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Jodie Foster (born November 19, 1962) is a two-time
Academy Award-winning American actress, director, and producer.
****
Birth name Alicia Christian Foster
Born November 19, 1962 (age 44)
Los Angeles, California, United States
Years active 1968 - present
Notable roles Iris in Taxi Driver
Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs
Academy Awards
Best Actress
1988 The Accused
1991 The Silence of the Lambs
Golden Globe Awards
Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
1989 The Accused
1992 The Silence of the Lambs
BAFTA Awards
Best Actress in a Leading Role
1991 The Silence of the Lambs
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
1976 Taxi Driver ; Bugsy Malone
****
Early
life
Foster was born as Alicia Christian Foster to
Lucius Foster III and Evelyn 'Brandy' Foster (née Almond) in Los Angeles,
California. Her father left the family a few months before she was born, and her
mother supported the family by working as a film producer. She attended an
exclusive French-speaking prep school, the Lycée Français de Los Angeles, and
graduated valedictorian before going to Yale University where she earned a B.A.
in literature and graduated magna cum laude in 1985.[2] While at Yale, Foster,
like fellow 1985 Yale graduate Jennifer Beals of Flashdance fame, led a fairly
normal life, considering her celebrity status. She would often spend time with
friends at the local dive bar Anchor, and she occasionally partied in the haunts
of one of the secret societies, the Manuscript Society (a scene recounting such
an event is noted in Tom Perrotta's novel Joe College).
Early
career
Foster made nearly 50 film and television
appearances before she attended college. She began her career at age three as
the Coppertone Girl in a television commercial and debuted as a television
actress in a 1968 episode of Mayberry R.F.D. Her first film appearance came in
the 1970 TV movie Menace On The Mountain. Foster made a number of Disney movies,
including Napoleon and Samantha (1972), One Little Indian (1973), Freaky Friday
(1976) and Candleshoe (1977). She also co-starred with Christopher Connelly in
the 1974 TV series version of Paper Moon and alongside Martin Sheen in the 1976
cult classic The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane. As a teenager, Foster made
several appearances on the French pop circuit as a singer. Commenting on her
years as a child actress, which she describes as an "actor’s career," Foster has
said that "it was very clear to me at a young age that I had to fight for my
life and that if I didn’t, my life would get gobbled up and taken away from
me."[3] She hosted Saturday Night Live at age 14, making her the youngest person
to host at that time until Drew Barrymore hosted when 7 years old. Foster was
originally meant to be Princess Leia but was unable to pull out of her contract
with Disney.[4] She made her debut (and only official) musical recordings in
France in 1977: two 7" singles, "Je T'attends Depuis la Nuit des Temps" b/w "La
Vie C'est Chouette" and "When I Looked at Your Face" b/w "La Vie C'est
Chouette." The A-side of the former is sung in French, the A-side of the latter
in English. The B-side of both is mostly spoken word and is performed in both
French and English. These three recordings were included on the soundtrack to
Foster's 1977 French film Moi, fleur bleue.
At age 14, Foster was nominated for the Academy
Award For Best Supporting Actress for her role as a pre-teen prostitute in
Martin Scorsese's film, Taxi Driver opposite Robert De Niro. De Niro's
character, the deranged Travis Bickle, intends to "save" her from life on the
streets. When that doesn't work, he tries to assassinate a presidential
candidate.
John Hinckley Jr., a deranged fan, became obsessed
with her after seeing the film repeatedly, and he stalked her while she attended
Yale, sending her love letters to her campus mail box and even talking to her on
the phone. On March 30, 1981, he shot U.S. President Ronald Reagan and three
other people, and claimed his motive was to impress Foster, then a Yale
freshman. The media stormed the Yale campus in April "like a cavalry invasion,"
following Foster relentlessly. In 1982, Foster was called to testify during his
trial. After she responded to a question by saying that "I don’t have any
relationship with John Hinckley," Hinckley threw a pen at her and yelled "I’ll
get you, Foster!"[5] Another man, Edward Richardson, followed Foster around Yale
and planned to shoot her, but decided against it because she "was too
pretty."[6] This all caused intense discomfort to Foster, who has been known to
walk out of interviews if Hinckley's name is even mentioned.[7] Foster's only
public reactions to this were a press conference afterwards and an article
entitled Why Me?, which she wrote for Esquire magazine in December 1982, about
two years after the assassination attempt.[8] The punk band Jodie Foster's Army
is named in reference to Hinckley's actions.
Transition to adult roles
Unlike child stars such as Shirley Temple or Tatum
O'Neal, Foster successfully made the transition to adult roles, but not without
initial difficulty. She gained significant weight while at Yale and, after
several unsuccessful films post-Taxi Driver, was forced to audition for her role
in The Accused. She won the part and the first of her two Golden Globes and
Academy Awards as Best Actress for her role as a gang-rape survivor. She earned
her second in what is arguably her most famous role, Clarice Starling, opposite
Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter, in the 1991 film, The Silence of the Lambs.
