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Jodie Foster Profile |
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Birth Date: November 19, 1962
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Birth Place: Los Angeles, California, USA
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Birth Name: Alicia Christian Foster
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Height: 5'4"
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Biography |
Jodie Foster was born November 19,
1962, in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Lucius, left
the family before her birth, leaving Alicia and her three
siblings to be raised by their Hollywood publicist mother,
Evelyn Foster. Given her occupation, Evelyn had little
problem finding acting work for those of her children that
expressed interest in taking it on, and Alicia made her
first on-screen appearance at the age of three, in a
Coppertone sunscreen commercial.
Further commercial work followed, as did small roles on
television series such as Mayberry R.F.D. and The Partridge
Family, and Foster made her debut film appearance in 1972,
in Disney's Napoleon and Samantha. Even as she was becoming
immersed in the medium that the public would come to know
her through, Foster acquired the name she would be known by,
as her family took to addressing her by a shortened version
of the name of a family friend. Josephine D., a longtime
acquaintance of Evelyn Foster's had come to be known as Jo
D., and Alicia Foster subsequently became Jodie Foster.
Foster's interest in acting did not wane as she entered her
teenage years, and she continued her film work, albeit for
the most part restricted to quirky roles in children's
movies. Foster enjoyed an advantage over other child actors
in that her performances were not restricted to a single
language: a student at Los Angeles' Lycée Francais, Jodie's
French was sufficiently fluent by age 14 for her to win a
role in 1977's Moi, Fleur Bleue, as well as a number of
other French films.
Yet Foster's childhood success should not be solely
attributed to her linguistic abilities. Even before her
appearance in Moi, Fleur Bleue, Foster had demonstrated an
acting talent impressive enough to earn a casting call to
1976's Taxi Driver. The film proved to be a contemporary
classic, and Foster's role in it, as a teenage prostitute,
won her critical acclaim as well as an Oscar nomination for
Best Supporting Actress. By age 14, Foster had made the big
break that most seasoned actors envy.
Throughout the remainder of her high school years, Foster
persisted in expanding her professional experience with film
and television appearances, although none would quite rival
the impact that Taxi Driver had on the public (although she
was considered for the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars).
While tending to her burgeoning career, Foster continued to
attend courses at the Lycée Francais, and in 1980
accomplished the feat of not merely graduating on schedule,
but as class valedictorian. Her academic accolades were
acknowledged, and Foster was accepted at Yale University,
where she began attending lectures in English Literature
that fall.
In a 1982 article she wrote for Esquire magazine, Foster
recalled her primary challenge in attending Yale was simply
blending into the student body, in spite of the fame her
profession had brought her. This endeavor was severely
compromised in the spring of 1981, when a certain John
Hinckley launched her into the public eye. Obsessed with
Foster's character in Taxi Driver, Hinckley had written her
a number of letters before embarking on an attempted
assassination of President Ronald Reagan as a means of
catching her attention.
The attempt was a failure, and led to the discovery of
photographs of Foster and her college address in his motel
room, and days of grilling by the press and federal
agencies. Matters were further complicated with the capture
of a second stalker, Edward Richardson, and the experience
was more than enough to prompt Foster to retreat from the
public spotlight. She became, and remains to this day, one
of Hollywood's most private celebrities.
Foster's decision to shield her personal life did not
impinge on her professional career, and she continued to do
film and television appearances until her 1985 graduation,
with honors, from Yale. By this point Foster was a seasoned
veteran in the entertainment industry and had little trouble
finding consistent work, although a follow-up to Taxi Driver
continued to elude her.
Her patience was rewarded in 1988, when she was cast as rape
victim Sarah Tobias in The Accused. The movie was well
received, and Foster's performance in it earned her a Golden
Globe, a National Board of Review Award as well as an Oscar
for Best Actress. Her reputation consolidated, Foster went
on to her next Oscar-winning performance, as FBI rookie
agent Clarice Starling in 1991's The Silence of the Lambs.
This particular Best Actress Academy Award marked her third
nomination and her second trophy before the age of 30, a
first among Hollywood women.
