Back in 1974, when he was 12 years old, he played the character that won the Oscar for Tatum O’Neal in the television version of Paper Moon, shortly before Martin Scorsese invited him to participate in Taxi Driver, changing his future forever. With two Oscars under her belt, and now an accomplished television director, Jodie Foster returns to the medium she frequented in her childhood with the fourth season of True Detective, the series that has earned Woody Harrelson Golden Globe nominations. , Matthew McCounaghey and Michelle Monaghan. In the new episodes, Foster plays an Alaskan detective who must solve a series of mysterious crimes alongside her partner, played by Kali Reis. The series has been directed by Mexican Issa López, responsible for the multi-award-winning Vuelven.
Were you a fan of the previous seasons of True Detective?
Sure, I love the series. It was the beginning of my addiction to watching streaming television. Every time a new season came out I watched episodes non-stop.
This is his first protagonist in a series since 1974.
It’s true. Although 1974 is something that is long behind us. I have lived in the world of movies, but we have reached an amazing moment in the history of cinema, which is when the true narrative is on streaming television. I think that is where you can find the best work being done today. Also as an actress it is something that gives you the opportunity to explore characters in a deeper way. Having six episodes also allows you to develop the secondary characters more. Of course, I have to clarify that although this is my first leading role in a series in years, I have directed and produced many things in the world of television.
What was it like filming the series in Iceland?
Obviously it was something that created a lot of challenges, especially because we had to shoot a lot at night, and light in snow and darkness, which is not always easy. But curiously, the gods were on our side. When we needed a lot of snow, we had it, and when we needed the weather to be good, too. The good thing is that Kali and I had time for a little vacation and we went to Alaska, which is also a wonderful place, where you feel the presence of nature in a very special way. We must mention the issue of survival and the physical pain that all this generates in places such as the Arctic, northern Alaska and Greenland. Many people have died there because they couldn’t survive the weather. You have to be very careful, because if your car breaks down and you don’t have enough gas, you can die. That’s one of the reasons it’s such an intriguing place, plus the wonderful people we met there.
Did working on True Detective remind you of when you played Clarice Starling, as if she were the one investigating a complicated case in Alaska?
The truth is, no. It seems to me that these characters cannot be compared. But there is something in that comparison that is very positive, and that has to do with the fact that this series belongs to a genre, since in both stories there is a psychological drama, and that was something that I liked, simply because this series is also very Well written. I think that’s the main reason why these characters work well together, as they heal each other, with an undercurrent of spiritual and psychological horror. To this we must add the traditions that exist in Alaska in a story focused on indigenous culture. That’s something I noticed in every Alaskan I met. They feel that every day we live next to the dead and that is part of their culture. The dead walk alongside us. The strength of the mysterious contributes to the depth of our series.
With your popularity, you could work on whatever you wanted, but what makes you decide on a project?
The truth is that it is not true that I can work on whatever I want. Come on, it’s been a long, fantastic adventure. I have worked for 58 years in the film industry. There are things I don’t want to repeat because I’ve already done them. There are some stories I’ve already told. What surprises me is that in my sixties I am happier than I have ever been in my career. I have realized that it is no longer my turn, it is that of others and if I am part of it it is to support them and bring all the knowledge that I have accumulated over the years, to be able to help the team of which I am part. This is much more fun than when I had to be alone and everyone bombarded me. I am very proud to be part of a team and to see other actors work who have different strengths than I have.
Well, with a recent Golden Globe nomination and another Critics Choice nomination for Nyad, it seems like it’s still her turn…
Yes, but it’s different. Maybe I’m the one who changed. I look at things differently. Now I see everything from the perspective of simply being an actress and my expectations are also different. I’ve achieved many of the things I dreamed of, and now I can put all that aside and simply ask myself what excites me. It doesn’t have to be a protagonist. It can be a supporting role or a very small participation.
With your experience as a director, were there times that you gave advice to Issa López?
The truth is, I wasn’t there to give anyone advice. I don’t usually get into acting. But I always like to give my opinion on things that have nothing to do with acting. When I direct, I love working with actors who are also directors, because I feel like I have other perspectives that are looking for the best way to do things. I hope I don’t look like a bore when I make comments. Sometimes I’ll be drinking a cappuccino and watching a scene, and I realize that’s not going to work. If I say it, it could go down very badly, because it is not the right thing to do. People can try to be creative and explore different ways of doing things to get away from the traditional, and that’s all good, but it doesn’t always work. It’s enough for me to tell my experiences. I tell them there may be a new way to do it, but the last 35 times I’ve seen them try this is what happened.
How intrigued were you by the indigenous spirituality and mythology that is so present in this story?
That’s what attracted me. I felt that this story was an opportunity to learn and that the same was going to happen with the audience, because here the focus is on the indigenous, instead of the usual look that we have seen in the films. I wanted to know more. They are the ones who count, not me. It was important to me that their stories had a protagonist place, and that they were reflected in a diverse and complex way. I would say that if in the Arctic 80 percent of the population is Eskimo, the same thing happens in our history. 80 percent of the actors are indigenous people from many places. There’s one who plays the villain and one who plays the funny guy. It is not the old white gaze on indigenous victims. Ours is modern and is an attempt to fully understand who these people are.
