A-list actors are drawn to working with Wes Anderson because his films offer them the chance to be part of something artistically unique— characters in ensemble casts that belong in meticulously constructed dollhouses.
However, there’s one actress who keeps saying no to Anderson: Jodie Foster.
In a recent conversation with Collider, Anderson opened up about his long-standing wish to work with Foster —a wish that, despite repeated attempts, has yet to come true, and maybe never will.
Over the years, I had so many movies that I tried to get Jodie Foster to be in. 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 […] I met her, and I liked her. And I thought I was going to get her.
Anderson hints that he’s given up in trying to cast Foster, believing she may simply not be in the creative headspace to step into one of his films.
I still would like to get Jodie Foster. But I guess after asking a 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.
As for which roles Foster was approached for, Anderson declined to give specifics. “Well, I don’t like to say, because if I say, then you say, ‘Oh, you mean so-and-so, who’s in the movie, wasn’t your first choice.’ And so I don’t want that to be a thing,” he said. “But anyway, she’s pretty amazing, Jodie Foster.”
Foster, who has starred in four films these last ten years, is famously very selective about the roles she takes on, often turning down high-profile projects in favor of ones that align with her personal and artistic sensibilities.
It’s also entirely possible that she’s simply not a fan of Wes Anderson’s films, and they may just not resonate with her taste or creative instincts.