Jodie Foster

November 19, 2024

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Jodie Foster, born on November 19, 1962, started her acting career when she was six years old. Despite not loving the craft instantly, she pursued it nonetheless. Foster starred in many drama films and T.V. shows throughout the 1970s and 1980s. She skyrocketed to mainstream stardom at the beginning of the 1990s with her stellar performance in the film adaptation of Thomas Harris’s novel “Silence of the Lambs.” Let’s celebrate this drama icon’s birthday here today!

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Alicia Christian Foster

Nickname:

Jodie

Birth date:

November 19, 1962

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Scorpio

Height:

5' 3"

Relationship Status:

Married

Net Worth:

$100 million

Background

Jodie Foster is one of Hollywood’s most-treasured actresses, with a repertoire of roles ranging from horror to comedy to science-fiction. Alicia Christian Foster was born on November 19, 1962 in Los Angeles, California. Foster began her professional career as a child model for the American sunscreen brand Coppertone, and she had her first T.V. acting role in the sitcom “Mayberry R.F.D.” in 1968 at the age of six. In 1972, she had her first film acting role in the Disney film “Napoleon and Samantha.” Foster starred in numerous movies and T.V. shows during the early and mid-1970s; her big break came in 1976 when she starred as an underage sex worker in Martin Scorcese’s drama “Taxi Driver,” starring Robert de Niro, for which she earned an Oscar nomination.

Foster had excelled academically from a young age and graduated from Yale University with a magna cum laude degree in African American literature in 1980. After graduating, she struggled to transition into more mature roles until her appearance in “The Accused” (1980), for which she won her first Oscar. Foster won her second Oscar for her role as FBI agent Clarice Starling in “The Silence of the Lambs” and directed her first film, “Little Man Tate,” in 1991. She established Egg Pictures, her production company, the following year. Foster starred in several critically acclaimed action/thriller films in the early 2000s, such as “Panic Room” (2002) with Kristen Stewart and “Flightplan” (2005) with Sean Bean.

In 2007, Foster addressed her identity as queer at “The Hollywood Reporter” event “Women in Entertainment” after decades of media debate following the release of “Silence of the Lambs.” In the 2010s, Foster started appearing in fewer roles, focusing on directing. She has directed multiple episodes for successful T.V. shows such as the political drama “House of Cards,” science-fiction “Black Mirror,” and comedy-drama “Orange Is the New Black.” In 2021, Foster starred as the new lead in the fourth season of the crime drama T.V. show “True Detective.”

Career timeline

1968

Foster Has Her First T.V. Role

The actress makes her first television appearance in “Mayberry R.F.D.”

1976

She Becomes a Household Name

Foster gets her big break as a child star in the drama “Taxi Driver,” starring Robert de Niro.

1980

She Wins Her First Oscar

At 18 years old, Foster wins her first Academy Award for her role in “The Accused.”

1991

Foster Lands Her Most Iconic Role

The actress portrays Clarice Starling in “Silence of the Lambs,” arguably her most well-known role.

1992

She Establishes Her Production Company

Not content with prestigious acting accolades, the actress becomes a producer and director with the establishment of Egg Productions.

2007

The Star Comes Out as Queer

Foster addresses her sexuality after years of media speculation, although she does not explicitly identify as lesbian.

Why We Love Jodie Foster

She’s philanthropic
Foster has dedicated her time and money to several charitable causes. Most recently, she joined the Small Steps Project – an organization that works to raise funds and gather resources for children in need.
She participates in American democracy
Despite leaving most of her activism for her art, Foster has been outspoken about the importance of American citizens’ participation in their country’s democracy and protecting democratic rights. In 2017, she attended a rally in Beverly Hills calling on people to register to vote and to vote on election day.
She raises awareness about mental health
Despite being part of the notoriously conservative Baby Boomer generation, Foster is open and transparent about mental health and has encouraged honest conversations about it. She has started supporting the National Alliance on Mental Health, being moved by the research on depression she conducted for her film “The Beaver.”

5 Surprising Facts

She is fluent in French
Foster studied at Lycee Francais de Los Angeles, a French preparatory school, and became fluent in the language.
She has an honorary doctorate
The actress was awarded an honorary Ph.D. in fine arts by her alma mater, Yale, for her contribution to the arts.
She replaced Nicole Kidman
Kidman was initially considered to play the lead role in “Panic Room,” but it went to Foster after Kidman declined.
She was replaced by Julianne Moore
Foster was invited to reprise her role as Clarice Starling for the “Silence of the Lambs” sequel, but she declined and the opportunity was given to Moore.
She was succeeded by Lindsay Lohan
Foster played the lead role in the 1976 original comedy “Freaky Friday,” which was rebooted in 2003 with Lohan assuming Foster’s place.