Jodie Foster the biography

Jodie Foster, Actress, - Biography

Actress

Birth name Alicia Christian Foster
Born November 19, 1962, Los Angeles, California, United States

Height 5 Foot 3 ( 1.62 M )

Jodie Foster is a 2-time Academy Award-winning American actress, director, & producer. She has also won two Golden Globes, BAFTA & a Screen Actors Guild Award.

After appearing as a child in several commercials, Foster won her first role in the 1970 TV movie Menace On The Mountain, followed by several Disney productions. Foster did not experience her breakout role until 1976, when she received moderate recognition but great acclaim for her role as a pre-teenage prostitute in Taxi Driver, receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She won an Oscar for Best Actress in 1988, for playing a rape victim in The Accused. In 1991, she starred in The Silence of the Lambs as Clarice Starling, a gifted FBI Agent investigating a serial killer. For this performance she received international acclaim & another Oscar for Best Actress. Her films & roles have spanned a wide variety of genres, including thrillers, crime, romance, comedy, children's movies, & science fiction. Popular later films include the box office successes Contact (1997), Panic Room (2002), Flightplan (2005) & Inside Man (2006).

Foster is one of the most private actors in Hollywood, keeping much of her personal life out of the media spotlight. She has two children, Charles, born in 1998, & Kit, born in 2001, though she has never discussed their father.

Foster was born as Alicia Christian Foster to Lucius Foster III & Evelyn 'Brandy' (née Almond) in Los Angeles, California. Her father, an Air Force colonel turned real estate broker, came from a wealthy background & left Foster's family a few months before she was born; 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, & graduated valedictorian before going to Yale University where she earned a B.A. in literature & graduated magna cum laude in 1985. 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, & 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, 1970–1979
Foster made nearly 50 film & television appearances before she attended college. She began her career at age three as the Coppertone Girl in a television commercial & debuted as a television actress in a 1968 episode of Mayberry R.F.D. She made her film debut in the 1970 TV movie Menace On The Mountain. Foster made a number of Disney movies, including Napoleon & Samantha (1972]), One Little Indian (1973), Freaky Friday (1976) & Candleshoe (1977). She also co-starred with Christopher Connelly in the 1974 TV series version of Paper Moon & alongside Martin Sheen in the 1976 cult film 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 & that if I didn’t, my life would get gobbled up & taken away from me." She hosted Saturday Night Live at age 14, making her the youngest person to host at that time until Drew Barrymore hosted at the age of seven. She also said, "I think all of us when we look back on our childhood, we always think of it as somebody else. It's just a completely different place. But I was lucky to be around in the '70s & to be really making movies in the '70s with some great filmmakers — the most exciting time, for me, in American cinema. & I learned a lot from very interesting artists, & I learned a lot about the business at a young age. Because, for whatever reason, I was paying attention. So it was kind of invaluable in my career."

Foster was originally considered for the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars, but was unable to pull out of her contract with Disney. 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" & "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 & is performed in both French & 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. After this fails, he shoots Iris' pimp.

John Hinckley Jr., a deranged fan, became obsessed with her after seeing the film repeatedly, & he stalked her while she attended Yale, sending her love letters to her campus mail box & even talking to her on the phone. On March 30, 1981, he shot U.S. President Ronald Reagan & three other people, & claimed his motive was to impress Foster, then a Yale freshman. The media stormed the Yale campus in April "like a cavalry invasion," & followed 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 & yelled "I’ll get you, Foster!" Another man, Edward Richardson, followed Foster around Yale & planned to shoot her, but decided against it because she "was too pretty." This all caused intense discomfort to Foster, who has been known to walk out of interviews if Hinckley's name is even mentioned. Foster's only public reactions to this were a press conference afterwards & an article entitled Why Me?, which she wrote for Esquire in December 1982, about two years after the assassination attempt. In 1999 she discussed the experience with Charlie Rose of 60 Minutes II. The punk rock band Jodie Foster's Army is named in reference to Hinckley's actions.

