Foster Credits Early Oscar Nod for Protecting Her from Abuse
The acclaimed actress believes her 1977 nomination at age 12 gave her enough industry clout to avoid the predatory behavior that plagued many young performers in Hollywood.
Jodie Foster credits her early Oscar recognition with shielding her from sexual predators during her childhood in Hollywood. The actress, nominated at 12 for her performance in Taxi Driver, says that achievement placed her in a protected class within the entertainment industry.
During a recent interview, Foster reflected on how she escaped the abuse that affected countless young performers. She started acting at three years old, landing the controversial role of a child prostitute in Martin Scorsese's 1976 film when she was just 12.
Power as Protection
"I've really had to examine that, like, how did I get saved? There were microaggressions, of course. Anybody who's in the workplace has had misogynist microaggressions. That's just a part of being a woman, right? But what kept me from having those bad experiences, those terrible experiences?" Foster explained.
The answer, she believes, lies in timing and recognition. "And what I came to believe … is that I had a certain amount of power by the time I was, like, 12." Her Oscar nomination transformed her status completely. "So by the time I had my first Oscar nomination, I was part of a different category of people that had power and I was too dangerous to touch."
Beyond Reach of Predators
Foster described herself as untouchable after gaining industry recognition. "I could've ruined people's careers or I could've called 'Uncle,' so I wasn't on the block." The nomination essentially removed her from the pool of vulnerable targets that predators typically sought.
Her personality also served as armor against manipulation. "It's very difficult to emotionally manipulate me because I don't operate with my emotions on the surface," she noted. This emotional distance made her less susceptible to the tactics abusers commonly employ.
Understanding Predatory Behavior
Foster analyzed how abusers select their victims, explaining that "Predators use whatever they can in order to manipulate and get people to do what they want them to do." She emphasized that such manipulation becomes "much easier when the person is younger, when the person is weaker, when a person has no power."
The actress recently appeared in HBO's True Detective: Night Country and has a French-language film titled A Private Life hitting American theaters this January.