Jodie Foster describes 'mortifying' Oscar experience and dishes on 'True Detective' role to Jimmy Kimmel
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: During a conversation on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' on January 9, Jodie Foster mentioned that she sat with her 'Taxi Driver' co-star Robert De Niro and the film's director, Martin Scorsese, at the Golden Globes that week.
The two-time Academy-Award winner also spoke about working with Gen Z and shared insights into filming 'True Detective' during her appearance on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'.
Foster discusses her 'Taxi Driver' role
Kimmel welcomed Foster, saying, "She's an Oscar-winning actor, director, graduate of Yale and silencer of lambs. Next she stars in the long awaited return of 'True Detective' season 4 on HBO and Max...please welcome Jodie!"
Kimmel then asked Foster about her history at award shows, questioning when she started. The latter recalled this was "around eight or nine years old." Kimmel mentioned that she sang at the Oscars, prompting him to inquire about the song she performed.
"I don't remember. Some awful song from an animated movie. And um, they made me wear bright orange vinyl shoes, and I was just mortified. I couldn't believe I had to wear these orange shoes, so it's a bit of a PTSD moment", the actress replied.
The conversation flowed as Foster reflected on the 1977 Oscars, expanding on her experience as a 12-year-old actor in 'Taxi Driver' alongside director Martin Scorsese and co-star Robert De Niro.
“I understand [that they were scared of me],” said Foster, continuing, “I was 12. And they had to say things like, you know, Can you pull his fly down?’ And it was a little awkward.”
However, the talk show host surprised her with a playful prank during their conversation, adding a humorous twist to the interview.
Jimmy Kimmel displayed a photo of a teenage Jodie at the 1977 Oscars with her mother and a date named Todd. Jodie, nominated for Best Supporting Actress for 'Taxi Driver', had invited Todd to accompany her on Hollywood's grandest night.
Foster on 'True Detective 4' featuring more women
The legend then teased the upcoming fourth season of HBO's 'True Detective', revealing exciting details about the series' supernatural elements.
She hinted at the involvement of executive producer and season one star and 'Yellowstone' actor Matthew McConaughey, coyly suggesting that he's "in there somewhere, in the mix."
This subtle nod to McConaughey's presence adds an intriguing layer of continuity to the anthology series, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
Foster mentioned that science stations in the Arctic are typically occupied by men. However, in the current cycle of 'True Detective', there are more female roles because, as she humorously put it, "in this case, there’s men and they’re missing."
Jodie Foster emphasized that the predominantly dark days and nights in Iceland didn't bother her.
She explained that the 'True Detective' cast and crew, despite the challenging conditions, were treated to occasional sightings of the Northern Lights or the aurora borealis.
She fondly recalled, " “There would be moments when we were shooting on frozen lakes and stuff and then we’d all look up and suddenly the whole sky was green."
Jodie Foster attempts truce after calling Gen Z 'really annoying"
Further into the show, Foster sought to clarify and amend some of her less-than-flattering remarks about Gen Z over the weekend.
Kimmel highlighted her interview with The Guardian on January 6, where Foster expressed reservations about working with younger generations, singling out Gen Z. "They’re really annoying, especially in the workplace," she said.
Foster mentioned receiving criticism from her sons for her previous comments about the younger generation, saying, "Yeah, I got some grief from my sons for that one cause, you know, you're older, and you tend to do that, like, 'Well, in my day, we had to walk to school with crampons on or something. But the new generation, you know, they're lucky because they can say 'no', and we didn't know that, right? We didn't have that kind of freedom, and there's a double edge to that. There are things that you learn when you're unfree and overly disciplined".
Foster continued, sharing her perspective on parenting, stating, "I'm always saying that to my kids. When they're cold, you're like, 'Cold? You don't know what cold is. Let me tell you what cold is..."
Foster plays the formidable Chief of Local Police Liz Danvers in the highly anticipated fourth season of HBO's 'True Detective'.