With a career spanning over five decades, Jodie Foster has received several Oscar nominations. Her dedication to acting has seen her deliver breathtaking performances and do justice to every character she plays in film or television. First appearing on television at age 3 in a Coppertone commercial, Foster made her acting debut at 5.
The sexagenarian actress is one of Hollywood’s living stars who began as a child actor. As a testament to her amazing talents, Jodie Foster received her first Oscar nomination at age 14. 47 years later, at 61, she was again honored with an Oscar nomination at the 96th Academy Awards. Here are all 5 of Jodie Foster’s Oscar nominations through the years.
Taxi Driver – Best Supporting Actress
Jodie Foster was 12 when she began filming Martin Scorsese’s neo-noir psychological thriller Taxi Driver (1976). Foster played Iris Steensma, the 12-year-old prostitute Robert De Niro’s character, Travis Bickle, encounters and seeks to rescue. Taxi Driver was a critical and commercial success, grossing $28.6 million on a $1.9 million budget. Jodie Foster’s performance was singled out for praise and, unsurprisingly, became her first Oscar nomination.
Jodie Foster was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 49th Academy Awards held on March 28, 1977, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, California. Foster was nominated with Beatrice Straight (for Network), Jane Alexander (for All the President’s Men), Lee Grant (for Voyage of the Damned), and Piper Laurie (for Carrie). Jodie Foster lost her nomination to Beatrice Straight, who played Louise Schumacher in Network (1976).
The Accused – Best Actress
11 years later, Jodie Foster received an Academy nod for her performance in The Accused, bringing her Oscar nominations to two. Foster was cast in the lead role as Sarah Tobias in Jonathan Kaplan’s 1988 legal drama. Foster’s character was a young waitress who was gang raped by three men. The Accused follows Sarah Tobias’ prosecution, with the help of District Attorney Katheryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis), of the rapist and onlookers who cheered on.
Jodie Foster was nominated for Best Actress at the 61st Academy Awards, held on March 29, 1989, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. Jodie Foster won her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her performance in The Accused. Foster beat Glenn Close (for Dangerous Liaisons), Melanie Griffith (for Working Girl), Meryl Streep (for A Cry in the Dark), and Sigourney Weaver (for Gorillas in the Mist).
The Silence of the Lambs – Best Actress
Jodie Foster’s performance in Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs (1991) helped push her Oscar nominations to three. With Ted Tally’s screenplay based on Thomas Harris’ 1988 novel of the same name, Foster portrayed the young FBI trainee Clarice Starling. Starring alongside Anthony Hopkins, who played the imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Foster’s performance received several accolades.
Jodie Foster was again nominated for Best Actress at the 64th Academy Awards, held on March 30, 1992, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. Jodie Foster beat the other nominees to win her second Oscar and consecutive win at the 64th Academy Awards. Nominated in the category with Foster were Geena Davis (for Thelma & Louise), Laura Dern (for Rambling Rose), Bette Midler (for For the Boys), and Susan Sarandon (for Thelma & Louise).
Nell – Best Actress
Three years later, Jodie Foster returned to the Academy Awards as a nominee. Her nomination for Best Actress was Jodie Foster’s third Oscar nomination in the category. Besides playing the titular character, Nell Kellty was also one of Nell’s producers. Co-starring alongside Liam Neeson, Foster played a young woman raised in a secluded cabin who spoke and understood a unique language.
Jodie Foster was nominated for her third Oscar at the 67th Academy Awards. The ceremony was held on March 27, 1995, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. Foster received her Best Actress nomination alongside Jessica Lange (for Blue Sky), Miranda Richardson (for Tom & Viv), Winona Ryder (for Little Women), and Susan Sarandon (for The Client). Jodie Foster lost the Best Actress nomination to actress Jessica Lange for her performance as Carly Marshall in Blue Sky (1994).
Nyad – Best Supporting Actress
Jodie Foster received her fifth Oscar nomination at the 96th Academy Awards in 2024 as a testament to her relevance as an actress through the years. This nomination made it 29 years since Foster was last nominated for an Oscar. Jodie Foster was nominated for her portrayal of Diana Nyad’s (Annette Bening) best friend, former partner, and trainer Bonnie Stoll. Foster was nominated alongside four other nominees at the 2024 Oscars held on March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
Jodie Foster was nominated alongside Da’Vine Joy Randolph (for The Holdovers), Emily Blunt (for Oppenheimer), Danielle Brooks (for The Color Purple), and America Ferrera (for Barbie). Jodie Foster lost her Oscar nomination to Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who played Mary Lamb in the 2023 comedy-drama The Holdovers. If you enjoyed reading about Jodie Foster‘s Oscar nominations, read Bradley Cooper’s impressive 12 Oscar nominations.
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