"Women over fifty don't know themselves." Jodie Foster on age, appearance, criticism and the downsides of fame

Jodie Foster appears on one of the covers of the new issue of Elle magazine, dedicated to women in Hollywood. Jennifer Lopez also became one of the heroines of the issue. In the interview, 61-year-old Foster spoke about aging, society's attitude towards women's age, fame, criticism and her career.

First Oscar nomination Jodie Foster received the award at the age of 14 for her supporting role in the film Taxi Driver. (she later won an Oscar for best actress in the films “The Accused” and “The Silence of the Lambs.” - Ed.). Now she has "so many awards that they have their own Wikipedia page," the article says. Foster turned 60 last year, marking a milestone after a difficult decade in which she tried to accept her age and directed but was barely seen on screen. "I was still being asked to do three thousand films, and I really didn't want that pressure. And the roles were unclear. People don't know how to write about women over 50, just like women over 50 don't know themselves. It’s quite difficult to live between 50 and 60 years old, still clinging to a younger version of yourself and competing with your past self,” the actress said.

Foster also admitted that she felt like a failure because she could not reach certain heights in directing and writing scripts: “I had a period when I thought: “Wow, I had such goals in writing and directing, and I didn’t achieve any of them.” And I couldn't stop feeling like a terrible failure—like I hadn't lived up to all the high expectations I had for myself. I just thought about it over and over again. And then something changed. And now I feel like I have fewer film goals than ever and I'm happier than ever."

In 2021, Jodie Foster received a Golden Globe. for Best Supporting Actress for the film "The Mauritanian". This year the film “Diana Naked” was released, in which she was tipped for an Oscar for her minor role as a swimming coach. Next year, Foster will appear as embittered Alaskan detective Liz Danvers in the fourth season of the acclaimed True Detective series.

However, the actress says that "at a certain age" she realized that “it’s time for someone else.” “You might as well do more of the things you love, less of the things you hate, and stop beating yourself up over things you can’t control—getting older and changing your importance.” And there's something amazing about acting in my sixties and supporting other people. I think I like it more than anything I’ve ever done,” she explained.

Foster spoke about fame, a successful career and the price she paid for such success: “I find myself patting people on the back and apologizing for who I was in my twenties, saying, I can't believe I was so selfish and unaware of my own privilege." I was a terrible friend because I was always busy filming. If you don't have time like an ordinary person, you will become bad in many ways. I've achieved a lot, but as a person I've really fallen behind. It's a hard lesson to learn because you have to look in the mirror and say, "I let a lot of people down and I wasn't the person I could have been."

Nevertheless, Jodi takes criticism calmly. "I don't really care what other people think. Why should I care what some guy in pajamas thinks about what I should do with my life? - she said.

Jodie Foster also said that she is not a big fan of superhero films, which have become especially popular lately: “This is a phase. This stage lasted too long for me. I hope people get tired of it soon. Good films such as "Iron Man", "Black Panther", "The Matrix" — I admire these films, and I am captivated by the entertainment, but that is not why I became an actress. And these films don't change my life. I hope there is a place for everything else in the film industry.”

Photo: Elle