The Dark Side Of Jodie Foster's Life As A Child Actor

Jodie Foster's Hollywood career began at age three when she appeared in her first Coppertone commercial. Practically working all her life, Foster landed her first movie role in the 1972 Disney film "Napoleon and Samantha." This particular gig saw Foster in a terrifying situation, having been picked up and shaken around by a lion on set. Making matters worse, most of the people who witnessed the near-attack ran away as the moment was taking place. Thankfully, she was rescued by the lion trainer, though this was likely Foster's introduction to the dark side of life as a child actor. 

One of her next performances, "Taxi Driver," saw her portraying a much more serious role as a teenage prostitute. This was highly uncomfortable for Foster, who was just 12 when the movie was filmed in 1975. The movie starred Robert De Niro and was directed by Martin Scorsese, who would awkwardly have to produce the scenes between the two. While this ordeal was difficult, it would not be the last time Foster faced a difficult time as a young star. 

By the time she was in her teens, Jodie Foster had been in the film and television industry for over 10 years.  She was managed by her mother, Evelyn "Brandy" Foster, who frequently oversaw much of her business dealings. However, during one instance when Evelyn was away, a film producer tried to take advantage of Foster.

Foster was summoned to the home of the producer, who'd claimed she'd missed a meeting. However, it seems this was simply his way to lure Foster away from a sleepover she was attending. In a June 2016 chat with SBS' The Feed, the Academy Award winner detailed that encounter, sharing, "He had me come to the appointment and was talking to me, and asked me to take my jacket off and turn around so he could see my body" [via Honey | Celebrity]. Thankfully, it doesn't appear that anything physical took place. Foster would theorize years later that her personality kept her safe from sexual assault that many child stars and actors have spoken out about, telling Net-A-Porter, ​​"I learned to be stand-offish."

Despite Jodie Foster being the youngest of four children born to parents Evelyn and Lucius Fisher Foster III, she was the family's provider. Siblings Cindy, Connie, and Lucius "Buddy" Foster IV, also known for his role in the late 1960s series, "Mayberry R.F.D.," don't appear to have dealt with the same responsibilities as Foster.

In that chat with SBS' The Feed, Foster admitted, "There's a lot of pressure that comes with being the breadwinner. I was the only source of income in our entire family." Evelyn even chose her daughter's earlier movie roles, seemingly guaranteeing the family was always cared for.

Foster experienced a tragic death in her life when ​​Evelyn passed away in March 2019 at age 90 following a battle with dementia. While Foster did follow a bumpy road as a child star, she has excelled throughout the years. Foster has been praised for coming out in 2013, though she is not interested in being an activist of any kind. Instead, Foster told Net-A-Porter, "If there's anything that I have to be a role model about, it is prioritizing my own self-worth and psychological health." That's certainly a lesson that plenty of former child actors have had to learn.