Few persons have had such long-lasting fame as Jodie Foster. Foster was born to a Los Angeles couple and reared primarily by her mother. She made her cinematic debut in 1965 as a three-year-old girl in a commercial for sunscreen brand Coppertone. From there, she became a minor child star, appearing in Disney films and bit TV roles before attracting national attention for playing a young child prostitute in 1976’s “Taxi Driver.” The film — one part of a very diverse year for Foster that also included parts in the bizarro gangster child musical “Bugsy Malone” and classic Disney comedy “Freaky Friday” — became instantly iconic and instantly controversial, but Foster was widely lauded for her work and earned an Oscar no.
History is littered with child stars who achieve great things when young, only to abandon the business or find that parts run out as they become older. That did not happen to Foster. Although her career was put on hold when she chose to attend college and study at Yale, she more-or-less seamlessly transitioned from child to adult actor in the 1980s, when she played a rape victim in the harrowing 1988 drama “The Accused” and won her first Academy Award. Her performance in the film, which was both searing and real, appeared to promise someone who was here to stay.
And she has stayed; despite being picky about roles, taking frequent breaks, and almost entirely shifting to directing in the 2010s, Foster has remained a welcome onscreen presence, one that has remained vital and relevant as she’s aged from young spunky firecracker roles to thirty-something leading ladies to forty-something authority figures. And she’s a regular at award presentations, where she’s won a second Oscar for her legendary role as Clarice Starling in “The Silence of the Lambs,” as well as numerous nominations for other celebrated roles.
Her latest nomination, for the little-seen Netflix biopic “Nyad,” feels like a welcome return to the Oscar spotlight after five years away. But she’s still fantastic in the role, endearing with her down-to-earth charm, and it’s wonderful to see her in cinema again after a decade away. And, for the first time since she was a child star, she has ventured into television, where she appeared on Season 4 of HBO’s anthology “True Detective.” As a brash police officer investigating a missing persons case, Foster is still as magnetic and exacting as she is on film, and it’s satisfying to see her still giving excellent performances in her 60s.
In honor of her Supporting Actress nomination and the recently finished “True Detective” season, IndieWire combed through Foster’s résumé to find her best performance. We included both film and television performances, though only one of the latter made the cut, and ranked Foster largely on the quality of his work rather than the titles. Read on to see IndieWire’s ranking of Jodie Foster’s ten top performances.
10. “Nell” (1994)
Foster plays Nell Kelty, a young lady raised in an isolated hut by her mother and treated as a kid until she reached adulthood. Michael Apted’s adaptation of Mark Handley’s play “Idioglossia” depicts Nell’s return to the outer world after her mother’s death, as she meets and interacts with individuals from outside her remote North Carolina cabin.
Why she’s great: “Nell” is, to be honest, one of the worst films Foster has ever featured in, a silly, sickly sweet, and infantilizing look at a fascinating subject that fails to deliver at nearly every point. Having said that, none of the film’s flaws are Foster’s fault. She’s committed to the role and gives Nell the dignity and internal logic that the picture frequently lacks. Foster won the first-ever SAG Award for Lead Female Actress for the role and was nominated for an Oscar, and while “Nell” itself does not merit any recognition, her work does.
9. “Nyad” (2023)
Foster plays Bonnie Stoll, an athletic trainer hired by her closest friend, long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad (Annette Bening), to coach her. “Nyad” concentrates on the main character and Stoll’s training for a 110-mile nonstop swim from Cuba to Florida, which the actual Nyad did in 2013 (though others question this).
Why she’s great: The best aspect of the so-so “Nyad” is its willingness to highlight the main character’s abrasive, unlikable characteristics. That leaves Foster with the responsibility of giving the picture the heart it needs to become the plain inspiring biography it so desperately wants to be, by playing Bening’s warmer, sweeter counterpart and the person who brings out the best in our hero. It’s a deceptively difficult job, but Foster pulls it off, and it’s no wonder that the film’s most interesting moments come when she gets to explore the frustrations and resentments that come with this complicated friendship.
8. “True Detective: Night Country” (2024)
Foster portrays Liz Danvers, the Chief of Police in the remote town of Ennis, Alaska. The fourth season of the HBO anthology series follows Danvers as she collaborates with state trooper Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) to investigate the strange disappearance of eight men from a neighboring research site.
