Jodie Foster: Actress's Life in Pictures

Jodie Foster's Career Turns 50: See the Iconic Actress's Career in Pictures

Jodie Foster made her onscreen debut fifty years ago, in a Coppertone ad. This week, with the opening of her new film, Money Monster, we're taking a look back at one of Hollywood's most varied and celebrated careers.

By People Staff

Published on May 11, 2016 12:00PM EDT

01 of 16

THE COURTSHIP OF EDDIE'S FATHER (1969)

One of Foster's earliest clips is from a 1969 episode of The Courtship of Eddie's Father, in which her character knocks out Eddie.

02 of 16

PAPER MOON (1974)

Paper Moon, based on the 1973 Peter Bogdanovich film of the same name starring Ryan O'Neal and real-life daughter Tatum O'Neal, only lasted one season; Foster costarred with Christopher Connelly in the roles originated by the O'Neals.

03 of 16

FREAKY FRIDAY (1976)

Freaky Friday has been remade twice; once as a made-for-TV film in 1995 and for the second time in 2003, with Lindsay Lohan in Foster's role.

04 of 16

TAXI DRIVER (1976)

Foster was actually the last in a series of actresses considered for the role of Iris. Taxi Driver director Martin Scorsese initially considered Melanie Griffith, Linda Blair, Bo Derek and Carrie Fisher. Mariel Hemingway also auditioned, but turned it down after facing pressure from her family.

05 of 16

BUGSY MALONE (1976)

Bugsy Malone, a musical that used children to portray the exploits of various Prohibition-era gangsters, was the first time Foster shared the screen with Scott Baio, whom she would work with again in Foxes.

06 of 16

CARNY (1980)

Foster's costars in Carny were Gary Busey and Robbie Robertson, better known as the guitarist and primary songwriter for The Band.

07 of 16

FOXES (1980)

Foxes was one of Foster's last films before she took a hiatus from acting to attend Yale University. It also starred Cherie Currie, then best known as the lead vocalist for The Runaways.

08 of 16

THE ACCUSED (1988)

Foster earned her first Academy Award for Best Actress for The Accused. The film received no other nominations; it was the first time this situation had occurred at the Oscars since 1957, when Joanne Woodward won Best Actress for her performance in The Three Faces of Eve.

09 of 16

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)

Foster's role as FBI trainee Clarice Starling is arguably the defining role of her career, and garnered the star her second Academy Award.

10 of 16

SOMMERSBY (1993)

Though Sommersby received mixed reviews from critics, Foster's chemistry with costar Richard Gere was generally praised, and the film was a box office success.

11 of 16

NELL (1994)

Nell was the first film produced through Foster's production company, Egg Pictures. She played the titular character and was nominated for another Academy Award.

12 of 16

MAVERICK (1994)

Foster replaced Meg Ryan in Maverick, opposite Mel Gibson and James Garner. The comedy was a commercial success, earning $183 million at the domestic box office.

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CONTACT (1997)

Contact marked a return to feature films for Foster after a three-year absence. In 1998, an asteroid, 17744 Jodiefoster, was named in her honor after the success of the film.

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PANIC ROOM (2002)

Panic Room marked the first in a series of dramatic thrillers for Foster. She picked up the role after Nicole Kidman was injured on-set.

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THE BRAVE ONE (2007)

The Brave One continued Foster's work in a string of dramas in the 2000s. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in the film, which received mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office.

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THE CECIL B. DEMILLE AWARD (2013)

Foster was given the honorary Cecil B. DeMille Award for "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment" by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association at the 2013 Golden Globe Awards.

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