Adult career, 1980-present
Unlike other child stars such as Shirley Temple or Tatum O'Neal, Foster successfully made the transition to adult roles, but not without initial difficulty. Several of her post-Taxi Driver works were financially unsuccessful, such as Foxes, The Hotel New Hampshire, Five Corners, & Stealing Home. She had to audition for her role in The Accused. She won the part & the first of her two Golden Globes & Academy Awards as Best Actress for her role as a gang-rape survivor. She earned her second as FBI agent Clarice Starling, opposite Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter, in the 1991 film, The Silence of the Lambs. She was the first actress to win two Academy Awards before the age of 30.

She played Laural Sommersby in Sommersby & Annabelle Bransford in the 1994 film Maverick. Sommersby co-star Richard Gere would comment that "She's very much a close-up actress, because her thoughts are clear." 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. She commented on the script that "I have to have some acute personal connection with the material. & that's pretty hard for me to find." Contact was also her first science fiction film, & her first experience with a bluescreen. She commented, "Blue walls, blue roof. It was just blue, blue, blue. & I was rotated on a lazy Susan with the camera moving on a computerized arm. It was really tough." In 1998, an asteroid, 17744 Jodiefoster, was named in her honor.

She made her directorial debut in 1991 with Little Man Tate, a critically acclaimed drama about a child prodigy, in which she also co-starred as the child's mother. She also directed Home For The Holidays (1995), a black comedy starring Holly Hunter & Robert Downey Jr. In 1992, Foster founded a production company called Egg Pictures in Los Angeles. It primarily produced independent films until it was closed in 2001. Foster said that she didn't have the ambition to produce "big mainstream popcorn" movies, & as a child independent films made her more interested in the movie business than mainstream ones. 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. She later commented that it was difficult being an actress & a producer for Nell.

After taking time away from the spotlight, Foster returned in the 2005 film Flightplan. Foster portrayed a woman whose daughter disappears on an airplane that Foster's character, an engineer, had helped to design.

She took over the lead role in Panic Room after Nicole Kidman was injured. She has performed in French-language films, such as Un long dimanche de fiançailles (2004), & 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 & Clive Owen, was released on March 24, 2006, & 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 & Brooklyn. It is directed by Neil Jordan & 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."

At the 2007 Academy Awards she referred to the death of Randy Stone two weeks prior & called him her best friend. She enjoys physical activity while making movies. She commented that doing nude scenes is "a little scary."

Personal life & recognition
She has two sisters & a brother, Lucinda "Cindy" Foster (born 1954), Constance "Connie" Foster (b. 1955), & Lucius "Buddy" Foster (b. 1957). During the filming of both Taxi Driver & The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, Connie was her stand-in. Foster is intensely private about certain aspects of her personal life. Foster pulled out of the film Double Jeopardy when she became pregnant, & filmed Panic Room during the first months of her second pregnancy. She has two sons, Charles (b. 1998) & Kit (b. 2001); Foster has never disclosed or discussed their father. Foster does not follow any "traditional religion," but has "great respect for all religions" & enjoys reading religous texts.

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 & contribution to film in both acting & directing.
Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1970 Menace on the Mountain Suellen McIver TV
1972 Kansas City Bomber Rita
Napoleon & 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 Golden Globe nomination - Best Musical or Comedy Actress
Bugsy Malone Tallulah BAFTA Award - Best Newcomer, Best Supporting Actress
Taxi Driver Iris Steensma Academy Award nomination - Best Supporting Actress, BAFTA Awards - 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 Independent Spirit Award
1988 The Accused Sarah Tobias Academy Award - Best Actress Oscar, BAFTA Award nomination - Best Actress, Golden Globe Award - Best Drama Actress
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, BAFTA Award - Best Actress, Golden Globe Award - Best Drama Actress
1992 Shadows & Fog Prostitute
1993 Sommersby Laurel Sommersby
1994 Nell Nell Kellty Also producer Academy Award nomination - Best Actress, Golden Globe nomination - Best Drama Actress
Maverick Mrs. Annabelle Bransford
1997 Contact Dr. Ellie Arroway Golden Globe nomination - Best Drama Actress
1998 The Uttmost Herself Documentary
1999 Anna & 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
The Brave One Erica Post-Production

Award nominations
Year Group Award Won? Film
1976 BAFTA Best Supporting Actress & 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

This site was written in May 2007

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