Jodie Fosterhas had an unconventional career in Hollywood, going from child actress to accomplished director over the course of several decades — all of which make her an inspiration to aspiring filmmakers.
Luckily for those up-and-coming directors, Foster, 56, is imparting her wisdom on future generations with the help ofMasterClass, the online education company that enables anyone to learn from the best the world has to offer.
MasterClass has proven popular among those interested in learning from their favorite idols, includingGrey’s Anatomycreator Shonda Rhimes, Gordon Ramsey, Martin Scorsese, Christina Aguilera andSerena Williams.
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Foster made her directorial debut in 1991 with the family dramaLittle Man Tate, in which she also starred in. She’s since gone to helm three more features —Home for the Holidays(1995)The Beaver(2011) andMoney Monster(2016) — as well as episodes ofHouse of Cards,Black MirrorandOrange Is the New Black.
The two-time Oscar winner reveals that her lesson “deals with being an actor and director at the same time.”
“A lot of young filmmakers, when they’re making their own movies on a shoestring budget, they’ll be acting and directing and producing, and making all sorts of technical decisions at the same time – and it’s something they haven’t done before,” she adds. “Hopefully I can contribute to that.”
Foster admits that she was graced with a lot of advantages when embarking on her career as a director in her twenties. Before going behind the camera to makeLittle Man Tate, she had already won two Oscars for her performances in theThe Accused(1988) andThe Silence of the Lambs(1991), plus had worked with influential directors like Scorsese.
“I’ve been really blessed,” she says. “I started out in the movie business when I was three years old. By the time I was 25, I had worked with a lot of people and people knew who I was. The kind of obstacles that other people might have had, especially a young female director who didn’t go to film school, I didn’t have at all. People knew me. They knew that when I said I would be there at 8 in the morning, I would be there at 8 in the morning. There was a trust that went into them hiring a first-time director. They weren’t hiring a stranger – they were hiring their prodigal daughter in a way. That was a real advantage. In some ways it’s what allowed me to be a young female filmmaker at a time when there were very few female directors in mainstream filmmaking.”
Jodie Foster directing Julia Roberts onMoney Monster.Atsushi Nishijima/Tristar/Lstar Capital/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock
As Foster warns, “It’s great thatWonder Womanmade that kind of money. Let’s hope another woman will be allowed to fail on a big budget movie and that other women will be given a chance after that. That’s the real test.”
Foster’s MasterClass launches Thursday. For more informationclick here.
source: people.com
