Jodie Foster raised eyebrows on Wednesday with what read like a subtle dig at Denzel Washington while discussing backlash over her own personal life.
The two-time Oscar winner opened up to Variety about her 2013 Golden Globes speech, when many believed she was publicly coming out while acknowledging her ex-partner Cydney Bernard.
The moment, after decades of silence, was seismic for fans and critics alike, but Foster has long faced criticism from the LGBTQ+ community for not being more outspoken, particularly during the AIDS crisis.
When asked about the pressure to be an activist, she ‘bristled’, telling the outlet: ‘Thank God there were the wonderful pioneers that were out there changing the world. That’s true of the Civil Rights Movement, and yet you have Denzel Washington, who just made movies. Are we mad at him? Does everyone have to?’
While Foster seemed to argue that not everyone must be a trailblazer, the comments came across as a pointed reminder that Hollywood icons like Washington aren’t expected to carry social causes on their shoulders.
Either way, the remarks appear open to interpretation, leaving it unclear whether Foster’s words were playful reflection or a cheeky swipe at her fellow stars.
Jodie Fosterraised eyebrows on Wednesday with what read like a subtle dig at Denzel Washingtonwhile discussing backlash over her own personal life with Variety
When asked about the pressure to be an activist, she ‘bristled’, telling the outlet: ‘Thank God there were the wonderful pioneers that were out there changing the world. That’s true of the Civil Rights Movement, and yet you have Denzel Washington, who just made movies. Are we mad at him? Does everyone have to?’
Daily Mail has not received a response to its request for comment from reps for both Foster and Washington.
However, Foster and Washington have admired one another for years, with their on-screen history dating back to 2006, when they starred opposite each other in Spike Lee’s thriller Inside Man.
Foster once said she had wanted to work with Washington for a long time, joking it rarely happens because Hollywood budgets usually only have room for one leading star – making their pairing ‘a great moment’ for her, per Hollywood.com.
She praised him as ‘truly the best actor that I’ve ever worked with,’ saying his effortless talent often brought spontaneous moments to the film that weren’t even scripted.
Washington echoed that sentiment, calling Foster ‘cool’ and ‘great,’ and said he enjoyed the opportunity to share the screen with her, even if their characters weren’t always allies in the story.
Foster then turned to other milestones in her career during the Variety interview, including why she opted not to reprise the role of Clarice Starling for 2001’s Hannibal.
‘It was easy,’ she said. ‘We waited years for that novel that Thomas Harris said he was writing, that he probably wrote in eight weeks. We waited.’
‘Jonathan [Demme, the director] said no, because he did not appreciate the book. And luckily, I was doing something else, so I was able to say, “Ah! No. I’m shooting something else.”’
However, Foster and Washington have admired one another for years, with their on-screen history dating back to 2006, when they starred opposite each other in Spike Lee’s thriller Inside Man
Reflecting on how Clarice shaped her own approach to life and work, Foster said: ‘I’m a good girl, not a rebel. I got good grades. Being raised in the 1960s – you know your place, and then you challenge within the system and make changes within the system.’
She added, ‘To stop a serial killer, Clarice must confront her own inner darkness. She has to become the tragic prince who starts out as a good boy and learns that his worst failing is actually his greatest strength.
‘This is usually a male character. Why should that only be reserved for men?’
Foster also recalled working with Robert De Niro, who helped her discover a deeper connection to acting: ‘Robert De Niro kind of took me under his wing,’ she said.
‘The actor began improvising with me. I suddenly realised: the dissatisfaction that I had with acting… was because I didn’t bring enough to the table.
‘I hadn’t done the work of creating a character. There was this infinite amount of challenge and love and connection that I just didn’t know.’
She reflected on her upbringing, saying her mother instilled a strict code of self-respect: ‘She was like, you will be respected. You will not do stuff for money. You will not be objectified.’
And on her latest project A Private Life, Foster said: ‘I think I’m doing the best work of my life. And the dirty little secret is that I’ve never worked less in terms of my energy output. I just do what I think, and then I drink a coffee.’
