Jodie Foster recently chatted with “The Bikeriders” star Jodie Comer for Interview magazine and got honest about her relationship to acting. The two-time Oscar winner for best actress admitted that she’s “never fell in love with the acting part” of her career and the “technical sides of filmmaking” have always interested her more.
“I’ve always made movies by myself, where it was just about my character, and I didn’t have to deal with the other actors,” Foster said. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to understand that was selfish of me, jealously guarding something that I didn’t want to share. Now I’m learning to enter in and say, ‘How are we together and dynamic?’ Instead of it all being about me. It has been so interesting, because now I meet all these actors that do everything differently.”
Foster’s interest in the technical side of filmmaking opened up a path to directing, her approach to which was shaped by her start as an actor.
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“When I direct, I love to talk, so I talk to people about the techniques, but I don’t like to get inside an actor’s body, because I think that’s invasive,” Foster said. “Tell me, ‘Faster, slower.’ Tell me, ‘I didn’t feel that part,’ but don’t talk about my childhood, and don’t try and be one with me.”
“I want them to not question themselves, so that you create something that’s cohesive and feels spontaneous, raw and fresh,” Foster continued. “I tell directors that, but they don’t listen to me, so sometimes I’ll work on a movie where I have to do 120 takes, and I’m like, ‘OK, alright, bye.’”
Foster most recently starred in HBO’s “True Detective: Night Country,” which has made her a favorite to land an Emmy nomination later this year. As a director, Foster’s last feature was 2016’s “Money Monster.” She’s recently helmed episodes of television series such as 2020’s “Tales From the Loop.”
Head over to Interview magazine’s website to read Foster and Comer’s chat in its entirety.