Why she’s great: In “Night Country,” Foster portrays a cop 30 years after “Silence of the Lambs,” and Danvers is easily recognizable as an older, cynical version of Clarice, the idealistic character. Foster portrays the character as a pill, abrupt and snarky, with a shady sex life and a contemptuous attitude toward the problems of her town’s Indigenous population. Foster plays all of Danvers’ worst tendencies — she’s often extremely funny in the role — while also balancing her secret softer side, which she shows to Navarro and her few loved ones. “True Detective” is well-known for its unusual, problematic police officers, so it’s exciting to see Foster play one.
7. “Freaky Friday” (1976).
Foster portrays Annabel Andrews, the wayward daughter of suburban parent Ellen (Barbara Harris). Gary Nelson’s classic Disney comedy follows the bickering couple over one stunning day, when they abruptly switch bodies and are forced to live each other’s lives.
Why she’s great: Younger generations are better familiar with the “Freaky Friday” adaptation starring Lindsay Lohan, which is a delightful film featuring a standout performance by the young star. However, it pales in comparison to Foster’s shockingly superb performance in the original, which garnered her a Golden Globe and served as her first true leading role after “Taxi Driver” launched her to fame. She’s witty and charming, and she does an excellent job distinguishing between her performance before and after the body swap. When she plays Ellen in Annabel’s body, she exudes a surprising seriousness and precision that is startlingly true for an older lady and reminiscent of Harris’ own work. It’s a truly fantastic comedy performance that leaves you wondering what Foster could achieve as an adult in the genre.
6. “Inside Man” (2006).
Foster portrays Madeleine White, an ice-cold Manhattan fixer. Spike Lee’s “Inside Man” is about a theft turned hostage crisis in a Wall Street bank, with Denzel Washington as an NYPD negotiator leading the case and Clive Owen as the criminal who arranged the heist. White becomes embroiled in the incident when she is hired by the bank’s founder (Christopher Plummer) to mediate the impasse.
Why she’s amazing: In a ludicrously stacked trio with terrific performers like Washington and Owen starring alongside her, Foster may be the MVP of “Inside Man.” She’s never had more fun than she does as the confident, scary, and ice-cold White, whose every utterance is dripping with venom and danger. It’s a wonderful villain role for a celebrity who hasn’t played many of them.
5. “Panic Room” (2002).
Foster plays Meg Altman, a divorced single mother who moves in with her 11-year-old daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart) to an Upper West Side brownstone equipped with a sophisticated security system and a safe room to defend against burglars. Because this is a David Fincher thriller, Meg and Sarah had to utilize it almost immediately after their big relocation, when three men break into the house.
Why she’s great: Foster was a last-minute replacement to “Panic Room”; original star Nicole Kidman withdrew due to an injury, and Foster gave up her post as President of the Cannes Film Festival to star. It’s difficult to picture the film without her; she’s excellent, bringing some of her famous grit and tenacity from “Silence of the Lambs” to the role of an older, protective mother. It’s an excellent thriller performance that elevates “Panic Room” from good to great.
4. “Contact” (1997).
Foster plays Dr. Eleanor “Ellie” Arroway, a scientist at Puerto Rico’s Arecibo Observatory who searches for evidence of extraterrestrial life. When Ellie discovers a mysterious radio transmission, she races to understand it in the hopes of making first contact, despite the demands of rigorous bureaucrats and antagonistic religious fanatics.
Why she’s great: Robert Zemeckis’ follow-up to “Forrest Gump” is a stark contrast from the Best Picture winner, a sci-fi drama that combines spectacular special effects with spiritual and philosophical reflections. Foster is wonderfully cast in the character; she is emotional and grounded as a sensible woman with a faint idealistic streak, and she makes sense of the film’s cerebral side. It’s an excellent blockbuster performance that stands up to her supposedly more prestigious work.
3. “Taxi Driver” (1976).
Who Foster plays: Foster rose to national prominence after being featured in Martin Scorsese’s 1976 film “Taxi Driver,” a character study of disturbed New York taxi driver and war veteran Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro). She received an Oscar nomination for her role as Iris Steensma, a young prostitute whom Travis becomes obsessed with “saving.”
