Born Alicia Christian Foster on November 19, 1962 [corrected -Ed.] in Los
Angeles, California to a Hollywood publicist and divorcee, Evelyn Foster, she is
one among Evelyn's four children.Her very first exposure to the camera was
in a Coppertone commercial. She had several commercial ad stints before she
landed a role in several TV series beginning with "Mayberry RFD", "My Three
Sons", "The Courtship of Eddie's Father"; guesting on "The Partridge Family" in
the episode "Eleven Year Itch" in 1970, and in "Kung Fu". Her Mom ultimately got
her a leading role job in the Disney feature film "Napoleon & Samantha" in
1972. There were various movies she appeared in after "Napoleon..." (see
Jodie's
Filmography for more details.) but that didn't inhibit her education
though, she enrolled in Yale University and graduated cum laude in
English Literature. Her on-screen success never really glared until "The
Accused" in 1988. She played Sarah Tobias superbly, a victim of gang rape where
the assailants never quite got what they truly deserve from the court because of
Sarah's credibility & "conspicuousness". This brought Jodie her first
Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and opened for her the usually
unfriendly gates of fame. After "The Accused", came a semi-lousy movie called
"Backtrack" from Vestron Pictures co-starring and directed by Hollywood badboy
Dennis Hopper. Sad to say, but this film didn't live up to all our expectations,
nonetheless, Jodie gave her best in this film and came out ahead. But that
didn't stop Jodie from acquiring a lead part in Jonathan Demme's "The Silence Of
The Lambs" in 1991. Where she won her second Academy Award for Best Actress in a
Leading Role. Co-starring the brilliant Anthony Hopkins, which won the Best
Actor in a Leading Role for that year, directed by Jonathan Demme (who also won
Best Director). "Silence Of The Lambs" won the much coveted Best Picture of the
Year, that finally cemented the Hollywood success of Jodie, Sir Anthony Hopkins,
and Jonathan Demme. Personally, I've watched "The Silence Of The Lambs" 14 times
(count 'em, katorse!) already. Yes, it's that good. Take it from a movie
buff/expert like me, "The Silence Of The Lambs" really packs a wallop. It's the
story of a rookie FBI agent trying to solve a serial-killing case by seeking the
help of one demented, cannibalistic psychiatrist named Hannibal Lecter (played
magnificently by Hopkins). This
film left an impact on the general viewing public that made it a part of
American culture, no, not serial-killing, but Moviemaking. After that, she
made her directorial debut on the film "Little Man Tate". A film about a
struggling mother raising a gifted child. The film has its up- and downside, but
this is where she showed the world that she's not only an accomplished actor,
but also a capable director. Then came "Shadows & Fog" by Woody Allen, then
the Mel Gibson vehicle "Maverick". "Maverick" revealed her comedic talent as
well and sparked the infamous Mel-Jodie friendship. "Nell" came after that,
where she played an autistic lass guided by the gentle hands of Liam Neeson.
Some say that this role was tailor-made for the Oscars, which earned her third
Best Actress Oscar nomination, but I say that every Jodie Foster film is tailor-made for any award.
Jodie Foster is one of our own, a down-to-earth person who
gives her everything in all that she does and all that she wants. A purpose of
success and survival, she plays her roles with life and love, not thinking of
what people may say, but thinking of what she hopes to accomplish. She never
intended to mark a statement with the public, but she seems to make one in
spite of that. A wise thespian and an aesthetic woman, Jodie Foster is indeed
Hollywood Divinity Personified. For us who revel in her elegance and charm,
for us who extracts happiness and relief from her motion pictures, we are the
lucky ones.
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