Foster had an accident with the king of the jungle when she was just a young child actor in the industry.

On-set accidents aren’t something that we often get to hear from stars and individuals involved in a major project, more so because of them being rare than anything else. Thus, when legendary actress Jodie Foster recently went public with an incident that featured her in a life-or-death situation, it was sure to raise a lot of eyebrows.

Jodie Foster in a still from Contact (1997)
This incident took place when she was still a young child actress in the industry and during the shoot of her then-upcoming film Napoleon and Samantha, the lion they were shooting on set grabbed her lightly with jaws and started carrying her. This was such a terrifying experience that every crew member upon seeing this was scrambling all over the place.

Jodie Foster Was In The Jaws Of A Lion On The Sets Of Her Film Napoleon And Samantha

Jodie Foster in a still from Napoleon and Samantha
While the use of wild animals, especially exotic animals, and endangered species may not be so widely needed in the film industry today thanks to advancements in special effects and CGI, in the old days of Hollywood, shooting a film with live animals was easier and economical. Thus, the lion that many saw in Jodie Foster‘s 1972 family/adventure film Napoleon and Samantha was all too real.

In a recent interview on The Graham Norton Show, the Silence of the Lambs actress recalled her time on the sets of the aforementioned film acting alongside a young Michael Douglas and three lions that were brought in for the shoot. She recalled after a shot had been taken, she was walking on the set location when she suddenly saw one of the feline’s mane emerge, and in a graceful movement, had her in its jaws sideways.

She recalled as the lion was turning her around, she could see everyone in a panic, trying to run away from the lion and her. She said:

“Every single person on the crew was running in the opposite direction and I’m like sideways watching everybody — and they took their equipment, too. I’m watching everybody leave going, ‘What’s happening?’ then I remember feeling like ‘Oh! its an earthquake!’ because I was getting shaken.”

But as the trainer said ‘Drop It’, the lion let go of the actress, who scurried away running, until the lion chased her and gently put its paw on her so she wouldn’t run away, standing there as if to guard her. While she may have not gotten fatally wounded, this most certainly would’ve been a scary experience.

What Was Napoleon And Samantha About?

A still from Napoleon and Samantha
Despite the horror story that Foster recalled during the interview, Napoleon and Samantha was a family adventure film that would put a big smile on the faces of the audience.

The film tells the tale of a young boy named Napoleon, who befriended a circus clown and his trusted lion companion living in the Rocky Mountains with his grandfather. But when the clown has to return to Europe, he leaves his old, gentle, and compassionate lion behind for the boy to take care of. But when his grandfather dies, the lives of the feline and the young boy change dramatically.

Napoleon and Samantha, available on Apple TV.