Why Jodie Foster Hid Her Career From Her Sons When They Were Kids

Jodie Foster transformed from a child star to acclaimed actor and filmmaker known for movies like "Silence of the Lambs," "Taxi Driver," and "The Accused." While her Hollywood presence is a defining aspect of her public identity, it's a part of herself that the California native initially chose to keep from her children. Foster has two sons, Charlie and Christopher "Kit" Foster, who were born in 1998 and 2001, respectively. They've since learned about their mom's prestige, with the "True Detective" actor opening up about her decision to keep her acting career hidden during their childhood.

"I didn't really understand why I did that, but now I understand," Foster told Magic Radio. "I didn't want them to know me that way." While not explicitly mentioned, it's possible that privacy and safety also played a role in this decision, as Foster has talked about the dark side of her life as a child actor and the impact of fame on her loved ones. "There are only so many steps I can take to protect people I love," she told The New York Times. "It's kind of a horrible feeling to know that if somebody's close to you, you put them in danger of being hurt, of being sullied — trivialized — just by virtue of knowing you."

Instead of knowing that their mom was a celebrity, Jodie Foster's sons thought she worked in construction when they were kids. During an appearance on "The View," the "Nyad" actor revealed the origin of her faux-contractor job. "I brought my oldest son, he was probably about 3 ... I brought him to set one day," she explained. "I bought him a little plastic tool belt and stuff and I was like, 'Yeah, and this is this set and this set and this set.' And for a really long time, he thought I was a construction worker."

As they grew up, Foster did introduce her kids to some of her work, which she talked about during her 2016 interview with Magic Radio. "Well, my little one just saw 'Silence of the Lambs' for the first time," she said, explaining that he was almost 15 during his inaugural viewing. "My older one just saw 'Taxi Driver' for the first time." The actor went on to explain that Kit, her youngest son, did find her movie scary. "I forget, you know, I forget that it's a scary movie and I do know he's a little sensitive."

Still, there are some of her projects that she has no interest in sharing with her sons. "There's a few films that I would never show them because I would be worried about being teased," she told "The View." "Nell, for example, they've never seen because they do tease me often about that, even though they've never seen the movie."