In 1997 she starred alongside Matthew McConaughey
in the sci-fi movie Contact, based on the novel by scientist Carl Sagan. She
portrayed a scientist searching for extra-terrestrial life in the SETI project.
In 1998, an asteroid, 17744 Jodiefoster, was named in her honor.
In the 1990s Foster began to branch out into other
aspects of film besides acting. She made her directorial debut in 1991 with
Little Man Tate, a critically acclaimed[9] drama about a child prodigy, in which
she also co-starred. She also directed Home For The Holidays (1995), a black
comedy starring Holly Hunter and Robert Downey Jr.. In 1992, Foster founded a
production company called Egg Pictures in Los Angeles, and she began working as
a producer in 1994 with the acclaimed Nell, the story of a young woman raised in
an isolated place who has to return to civilization.
Like many American actors who are rarely seen
promoting products in their own country, Foster has appeared in a number of
commercials in Japan, mostly in the 1990s. These have included advertisements
for the Honda Civic, Keri cosmetics, Mt. Rainier ice coffee, and the Pasona
Temporary Agency.
Recent
roles
After taking time away from the spotlight, Foster
returned in the 2005 blockbuster Flightplan. Foster portrayed a woman whose
daughter disappears on an airplane that Foster's character, an engineer, had
helped to design.
She has performed in French-language films, such as
Un long dimanche de fiançailles (2004), and dubs her own voice in American
movies for releases in French speaking countries.
Foster's most recent film, Inside Man, a thriller
co-starring Denzel Washington and Clive Owen, was released on March 24, 2006,
and opened at #1 at the box office. Her next film will be The Brave One, a
thriller that is being filmed in New York City, both in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
It is directed by Neil Jordan and co-stars Terrence Howard. Commenting on her
latest roles, Foster has said that she enjoys appearing in mainstream genre
films that have a "real heart to them."[10]
At the 2007 Academy Awards she referred to the
death of Randy Stone two weeks prior and called him her best friend.
Personal life and recognition
She has two sisters and a brother, Lucinda "Cindy"
Foster (born 1954), Constance "Connie" Foster (b. 1955), and Lucius "Buddy"
Foster (b. 1957). During the filming of both Taxi Driver and The Little Girl Who
Lives Down the Lane her stand-in was her older sister, Connie.
Foster is intensely private about certain aspects
of her personal life. She has long been rumoured to be a lesbian but she refuses
to discuss her sexuality. She has two sons, Charles (b. 1998) and Kit (b. 2001).
She has never disclosed or discussed their father. She pulled out of Double
Jeopardy (1999) because she became pregnant.[11] She also is a member of Mensa,
with an IQ of 140[citation needed].
She gave the Class of 2006 University of
Pennsylvania commencement address on May 15, 2006, the university's 250th
commencement. The university also conferred on her the Doctor of Arts (honoris
causa) degree for her lifelong achievement and contribution to film in both
acting and directing.[12][13] Her commencement address is available in Webcast
(jump to 1:44:08) and MP3 format.
Quotes
"This is such a big deal, and my life is so simple.
There are very few things -there's love, and work, and family. And I'd like to
thank all my families, all the tribes that I come from and, most importantly, my
mother Brandy who taught me that all my finger paintings were Picassos and that
I didn't have to be afraid. And, mostly, that cruelty might be very human, and
it might be very cultural, but it's not acceptable." -- Oscar Acceptance Speech,
1989 Academy Awards, Best Actress in a Leading Role, The Accused.
"I'd like to dedicate this award to all the women
before me that never had the chances that I've had, the survivors, the pioneers
and the outcasts. My blood, my tradition. And I'd like to thank all the people
in this industry who've respected my choices and have not been afraid of the
power and dignity that that entitled me to" -- Oscar Acceptance Speech, 1992
Academy Awards, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Silence of the Lambs.
Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1970 Menace on the Mountain Suellen McIver TV
1972 Kansas City Bomber Rita
Napoleon and Samantha Samantha
My Sister Hank Henrietta "Hank" Bennett TV
1973 Rookie of the Year Sharon Lee TV
Alexander, Alexander Sue TV
The Addams Family Pugsley (voice) TV
Kung Fu Alethea Patricia Ingram TV
Tom Sawyer Becky Thatcher
One Little Indian Martha McIver
1974 Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore Audrey
Smile, Jenny, You're Dead Liberty Cole TV
1975 The Secret Life of T.K. Dearing T.K. Dearing
TV
1976 The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane Rynn
Jacobs
Freaky Friday Annabel Andrews
Bugsy Malone Tallulah
Taxi Driver Iris Steensma Academy Award nomination
- Best Supporting Actress
Echoes of a Summer Deirdre Striden aka The Last
Castle
1977 Candleshoe Casey Brown
Casotto Teresina Fedeli aka Beach House
Stop Calling Me Baby! (Moi, fleur bleue) Isabelle
Tristan (aka Fleur bleue)
1980 Foxes Jeanie
Carny Donna
1982 O'Hara's Wife Barbara O'Hara
1983 Svengali Zoe Alexander
1984 The Blood of Others (Le Sang des autres)
Hélène Bertrand
The Hotel New Hampshire Frannie Berry
1986 Mesmerized Victoria Thompson Also co-producer
1987 Siesta Nancy
Five Corners Linda
1988 The Accused Sarah Tobias Academy Award - Best
Actress Oscar
Stealing Home Katie Chandler
1990 Catchfire Anne Benton aka Backtrack
1991 Little Man Tate Dede Tate Also director
The Silence of the Lambs Clarice Starling Academy
Award - Best Actress Oscar
1992 Shadows and Fog Prostitute
1993 Sommersby Laurel Sommersby
1994 Nell Nell Kellty Also producer Academy Award
nomination - Best Actress
Maverick Mrs. Annabelle Bransford
1997 Contact Dr. Ellie Arroway
1998 The Uttmost Herself Documentary
1999 Anna and the King Anna Leonowens
2002 Panic Room Meg Altman
The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys Sister Assumpta
Also producer
2003 Abby Singer Herself
2004 A Very Long Engagement (Un long dimanche de
fiançailles) Elodie Gordes
2005 Flightplan Kyle Pratt
2006 Inside Man Madeline White
2007 Sugarland Sweety Pre-Production
2007 The Brave One Erica Post-Production
2007 Bratz: the Movie Mrs. Milton Announced
Award
Nominations
Year Group Award Won? Film
1976 BAFTA Best Supporting Actress and Best
Newcomer Yes Bugsy Malone
1977 Golden Globe Best Motion Picture Actress -
Musical/Comedy No Freaky Friday
1977 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actress No Taxi
Driver
1977 BAFTA Best Actress in a Supporting Role Yes
Taxi Driver
1978 Saturn Award Best Actress Yes The Little Girl
Who Lives Down the Lane
1988 Golden Globe Best Performance by an Actress in
a Motion Picture - Drama Yes The Accused
1988 Academy Awards Best Actress Yes The Accused
1991 New York Film Critics Circle Awards Best
Actress Yes The Silence of the Lambs
Academy Awards Academy Award for Best Actress
BAFTA BAFTA Award for Best Actress
Golden Globe Award Best Performance by an Actress
in a Motion Picture - Drama
1992 Saturn Award Best Actress No The Silence of
the Lambs
1995 Screen Actors Guild Screen Actors Guild Award
for Best Actress - Motion Picture Yes Nell
1995 Academy Awards Academy Award for Best Actress
No Nell
1997 Golden Globe Best Performance by an Actress in
a Motion Picture - Drama No Contact
1998 Saturn Award Best Actress Yes Contact
2003 Saturn Award Best Actress No Panic Room
2006 Saturn Award Best Actress No Flightplan
Awards
Preceded by
Diane Ladd
for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore BAFTA Award for
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
for Taxi Driver, Bugsy Malone Succeeded by
Jenny Agutter
Equus
Preceded by
Cher
for Moonstruck Academy Award for Best Actress
1988
for The Accused Succeeded by
Jessica Tandy
for Driving Miss Daisy
Preceded by
Sally Kirkland
for Anna Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -
Motion Picture Drama
1989
for The Accused Succeeded by
Michelle Pfeiffer
for The Fabulous Baker Boys
Preceded by
Kathy Bates
for Misery Academy Award for Best Actress
1991
for The Silence of the Lambs Succeeded by
Emma Thompson
for Howards End
Preceded by
Jessica Tandy
for Driving Miss Daisy BAFTA Award for Best Actress
in a Leading Role
1991
for The Silence of the Lambs Succeeded by
Emma Thompson
for Howards End
Preceded by
Kathy Bates
for Misery Golden Globe Award for Best Actress -
Motion Picture Drama
1992
for The Silence of the Lambs Succeeded by
Emma Thompson
for Howards End
References
Footnotes
-
^ http://www.celebheights.com/s/Jodie-Foster-117.html
-
^ [http://www.yale.edu/opa/ybc/v25.n33.comm.05.html
Yale Bulletin and Calendar Commencement 1997]
-
^ The StarPhoenix. A class act:
Jodie Foster riding high with Flightplan and Inside Man. Retrieved on March
31, 2006.
-
^ Not Staring - Star Wars
-
^ "I'll Get You, Foster!" by
Denise Noe
-
^ Hinckley Key Figures
-
^ Jodie Foster UMKC Law - Jodie
Foster, Retreived 10 March 2007.
-
^ Why Me? An Article by Jodie
Foster to Esquire Magazine, December 1982
-
^ Rotten Tomatoes.
-
^ UPI. Foster, Howard to star in
Neil Jordan film. Retrieved on March 27, 2006.
-
^ Not Starring - Jodie Foster
-
^ http://www.upenn.edu/commencement/event/honbio.html
-
^ http://www.upenn.edu/almanac/volumes/v52/n24/commencement.html
****
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