Jodie Foster has revealed she confronted Robert Downey Jr. over his addictions in 1995.

The actress and director opened up about the difficult conversation in a new interview with Esquire magazine.

Jodie, 61, directed Robert, 59, in the 1995 movie Home for the Holidays.

Having noticed his substance abuse problems, she has now described taking him aside during production.

“(I said,) ‘Look, I couldn’t be more grateful for what you’ve given in this film. But I’m scared of what happens to you next. Right now you are incredibly good at balancing on the barstool. But it’s really precarious, and I’m not sure how that’s going to end,'” she recalled.

Jodie explained she had the sense Robert had the ability to get his life back on track.
“I have faith in people’s ability to change if they want it, and he really wanted it,” she said.

She added Robert’s former lack of discipline was holding him back from achieving the greatness she felt he was capable of.

“What was so interesting about him then was what a genius he was – there was more creativity in his little finger than I will ever have in my whole life – but he did not have the discipline,” Jodie said.

“He was so out there that all of that wonderful talent was kind of just, like, flailing his arms in the water and making a big mess. But it was in there somewhere, right? Because now he is somebody who’s become disciplined almost as a way of surviving.”

Downey Jr. has been sober since the early 2000s.

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