How Jodie Foster’s Sister Became Her Stand-in for Explicit Scenes in Taxi Driver

Jodie Foster recently spoke about a surprising family solution that helped her handle one of Hollywood’s most famous early roles. On the January episode of the Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend podcast, Foster looked back on her time as a 12-year-old filming Taxi Driver in 1976.

She revealed that her older sister, Connie, acted as her body double for some of the film’s more mature scenes. “It was my mom’s idea,” Foster explained. The plan came after concerns from the Board of Education, which was worried about child actors in adult situations.

Foster said officials feared kids might get confused about themselves if they were in overly mature scenes. Using an adult stand-in was the only way the production could get the necessary work permits.

Connie, then 20, had a similar build to Jodie and was the natural choice. Foster recalled thinking that the shots—like unzipping a garment or showing her shoulders—“weren’t really very suggestive.” Connie later described it as more like playing dress-up, noting the period costumes made it feel like Halloween.

For the Fosters, a family already familiar with acting, having siblings on set was normal. Foster said it felt reassuring to have her sister there, especially since their brother had also worked as a child actor. This support helped Jodie stay grounded while filming a gritty movie that would define her early career.

Today, Foster is still a major figure in Hollywood, though she’s more selective about projects. She has received praise for her performance in A Private Life, a French black comedy mystery released in North America this January. She plays Lilian Steiner, an American psychiatrist in Paris, drawn into a suspicious death case.

Foster performed the role entirely in French, a skill she developed through immersion schooling. Director Rebecca Zlotowski and co-stars Daniel Auteuil and Mathieu Amalric have highlighted her “kinetic” performance in the film, which is already receiving award attention.

Foster has also been busy on television. Her role in the fourth season of True Detective introduced her to a new generation of viewers. She’s expressed interest in producing and directing international films, showing a desire to spend more time behind the camera.

Looking back, Foster credits her family for helping her navigate early fame. “Having my sister there made a huge difference,” she said. Fans can continue to look forward to her future projects both in front of and behind the camera.

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