Jodie Foster, the two-time Oscar winner and Hollywood icon, got candid at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival about her disconnect with today’s young actors. In a chat with Variety, the 62-year-old Silence of the Lambs star shared, “I see a lot of young actors, and I’m not saying I’m jealous, but I don’t understand how they just want to act. They don’t care if the movie’s bad. They don’t care if the dialogue is bad. They don’t care if they’re a grape in a Fruit of the Loom ad.” Her blunt take offers a peek into how a veteran sees the new generation navigating the industry.
Foster, who started acting at three and earned an Oscar nod at 14 for Taxi Driver, has always been choosy about roles. “If I never acted again, I wouldn’t really care,” she said. “I really like to be a vessel for story or cinema.” Her latest role in the French thriller Vie Privée, where she plays a therapist unraveling a suspicious suicide, fits that vibe—it’s a project she picked for its compelling story.
She’s not shading young actors, but Foster’s puzzled by their willingness to take any gig, even in lackluster films or cheesy commercials. Having grown up in the spotlight, she stepped back at 18 to focus on projects with depth, a luxury many newcomers can’t afford. The industry’s tougher now, with rising costs and fewer breaks, pushing young actors to prioritize work over quality.
Foster’s not out of touch, though. She’s been mentoring talents like Bella Ramsey, whom she praised for their authenticity at an Elle Women in Hollywood event. Having navigated child stardom herself—including a traumatic 1981 incident when a stalker shot President Reagan to “impress” her—she gets how brutal Hollywood can be. She told The Guardian, “They need to learn how to relax, not overthink, and find something that’s truly theirs.”
Some critics argue Foster’s perspective reflects her privilege. With a wealthy family and early success, she had a safety net most young actors don’t. Still, she’s used her clout to produce and direct, creating opportunities, though some say she could do more to support emerging talent directly.
At Cannes, Foster also shared her love for acting in her 60s, taking supporting roles like in Nyad or True Detective: Night Country. “There’s something amazing about acting now and supporting other people,” she told Elle in 2023. Her focus on story over stardom sets her apart in an era where young actors often grind through any role to break through.
Foster’s honesty about not “understanding” the hustle of today’s actors isn’t a jab—it’s a reflection of her values, shaped by decades in Hollywood. Her words spark a conversation about what it means to act in today’s cutthroat industry, where the grind looks a lot different than it did in her early days.