Quentin Tarantino says that Jamie Foxx understood the character and some of the issues that faced him in the movie.
Foxx teams up with Tarantino for the first time in Django Unchained - which is the director's first project since Inglourious Basterds.
And Tarantino thought that Foxx just brought that extra little bit of something that was perfect for the part.
Speaking to Playboy the director said: "I met six different actors and had extensive meetings with all of them, and I went in-depth on all of their work.
"Idris Elba, Chris Tucker, Terrence Howard, MK Williams [from HBO's Boardwalk Empire], Tyrese (Gibson).
"They all appreciated the material, and I was going to put them through the paces, make them."
But it was Oscar winning Foxx who Tarantino believed was the right man for the job: "He was the cowboy... Forget the fact that he has his own horse - and that is actually his horse in the movie.
"He's from Texas; he understands... He understood what it's like to be thought of as an 'other'."
Django Unchained brings together an all star cast that includes Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Django Unchained is released 18th January.
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