Jodie Foster: The Actress Worth Killing For
The talented American actress, winner of two Academy Awards, an Emmy, four Golden Globes, and three BAFTAs, a woman with an asteroid named in her honour, and the unwitting catalyst for an assassination attempt on a US President, Jodie Foster, celebrates her 61st birthday today.
Her acting career—one of the earliest in cinema—debunks the theory that child actors rarely succeed in adulthood. Foster began appearing in commercials and television series at the age of three, gradually moving on to minor supporting roles and eventually leading parts in feature films, including Westerns, dramas, and adaptations of American classics. Examples include her portrayal of Becky Thatcher in Tom Sawyer and Tallulah in Alan Parker’s children’s gangster parody Bugsy Malone. In 1974, she appeared in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, marking the beginning of her journey into serious cinema.
Photo: Talullah from Bugsy Malone, Source: Fox Rank Paramount pictures
Her next collaboration with Scorsese in the 1976 cult drama Taxi Driver saw Foster take on the role of an underage prostitute defended by Robert De Niro’s character. This performance earned the 14-year-old her first Academy Award nomination. However, the film indirectly became the basis for a tragic real-life incident. On 30 March 1981, an assassination attempt was made on US President Ronald Reagan, and Jodie Foster was an unintended factor.
John Hinckley, a mentally unstable American who became pathologically obsessed with Foster after watching Taxi Driver, began stalking her across the country, sending her letters and poems. He even enrolled in writing courses at Yale University, where Foster was studying. Failing to attract her attention through other means, Hinckley decided to assassinate the President to gain notoriety and, as he imagined, win Foster’s affection. After unsuccessful attempts to get close to then-President Jimmy Carter, Hinckley finally succeeded with Reagan, who was severely injured during the attack. Hinckley was apprehended at the scene and has been under mandatory psychiatric treatment ever since.
Photo: Clarice Starling from The Silence of the Lambs, Source: Strong Heart Production, Orion Pictures
This episode from Foster’s life was, to some extent, echoed on screen in The Silence of the Lambs. The psychological confrontation between an FBI trainee and a brilliant psychopath became a cinematic masterpiece. Playing Clarice Starling, an FBI rookie tracking down serial killer Buffalo Bill with the aid of another murderer, Dr Hannibal Lecter, Foster won her second Oscar, becoming the first actress to win two Academy Awards before turning 30. She was also nominated for an Oscar for her role in Nell, where she portrayed a reclusive wild woman—a performance Foster considers one of her career highlights, along with The Silence of the Lambs.
However, we suggest revisiting some of her other captivating roles that showcase her immense talent.
Maverick (1994)
This adventurous Western comedy paired Jodie Foster with Mel Gibson in a delightful duet. The story follows Bret Maverick, a professional gambler aiming to compete in a high-stakes poker championship. With $3,000 still needed to cover the $25,000 entry fee, Maverick embarks on a journey to collect debts and win the required sum, convinced of his uncanny ability to draw the right card at the right moment. Along the way, he meets Annabelle Bransford, a charming con artist, leading to a romantic yet perilous entanglement.
Flightplan (2005)
A loose remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller The Lady Vanishes, this film relocates the action from a train to a transatlantic flight from Berlin to New York. Foster’s character, Kyle Pratt, a widow travelling with her six-year-old daughter and her husband’s body, falls asleep during the flight only to wake up and find her daughter missing. The search yields no results, and the crew and passengers claim Kyle boarded the plane alone. With no evidence her daughter was ever with her, Kyle begins to question her own sanity, but she persists, ultimately uncovering a terrorist plot.
Nyad (2023)
This touching and uplifting sports biographical drama, available on Netflix, tells the story of athlete Diana Nyad, who, at 60 years old, attempts to achieve her lifelong dream of swimming 110 miles across open ocean from Cuba to Florida, with the help of her best friend and coach Bonnie Stoll. While the film did not garner critical acclaim, Jodie Foster and Annette Bening’s outstanding performances earned them Oscar nominations.
True Detective: Night Country (2022)
Jodie Foster returned to her iconic thriller roles as Liz Danvers, a police chief in a small Alaskan town plunged into polar night. The fourth season of True Detective merges detective elements with mysticism and esotericism, reminiscent of the show’s critically acclaimed first season. Set in the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska, the story follows the disappearance of six men from a research station, with two policewomen—former adversaries—tasked with solving the case. The series is rich with allusions to ghost stories and sci-fi horror, such as John Carpenter’s The Thing, keeping viewers on edge until the final twist.