c. 1973 2007

Born Alicia Christian Foster in Los Angeles, CA. Intense, talented young woman whose determination and artistic daring have made her one of the top actresses in Hollywood. Foster's career began early; as a child model and performer, she was managed by her mother-who, among other accomplishments, got young Jodie a modeling job as one of the bare-bottomed tykes in the Coppertone ads. Her first film was NAPOLEON AND SAMANTHA (1972), a Disney outing that cast her as a runaway. By the time she was a teenager, Foster already had several Hollywood pictures to her credit, including ONE LITTLE INDIAN (1973), TOM SAWYER (1973), ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND (1975), and ECHOES OF A SUMMER (1976), in addition to three interesting films: an early Martin Scorsese picture, ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE (1974), playing a tough tomboy; BUGSY MALONE (1976), a gangster spoof cast entirely with children, in which she plays a tough dame who's pelted with whipped cream "bullets" in the finale; and FREAKY FRIDAY (1977), an amusing Disney comedy in which she switched identities with onscreen mom Barbara Harris. (She also costarred with Helen Hayes and David Niven in another 1977 Disney comedy, CANDLESHOE.) Scorsese, impressed with Foster, cast her as a teenaged prostitute opposite Robert De Niro in TAXI DRIVER (1976). Foster's startling performance in that film brought her more attention than she ever could have imagined. In addition to earning an Oscar® nomination for Best Supporting Actress, her portrayal made Foster the object of obsessive fixation for one John Hinckley, who attempted to assassinate President Reagan on her behalf. By then, Foster had enrolled at Yale University, where she studied literature (and not acting: Foster is an instinctual actress and has never received formal theatrical training). During school vacations, she managed to appear in several features, including CARNY (1980), FOXES (1980), and THE HOTEL NEW HAMPSHIRE (1984), before graduating in 1985. Already fascinated by behind-the-camera work, Foster co-produced one of her starring vehicles, 1986's MESMERIZED. She delivered mature, accomplished performances in the little-seen SIESTA (1987), FIVE CORNERS and STEALING HOME (both 1988). But it was as a lower-class rape victim defending her character in THE ACCUSED (1988) that Foster galvanized audiences and won herself a Best Actress Oscar -- a feat she repeated in 1991 for her portrayal of federal agent Clarice Starling in the megahit thriller THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, making her one of Hollywood's hottest properties. Having made her directorial debut with an episode of TV's "Tales from the Darkside," she entered the feature-film arena with LITTLE MAN TATE (1991). As director and star, Foster turned in an exceptional job, telling the story of a child prodigy -- a character with whom she could certainly empathize. Her cameo in Woody Allen's SHADOWS AND FOG (1992) brought Foster back to a role she'd played at age 12: a prostitute. She costarred with Richard Gere in SOMMERSBY (1993) giving another affecting performance, and appeared in 1994's MAVERICK. Foster scored another Best Actress nomination for her portrayal of a backwoodswoman in NELL (1994), the first film made by her own company, Egg Productions. She then directed HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (1995, also producer). Other notable (non-nominated) credits include THE LITTLE GIRL WHO LIVES DOWN THE LANE (1976), CATCHFIRE (1989), CONTACT (1997), ANNA AND THE KING (1999), THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS (also producer) and PANIC ROOM (both 2002), UN LONG DIMANCHE DE FIANÇAILLES / A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT (2004), FLIGHTPLAN (2005), INSIDE MAN (2006), THE BRAVE ONE (2007, also producer), and NIM'S ISLAND and SUGARLAND (also director) (both planned for 2008).  Nominated for Supporting Actress 1976: TAXI DRIVER  Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role 1988: THE ACCUSED  Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role 1991: THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS  Nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role 1994: NELL 4 nominations, 2 Awards