Foster, Jodie (1962-…), is an American motion-picture actress and director known for the keen intelligence she brings to many dramatic roles. Foster became a star as a teenager in the movie Taxi Driver (1976). She continued her success as an adult actress and also gained praise as a director. Foster won Academy Awards for best actress for her performances in The Accused (1988) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991). She has won many other awards for her work, including several Golden Globe Awards.
Alicia Christian Foster was born on Nov. 19, 1962, in Los Angeles, California. As a child, she was nicknamed Jodie. She began appearing in television commercials at the age of 3 and soon played roles in TV movies. She made her theatrical film debut in the adventure film Napoleon and Samantha (1972). Foster’s other films from the late 1900’s include Bugsy Malone (1976), Freaky Friday (1976), Foxes (1980), The Hotel New Hampshire (1984), Sommersby (1993), Maverick and Nell (both 1994), Contact (1997), and Anna and the King (1999). Her later movies include Panic Room (2002), Flightplan (2005), Inside Man (2006), The Brave One (2007), Nim’s Island (2008), Carnage (2011), Elysium (2013), The Mauritanian (2021), and Nyad (2023).
The first movie that Foster directed was Little Man Tate (1991). She later directed Home for the Holidays (1995), The Beaver (2011), and Money Monster (2016). Foster also starred in some of the movies she directed.
While Foster was building her film career, she attended Yale University. In 1981, while Foster was a college student, a fan of hers named John W. Hinckley, Jr., wounded United States president Ronald Reagan in an assassination attempt. Hinckley said he did it to “impress” Foster. In 1985, Foster graduated from Yale with honors and received a degree in literature.
