Ray Charles Jr. - 9-10 Yrs.
Ayanna Tatum as Woman in Sandpiper Lounge (uncredited)

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Ray

Ray

Ray

The extraordinary life story of Ray Charles.

Ray

Ray

The extraordinary life story of Ray Charles.

152 min

Born on a sharecropping plantation in Northern Florida, Ray Charles went blind at seven. Inspired by a fiercely independent mom who insisted he make his own way, He found his calling and his gift behind a piano keyboard. Touring across the Southern musical circuit, the soulful singer gained a reputation and then exploded with worldwide fame when he pioneered coupling gospel and country together.

The extraordinary life story of Ray Charles.

152 min

Born on a sharecropping plantation in Northern Florida, Ray Charles went blind at seven. Inspired by a fiercely independent mom who insisted he make his own way, He found his calling and his gift behind a piano keyboard. Touring across the Southern musical circuit, the soulful singer gained a reputation and then exploded with worldwide fame when he pioneered coupling gospel and country together.

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Production Info

Original LanguageEnglish

Budget$40,000,000

Revenue$124,700,000

Release Date10/29/2004

Director & Writers

Directed by

Written by

, ,

Produced by

,

Production Companies

Bristol Bay Productions

Universal Pictures

Baldwin Entertainment Group

Keywords

blindness and impaired vision

loss of loved one

record producer

childhood trauma

Spoken Languages

Production Countries

More Info:

IMDb 🍿JustWatch TMDB

Rate & Review

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Cast

Jamie Foxx

as Ray Charles

Kerry Washington

as Della Bea Robinson

Regina King

as Margie Hendricks

Harry Lennix

as Joe Adams

Clifton Powell

as Jeff Brown

Bokeem Woodbine

as Fathead Newman

SW

Sharon Warren

as Aretha Robinson

CS

C.J. Sanders

as Young Ray Robinson

More from Taylor Hackford

The Devil's Advocate

The Devil's Advocate

1997

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1993

Parker

Parker

2013

An Officer and a Gentleman

An Officer and a Gentleman

1982

Dolores Claiborne

Dolores Claiborne

1995

White Nights

White Nights

1985

Images

Ray poster

Poster

Ray backdrop

Backdrop

Videos

The Mess Around - Full Scene

Clip

Ray Charles' First Piano Lesson

Clip

Ray Charles Rejects Jim Crow Segregation

Clip

Every Great Musical Performance—"Hit the Road Jack," "Mess Around," "What'd I Say" and more!

Clip

Official Trailer

Trailer

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AI-curated picks that share the same spirit as Ray but with an unexpected twist — different era, country, tone, or perspective.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ray about?▾

Born on a sharecropping plantation in Northern Florida, Ray Charles went blind at seven. Inspired by a fiercely independent mom who insisted he make his own way, He found his calling and his gift behi…

How long is Ray?▾

2h 32m

When was Ray released?▾

October 29, 2004

Who directed Ray?▾

Taylor Hackford

Who stars in Ray?▾

Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Regina King

What genre is Ray?▾

Drama, Music

Is Ray available to stream?▾

Yes, on Netflix and YouTube TV