Jodie Foster: I Was Mad at My Mom in My 30s, Now I Really Appreciate Her
Jodie Foster: I Was Mad at My Mom in My 30s, Now I Really Appreciate Her
Jodie Foster opens up about her late mother Evelyn's influence on her career, admitting past anger but growing appreciation as she promotes A Private Life.
Jodie Foster is shedding new light on her relationship with her late mother, Evelyn Foster, during a candid chat on a popular podcast as she promotes her new film, A Private Life. Evelyn managed Jodie's acting career from childhood through the early 1990s, guiding choices and shaping the path she would take in Hollywood. Evelyn died at 90 in 2019 due to dementia-related complications, leaving a lasting imprint on her daughter's career and perspective.
"I really appreciate her now. I mean, I was pretty mad at her in my 30s," Foster said, reflecting on the tensions of growing up in the spotlight. "And then suddenly really started seeing the other side of the story." Foster added that her mother had a vicarious desire for her daughter to be all the things she couldn't be, and that she wanted Jodie to be respected, not objectified.
Foster emphasized that her mother pushed for a long, substantial career rather than a string of short, sensational roles. She pointed out that her mother worked in a pre-feminist era when opportunities for young women were limited, and Evelyn's stance helped Foster pursue central, flesh-and-blood characters rather than just supporting parts. The conversation comes as Foster promotes A Private Life, a project she describes as a chance to explore intimate, contemporary themes and to continue proving her range decades after her earliest break.
