Jodie Foster talks playing a detective character for the first time in 30 years since ‘The Silence of the Lambs’.

Actress Jodie Foster is a two-time Academy Award winner with several critically acclaimed performances under her belt. While Foster is primarily known for her work in films, the actress recently returned to the television side of things with the fourth season of HBO’s hit procedural series True Detective. In True Detective: Night Country, Foster essays the role of Police Chief Liz Danvers.

Jodie Foster in True Detective
To promote the series, Foster recently appeared on a morning talk show, where she discussed her role in True Detective. During the conversation, Foster touched upon her past, particularly the role of FBI trainee Clarice Starling, which won her an Academy Award. However, Foster also revealed how her role in True Detective finally allowed her to move from The Silence of the Lambs. Here is what Foster said about playing a detective-type role again.

Jodie Foster Agreed to Playing a Detective For the First Time Since The Silence of the Lambs
True Detective: Night Country stars actress Jodie Foster as Liz Danvers, the chief of police in a small Alaska town investigating the disappearance of a group of researchers. However, Foster first gained recognition for her role as Clarice Starling in 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs. Based on Thomas Harris’ book of the same name, the film starring Foster and Anthony Hopkins was a major success, winning five Academy Awards.

Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs
However, since then, Foster has shied away from essaying the role of an investigative character until her return to television in True Detective: Night Country. Foster recently appeared on Today, to promote the series. While speaking with host Hoda Kotb, Foster addressed why she refrained from accepting any detective roles after her 1991 Academy Award-winning role.

“Yeah, I think that’s probably true. I got a lot of scripts sent my way that was like Silence of the Lambs, so I waited a while.”

From Foster’s statement, we can deduce that the actress did not want to be typecast and thus refused to accept any similar roles. However, Foster admitted that she is still proud of her work in The Silence of the Lambs and is thrilled when people recognize her as Clarice Starling.

Jodie Foster Talks Comparisons Between True Detective: Night Country and The Silence of the Lambs Roles
During the same interview, Foster also spoke about why she agreed to play the role of a detective in True Detective: Night Country. Foster revealed that she was attracted to the script. However, after meeting director Issa López and hearing her vision for the fourth season, it seemed like a no-brainer to accept the role.

Jodie Foster and Kali Reis in True Detective: Night Country (2023)
Similarly, in a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly, Foster spoke about joining the cast of True Detective. She compared her experiences working on the 1991 film and the television show, where she essentially plays the same archetype of a character.

“I feel like those are the only two experiences I’ve ever had where you jump on the material because the text is so wonderful and it speaks to you and there’s so much that you’re drawn to in ways that you understand — and in ways that you don’t understand.”

Foster made the above statement while explaining how she feels about playing a detective again. At the same time, Foster stated that she does not mind the comparisons between the two characters (Clarice Starling and Liz Danvers) since she has only played a detective-type role twice across nearly three decades.