Foster, Jodie (1962- )

US film actor and director. She began acting as a child. In 1976 she starred in Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver when only 14. She became known for her intelligent, sensitive portrayals of strong yet vulnerable women, often social outcasts or misfits, facing great challenges. She won Academy Awards for her performances in The Accused (1988) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991).

Other films include The Hotel New Hampshire (1984), Sommersby (1993), Maverick (1994), Nell (1994), Contact (1997), Anna and the King (1999), and Panic Room (2002). She has directed Little Man Tate (1991) and Home for the Holidays (1995).