Jodie Foster is one of the most acclaimed and well-respected actors of her generation. She has won two Academy Awards over her illustrious career and earned a total of 6 nominations.In the most recent news about the former Contact star, Jodie Foster revealed several interesting tidbits in a January 7 interview with Variety. Perhaps the most notable were her comments on her character Clarice Starling from The Silence of the Lambs, and her take on why she did not reprise such a tantalizing role in the sequel, Hannibal, and subsequent films that followed.On her decision not to reprise the character after the first film, Foster shared,“It was easy. We waited years for that novel that Thomas Harris said he was writing, that he probably wrote in eight weeks.”Ultimately, Foster and director Jonathan Damme parted ways with the franchise due to the grotesque tone of the follow-up book, considering it was the source material for any possible adaptation.“We waited. Jonathan 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.’”This is a decision Foster seems at peace with, although she still ponders where her character would find herself today,“Would she have adopted the FBI, judgy, tough on crime, or would she have grown out of it and become something else? Or would she be the person who changed the FBI and said, We’re not going to do it the old way? Who would Clarice be? At 63, who would she be?”Jodie Foster on Clarice Starling, moreElsewhere in the interview, Jodie Foster continued to reveal her similarities to Clarice Starling, perhaps unintentionally, whose story resonates with the actress because it oddly mirrors her own.“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 has to become the tragic prince who starts out as a good boy and learns that his worst failing is actually his greatest strength.”Foster went on to add,“This is usually a male character. Why should that only be reserved for men? You knew Peppermint Patty, but other than that, you never saw a tomboy.The moment she becomes pure instinct instead of Yes, sir; no, ma’am, that was life-changing.”The actress appears content with her upcoming project, A Private Life, which opens in theaters on January 16, 2026. In the Variety interview, she also divulged that,“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.”Jodie Foster talked about having found comfort within herself as a performer and her audience should have the confidence to expect the best version of her on-screen moving forward.