Why she’s great: Foster was just 12 when she was cast as Iris, which caused some controversy at the time. In retrospect, she viewed the performance as formative, stating, “I thought it would be a job like the others, but when I got there, I realized it was creating a character from scratch, which I’d never done before.” I had just been asked to be myself. It was eye-opening for me.” You’d never know it was a challenge for her to watch the film, though; Foster is quite self-possessed as Iris, toeing the line between youthful innocence and the jaded experience that her time on the streets has given her. It’s a display of brilliance much above her years, and it’s amazing that she would someday outperform such a tremendous star-making moment.
2. “The Accused” (1988).
Foster plays Sarah Tobias, a young, charming waitress who is viciously gang-raped by three men at a bar. Reeling from the horror, she sets out to punish the individuals responsible in the face of a system that dismisses victims, even if it means reliving the awful act on the stand.
Why she’s great: Based loosely on a true-life rape case, “The Accused” was effectively Foster’s reintroduction to mainstream audiences as an adult, after she had largely put her career on hold to attend college. And it’s an excellent reintroduction since Foster is at her most raw and honest in the part. She feels fully immersed in the role of the down-to-earth, fun, but troubled Sarah, and she masterfully explores the trauma she experienced without allowing it to define the character. The scene in which Sarah testifies about what happened to her is one of the best in Foster’s history, a stunning moment that never borders on showboating and earned her her first Academy Award.
1. “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)
Foster plays Clarice Starling, a young FBI trainee tasked with assisting in the search of Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), a serial murderer known for killing and skinning women. To aid, she interviews and develops a tangled connection with Hannibal Lector (Anthony Hopkins), a clever cannibal with ties to the target.
Why she’s great: You could try to argue the opposite, but it’s pointless: Foster’s most well-known role is her best. “The Silence of the Lambs” was a tremendous Oscar triumph that defied standards as a horror movie released in February, winning five major Academy Awards and awarding Foster her second statue. Clarice is a compelling, bright protagonist, vulnerable but tough, brave but terrified of the horrors she is about to face, and driven by an insatiable desire to prove herself. Although Hopkins’ scene-stealing performance is more well-known, Foster is every bit as good, and their sequences together are brilliantly handled, with a dangerous, unsettling connection that is intoxicating to witness. Her performance in the film is one of the best in its genre and is critical to the picture’s overall success. History is littered with child stars who achieve great things when young, only to abandon the business or find that parts run out as they become older. That did not happen to Foster. Although her career was put on hold when she chose to attend college and study at Yale, she more-or-less seamlessly transitioned from child to adult actor in the 1980s, when she played a rape victim in the harrowing 1988 drama “The Accused” and won her first Academy Award. Her performance in the film, which was both searing and real, appeared to promise someone who was here to stay.
And she has stayed; despite being picky about roles, taking frequent breaks, and almost entirely shifting to directing in the 2010s, Foster has remained a welcome onscreen presence, one that has remained vital and relevant as she’s aged from young spunky firecracker roles to thirty-something leading ladies to forty-something authority figures. And she’s a regular at award presentations, where she’s won a second Oscar for her legendary role as Clarice Starling in “The Silence of the Lambs,” as well as numerous nominations for other celebrated roles.
Her latest nomination, for the little-seen Netflix biopic “Nyad,” feels like a welcome return to the Oscar spotlight after five years away. But she’s still fantastic in the role, endearing with her down-to-earth charm, and it’s wonderful to see her in cinema again after a decade away. And, for the first time since she was a child star, she has ventured into television, where she appeared on Season 4 of HBO’s anthology “True Detective.” As a brash police officer investigating a missing persons case, Foster is still as magnetic and exacting as she is on film, and it’s satisfying to see her still giving excellent performances in her 60s.
In honor of her Supporting Actress nomination and the recently finished “True Detective” season, IndieWire combed through Foster’s résumé to find her best performance. We included both film and television performances, though only one of the latter made the cut, and ranked Foster largely on the quality of his work rather than the titles. Read on to see IndieWire’s ranking of Jodie Foster’s ten top performances.
