Alicia Christian “Jodie” Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress. Foster began acting in commercials at three years of age, and her first significant role came in the 1976 film Taxi Driver as the preteen prostitute Iris for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Other popular films include Maverick (1994), Contact (1997), Panic Room (2002), Flightplan (2005), Inside Man (2006), The Brave One (2007), and Nim’s Island (2008). in addition to her two Academy Awards she has won two BAFTA Awards for three films, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a People’s Choice Award, and has received two Emmy nominations. Her first film role was in the 1970 television movie Menace on the Mountain, which was followed by several Disney productions. Foster attended a French-language prep school, the Lycée Français de Los Angeles, and graduated in 1980 as the valedictorian. She later gave the Class Day speech at her alma mater in 1994 and received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the university in 1997. She is also credited as “Jodi Foster” for her 1970 Daniel Boone role and credited as “Jodie Foster” for her 1970 Adam-12 role.
