Jodie Foster has turned down Wes Anderson roles three times, director says
Wes Anderson has revealed that Jodie Foster turned down the opportunity to appear in at least three of his films in the past.
The director, whose latest film The Phoenician Scheme is currently in cinemas, told Collider in a recent interview that he has been a fan of the Silence Of The Lambs star for a long time and has consistently tried to convince her to star in one of his films.
“Over the years, I had so many movies that I tried to get Jodie Foster to be in,” he said. “It used to be every movie, we went to Jodie Foster for a part. And I think I did it three movies in a row, maybe four. And I met her, and I liked her. And I thought I was going to get her. And I think she’s just great, Jodie Foster. And I loved her.”
“In the first movie she directed, Little Man Tate, she plays the mother. Do you remember that movie?” he continued. “And she has this real sparkle. She has a lightness in it. It’s just a different kind of character. But anyway, I still would like to get Jodie Foster. But I guess after asking few times, I thought maybe I’m not… I think sometimes somebody has an idea of the kind of work they want to do at that time in his or her life, and we weren’t right.”
Anderson, whose films famously boast enormous A-list casts, remained coy about the specific films that Foster turned down, however. “If I say, then you say, ‘Oh, you mean so-and-so who’s in the movie wasn’t your first choice’.”
The Phoenician Scheme follows wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio Del Toro), who appoints his only daughter, a nun (Mia Threapleton), as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists, and determined assassins.
The star-studded cast also includes Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Michael Cera, Benedict Cumberbatch, Willem Dafoe, and Bill Murray.
In a four-star review of the film, NME wrote: “As ever, Anderson really cranks up the knowing whimsy. We see Korda grappling with his conscience in dream sequences where God is played by Bill Murray – who else? But The Phoenician Scheme never becomes smug or too self-referential; it’s simply a lot of fun peppered with unexpected bursts of action, a new addition to the Anderson arsenal.”
NME recently spoke to Anderson about what he plans to do next. “I’ll give you a tiny bit of information that I haven’t revealed,” he said. “I’ll tell you where I’m going next: England. Yes, that’s the only information… I’ve decided in this moment to share.”
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Max Pilley
NME
