Jodie Foster made her acting debut in a television commercial when she was three. As a child, while she was filming Disney's “Napoleon and Samantha” (1972) Jodie was attacked by a lion and carried briefly for a short distance in its mouth.

She gained popularity in the 1976 movie “Taxi Driver”. Jodie was only 13 when she won an Oscar nomination for the supporting role. She graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in literature.

In 1997, Yale bestowed upon Jodie an honorary, Doctor of Fine Arts degree. She ranked #18 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.