Having established herself as a high-caliber actor, Foster
expanded her professional experience in 1991, founded a
production company -- Egg Productions -- and made her
directorial debut with Little Man Tate, which she also
starred in. She again assumed the role of a prostitute in
1992 in Woody Allen's Shadows and Fog, and directed her
second film, Nell, in 1994, the same year she starred in the
comedy Maverick alongside Mel Gibson.
By the late '90s, with a wealth of experience and acclaim
behind her, Foster was in a position to pick and choose
roles. In doing so, she exhibited a sense of integrity rare
in celebrity circles, reserving her performances to those
instances where it was the character, rather than the
monetary compensation, that stimulated her. After a role in
1997's Contact, Foster rejected an offer to reprise her role
as Clarice Starling in the sequel to The Silence of the
Lambs -- Hannibal -- initially citing issues with the
character's development but then claiming scheduling
conflicts as her reason for doing so.
Although the former was her official reason, many took the
latter as the true one, praising it as testament to her
unique approach to her craft. Foster's next appearance was
in 1999, in Anna and the King. Already acknowledged as one
of the most powerful women in the industry, this role made
her one of the most highly paid, earning her $15 million.
After a brief reprieve from film work, Jodie made her return
to the big screen in 2002, subbing in for an injured Nicole
Kidman in David Fincher's box-office hit, Panic Room. A
number of other projects are currently in the works: Foster
will be providing her voice for DreamWorks' animated feature
Tusker, to be released in 2003, and is currently directing
Claire Danes in the movie, Flora Plum. She also recently
acquired the film rights to the Margaret Atwood novel Alias
Grace, and has long fostered plans to direct, produce and
star in a biography of controversial filmmaker Leni
Riefenstahl.
Since her Yale days, Jodie has continued to foster a private
personal life. She has given birth to two sons since 1998
and raised them both as a single mother, keeping the
identity of the father(s) secret. To this day she refuses to
comment on the John Hinckley incident, and, for the most
part, restricts her interviews to questions regarding her
professional accomplishments, of which there is an abundance
to discuss. |
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Other
Information |
Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 "Sexiest Stars"
in film history (#45). [1995]
Was supposed to be Commencement Speaker for Smith College in
Massachusetts but eventually had to decline. [2000]
Uses her own voice in all of the French versions of any of
her movies because she can speak French fluently.
As a youngster, was mauled by a lion and carried briefly in
its mouth after a day of filming a Disney movie
Majored in literature at Yale; graduated magna cum laude in
1985.
Son, Charles, born at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. [20 July
1998]
Had to pull out of Double Jeopardy (1999) because she became
pregnant.
Ranked #18 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie
Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]
Received honorary Doctorate from Yale University. [1997]
Mother, Brandy, managed her through age 20.
Owns and chairs Production Company EGG PICTURES in Los
Angeles, founded in 1990.
John Hinckley claimed that he attempted to kill Ronald
Reagan in order to impress her.
Graduated in 1980 as the class valedictorian from the
private academy Lycée Français in Los Angeles.
Was reading by the time she was three years old.
Fluent in French by age 14, she spoke her own lines in the
1977 film Moi, fleur bleue (1977) and the 2004 film Un long
dimanche de fiançailles (2004).
Sister of Buddy Foster and Connie Foster.
Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1976" in
John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 28. [1976]
Born Alicia Christian Foster in 1962; her three siblings
insisted on calling her "Jodie."
Made her acting debut in a Coppertone suntan lotion
commercial when she was 3 years old. Has said that her only
regret is that she would love to live life without knowing
what it's like to be famous.
For Sommersby (1993), Foster learned how to handle a
horse-pulled buckboard.
Was offered a role in Me and Rubyfruit (1989) twice and
turned it down.
Has two convertibles.
Enjoys kickboxing, yoga, karate, aerobics, and weightlifting
and collects fancy kitchenware and black and white photos.
Loves organic food.
Her favorite book is "Franny and Zooey" by J.D. Salinger.
Received an Honorary Degree from Smith College in
Northampton, Massachusetts.
Gave the Class Day speech at Yale in 1993 and received an
honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Yale in 1997.
Got the role of Annabel Bradsford in the comedy Maverick
(1994) after Meg Ryan turned it down.
