Jodie Foster ‘Too Scared’ to Have Lead Role in French Before Vie Privée

Jodie Foster revealed that she was “too scared” to take on a leading role in French before making “Vie Privée” at the mystery thriller’s Cannes press conference on Wednesday.

“I had secondary parts, small parts [in French films] before but I was actually afraid,” Foster said. “A number of directors offered me projects but I was too scared to act in French. I thought someone who was more familiar with French should do so. But I don’t really remember how things worked out this time around.”

Earlier in the press conference, Foster — who spoke French nearly the entire time — said leading a French film was something she had “wanted to do for a long time,” but learning all the dialogue was a “huge challenge.”

“The great thing is that when I act in French, I’m a totally different person,” she added. “I have a much higher voice, I’m much less confident and I get very frustrated because I can’t express myself as well. And so it actually creates a new kind of character for me.”

The Rebecca Zlotowski-directed film premiered at the festival on Tuesday night to an impressive eight-minute standing ovation. “Vie Privée” stars Foster as a psychotherapist who becomes convinced that her patient’s suicide was actually a murder.

The film features Foster in a French-speaking role and marks her first film shot in France since 2004’s “A Very Long Engagement.” Her co-stars include Daniel Auteuil, who plays her ex-husband, and Virginie Edina, who portrays a mysterious patient whose death triggers her unorthodox investigation. Sony Pictures Classics will distribute “Vie Privée” in North America.

In an interview with Variety ahead of the premiere, Foster spoke about the importance of championing women filmmakers but lamented that “it may be all over now” with Trump’s attacks on DEI initiatives.

“That’s certainly what seems to be in the works in terms of the administration. We’re seeing it in everything from academia to law firms to entertainment,” she said. “I hope that it doesn’t happen, because we want to tell all stories. When we do, they make money. It’s amazing that it took this long to explain to studio executives that women are 50% of the population. Female filmmakers are not a risk.”