Jodie Foster looks back at 'Silence of the Lambs' 30 years later
Jodie Foster looks back at Silence of the Lambs 30 years later, and talks about what it was like working alongside Anthony Hopkins.
Video Transcript
- Who's the subject?
- The psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter.
- Hannibal the Cannibal.
KEVIN POLOWY: We're coming up on a big anniversary-- the 30th anniversary of The Silence of the Lambs, which is kind of hard to believe. Incredible film. Such incredible performances. I wanted to ask you what you remember about the first scene you filmed opposite Anthony Hopkins, seeing him in character as Hannibal Lecter for the first time, and how you responded-- especially internally-- to that.
JODIE FOSTER: Yeah, it was scary. I mean, I have to admit the set was very dark, and you know, it was this gorgeous set that Kristi Zea made in Pittsburgh. And I was walking down that corridor, and then suddenly, you get to this bright, kind of fluorescent figure with Anthony Hopkins just standing there.
It made an impression on me, I have to say. I was a little scared of him during the shoot. He was always behind bars, and I was always on the other side, so we didn't get to talk a lot. And that sort of created this little suspense scenario between the two of us.
- Closer, please. Closer.
KEVIN POLOWY: There were not that many women being portrayed in law enforcement at that time. Did you look at Clarice as sort of trailblazing in that regard?
JODIE FOSTER: I don't think I realized it at the time, but yeah. I mean, Clarice was a really special character. She could have easily been played by some young man-- you know, a rookie FBI agent. But there was a lot about her past-- how she had been drawn by Thomas Harris, about being the only woman in those circumstances, being used, in some ways, by both Crawford and Lecter as a go-between to manipulate. And all those things, her gender was important in the character. And so I thought it was a great opportunity.
- Be very careful with Hannibal Lecter. Believe me, you don't want Hannibal Lecter inside your head.
