Terry Gross

You were mauled by a lion at age nine.

I read that, but what happened?

Was this on a shoot?

Wow, he picked you up like in his mouth?

To get you help or to run away from the lion?

And then I guess- Wait, wait, are you saying you didn't know you were in the lion's mouth?

Did it make you think that acting was unsafe?

That's amazing resilience.

I think your mother sometimes exercised like such good judgment in terms of choosing roles for you.

Though some people might find that judgment very questionable when it comes to Taxi Driver.

But that's one of my very favorite films.

It's such a deep psychological study of the characters in it.

Did she approve of feminism once it, you know, started really blossoming?

Let's take a short break here, and then we'll be back.

If you're just joining us, my guest is Jodie Foster.

Her new movie is called A Private Life, and it opens in select theaters January 16th and more widely on the 30th.

I'm Terry Gross, and this is Fresh Air.

And I'm a newsletter fan.

I read it every Saturday after breakfast.

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