CBS was billed $12,000 for her hair and makeup for her
appearance on "60 Minutes II" (1999), December 1999 to
promote Anna and the King (1999). This total was later
determined to be incorrect and inflated.
Youngest host of "Saturday Night Live" (1975) until Drew
Barrymore hosted in 1982.
Was replaced by Ashley Judd for the lead in Double Jeopardy
(1999).
Starred as Addie Pray in the short lived TV show "Paper
Moon" (1974), which was originally a movie starring Tatum
O'Neal.
Never liked "All in the Family" (1971) because "it seemed to
be doing the same thing each week."
Got the role of Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs
(1991) after Michelle Pfeiffer turned it down.
Son, Kit, born in Los Angeles weighing 6 lbs 3 oz. [29
September 2001]
Father Lucius Foster left the family when Jodie's mother was
a few months pregnant with her.
Born at 8:14 AM PST.
Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People
Magazine in 2002.
Shut down production company Egg Pictures in late 2001 to
spend more time with her children.
Was first choice to play the role of Princess Leia in the
original "Star Wars" trilogy but could not get out of her
contract with Disney. George Lucas then decided to make
Princess Leia older.
Replaced Nicole Kidman in the role of "Meg Altman" in Panic
Room (2002) at the last minute when Kidman injured herself.
Recorded a number of songs for her film Moi, fleur bleue
(1977), including "Je T'Attends Depuis La Nuit Des Temps,"
"When I Looked at Your Face" and "La Vie C'est Chouette."
Measurements: 34B-24-33 1/2 (Souce: Celebrity Sleuth
magazine).
Has been in a serious relationship with Cydney Bernard since
they met in 1993 on the set of the movie Sommersby (1993).
Her Oscar-winning role as Clarice Starling from her 1991
film The Silence of the Lambs (1991) was ranked #6 in the
American Film Institute's "Heroes" list in AFI's 100
Years... 100 Heroes & Villains (2003) (TV).
Her sister, Connie Foster, was her stand-in during the more
explicit scenes in Taxi Driver (1976).
In 2001, decided not to reprise the role of Clarice Starling
in Hannibal (2001). The role eventually went to Julianne
Moore.
Is doubled by stuntwoman Jill Stokesberry in most of her
films, starting with Sommersby (1993).
Shares a birthday with Meg Ryan and Allison Janney. Jodie
is, to the day, one year younger than Meg and two years
younger than Allison.
She was voted the 57th "Greatest Movie Star" of all time by
Entertainment Weekly.
Considers her role in The Silence of the Lambs (1991) to be
a counterpart to her role in Taxi Driver (1976). In Taxi
Driver (1976), she is a woman in bondage who has to be
rescued. In The Silence of the Lambs (1991), she rescues the
captive woman. In an interesting twist, her pimp in Taxi
Driver (1976) was played by Harvey Keitel, who went on to
play her future mentor, Jack Crawford, in Red Dragon (2002).
Has played both son and daughter to John Astin. In Freaky
Friday (1976), they play father and daughter. In the live
action "The Addams Family" (1964) television series, Astin
played Gomez. In an animated series, Foster voiced Pugsley
Adams.
Ranked #4 in VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Kid Stars"
Was three, when in an advertisement for suntan lotion, a
puppy tugs at her underwear and reveals her white bottom.
Her production company, Egg Pictures, is named after the
character played by Seth Green in The Hotel New Hampshire
(1984) in which Jodie starred.
Never revealed who was the father of her two children. It is
said that an anonymous donor is the biological father of
Charles and Kit.
She was fluent in Italian by age of 18
Producer of Freaky Friday (2003) Andrew Gunn had initially
hoped she would be game to play the mother (as Foster had
played the daughter in the original film Freaky Friday
(1976). Foster declined, in part because of concerns that
the casting stunt would overshadow the movie's overall
merit.
She was all set to star in the TV film "The Best Little Girl
in the World". Unfortunately an actors strike prevented the
film from being made. By the time the production was ready
to go, Jodie was already studying at Yale.
Her performance as Sarah Tobias in "The Accused" (1988) is
ranked #56 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances
of All Time (2006).
She was the Commencement Speaker at University of
Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in May 2006 and
was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the school. |
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