Jodie Foster Says Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese Were “Scared” of Her on Set

Jodie Foster revealed on a recent episode of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ that her co-stars Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese were a bit “scared” of her during the filming of ‘Taxi Driver’. The two-time Oscar-winning actor, who was on the show to discuss the new season of ‘True Detective’, delved into her early experiences as a child actor, particularly her significant role in Scorsese’s 1976 film.

In ‘Taxi Driver,’ Foster portrayed the character of Iris, a young sex worker, alongside De Niro, who played a lonely Vietnam veteran grappling with mental health issues. Recollecting her time on set at the age of 12, Foster shared some amusing anecdotes. “I had to do things like, you know, ‘Can you pull his fly down?’ And it was a little awkward,” she reminisced.

Interestingly, Foster pointed out that, despite her age, she had more on-set experience than Scorsese and De Niro at that time. This led to a unique dynamic where her elder colleagues felt somewhat intimidated by her presence. “Yeah, they were a little scared, especially Scorsese, who kept giggling every time he talked to me. He’d start giggling, and De Niro had to take over,” she explained.

When Jimmy Kimmel inquired about whether her relationship with Scorsese had changed over the years, Foster humourously replied, “Scorsese giggles with everybody.”