Actress was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Martin Scorsese's work
Jodie Foster was just 12 years old when she wowed the world with her performance as Iris in 'Taxi Driver' (1976). However, in order to bring the prostitute to life, the actress had to undergo several psychological tests.
The artist spoke about this process in a new interview with OK! Magazine. She explained that the sessions she held with a psychiatrist at the University of California at Los Angeles assessed whether she was able to play Iris without her mental health being affected.
"People thought I was too young to play a prostitute and people – the lawyers, really – in the California government wanted to make sure I was psychologically prepared. I had to take some tests," Jodie recalled. magazine, according to the
"For me, it's a film that was kind of a transformation in cinema," continued the actress. "It was the golden age of American movies, it was an art film, and I was so proud to be in it. It was fate, it was fate, and I was very lucky."
In addition to having gone through psychological evaluations, the 58-year-old American was also protected from potential trauma during the filming of 'Taxi Driver' by using a stunt double. Her sister Connie Foster – who is seven years her senior – was called out in scenes that were deemed too s-xual. In a 2011 interview with The New York Times, Jodie recounted, "My mom said, 'I've got a great idea. Why don't we bring your sister?' But honestly, what did that come out of? Did they think I was too young to understand the script? That I couldn't see the line between being a prostitute and a normal person? But it was a really good excuse to have my sister hanging out with me in New York ".
Preserved by the United States Library of Congress thanks to its relevance, 'Taxi Driver' became one of the greatest works of both Jodie Foster's career and that of Robert de Niro, who starred in the film as taxi driver Travis Bickle. The film is also considered one of the greatest works of Martin Scorsese's biopic, and was nominated in four categories at the 1977 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor (De Niro), Best Supporting Actress (Foster) and Best Original Score.
