Jodie Foster Says Her Sons Are ‘Insecure’ About Their Fledgling Careers but She’s ‘Thrilled’ for Their ‘Future’ (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Christopher ‘Kit’ Bernard Foster, Jodie Foster, and Charles Bernard Foster attend the 2016 AMD British Academy Britannia Awards on October 28, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California.Photo:Kevork Djansezian/BAFTA LA/Getty

Kevork Djansezian/BAFTA LA/Getty

Jodie Fosterisn’t sure what kind of work her sons will pursue, but she supports them every step of the way.Speaking to PEOPLE at the 76th annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, Calif., after winning her first Emmy for her role inTrue Detective: Night Country, Foster took a moment to reflect on how her two sons, Charles and Kit, are just beginning their own careers.“They’re at that age where they’re starting their careers and they’re pretty insecure about what’s gonna happen,” Foster tells PEOPLE.“But every time they get a joy, like I got an ‘A’ or I got this job or I got an audition, my heart just fills up 14 times because I have this memory of a beautiful career that’s built on doing meaningful work, and I know that’s the recipe for happiness. So I’m just thrilled for them, for the future.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Jodie Foster at the Emmys.Leon Bennett/WireImageFoster shares her sons with ex-wife Cydney Bernard.In January, Fosteropened up about her parenting styleas she raises her two sons during an appearance onThe View.“I don’t know why, I guess I just didn’t want them to know me that way,” Foster told the panel, explaining why she didn’t tell her kids she was an actor when they were growing up.“I wanted them toknow me as their momand the person who went away to work and stuff. I just didn’t want them to be confused about what I did for a living.“Foster also recalled a funny moment that briefly threw her older son off her trail.Jodie Foster, Christopher Foster and Charlie Foster at Sony Pictures Golden Globes Party on January 15, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California.Eric Charbonneau/WireImage"I brought my oldest son, he was probably about 3 — well, he was 3, because I was pregnant with the other one — I brought him to set one day and I bought him a little plastic tool belt and stuff. And I was like, ‘Yeah, and this is this set and this set and this set.’ And for a really long time, he thought I was a construction worker. He thought I did construction,” she laughed.Now that her boys are all grown up, they aren’t very interested in seeing her body of work.“They have no interest in watching my movies with me. I think they’re going to catchTrue Detective, cause they’re really into that. And yeah, there’s a few films that I would never show them because I would be worried about being teased,” she said.“Nell, for example, they’ve never seen because they do tease me often about that, even though they’ve never seen the movie.”

Jodie Fosterisn’t sure what kind of work her sons will pursue, but she supports them every step of the way.

Speaking to PEOPLE at the 76th annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, Calif., after winning her first Emmy for her role inTrue Detective: Night Country, Foster took a moment to reflect on how her two sons, Charles and Kit, are just beginning their own careers.

“They’re at that age where they’re starting their careers and they’re pretty insecure about what’s gonna happen,” Foster tells PEOPLE.

“But every time they get a joy, like I got an ‘A’ or I got this job or I got an audition, my heart just fills up 14 times because I have this memory of a beautiful career that’s built on doing meaningful work, and I know that’s the recipe for happiness. So I’m just thrilled for them, for the future.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Jodie Foster at the Emmys.Leon Bennett/WireImage

Leon Bennett/WireImage

Foster shares her sons with ex-wife Cydney Bernard.

In January, Fosteropened up about her parenting styleas she raises her two sons during an appearance onThe View.

“I don’t know why, I guess I just didn’t want them to know me that way,” Foster told the panel, explaining why she didn’t tell her kids she was an actor when they were growing up.

“I wanted them toknow me as their momand the person who went away to work and stuff. I just didn’t want them to be confused about what I did for a living.”

Foster also recalled a funny moment that briefly threw her older son off her trail.

Jodie Foster, Christopher Foster and Charlie Foster at Sony Pictures Golden Globes Party on January 15, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California.Eric Charbonneau/WireImage

Eric Charbonneau/WireImage

“I brought my oldest son, he was probably about 3 — well, he was 3, because I was pregnant with the other one — I brought him to set one day and I bought him a little plastic tool belt and stuff. And I was like, ‘Yeah, and this is this set and this set and this set.’ And for a really long time, he thought I was a construction worker. He thought I did construction,” she laughed.

Now that her boys are all grown up, they aren’t very interested in seeing her body of work.

“They have no interest in watching my movies with me. I think they’re going to catchTrue Detective, cause they’re really into that. And yeah, there’s a few films that I would never show them because I would be worried about being teased,” she said.

“Nell, for example, they’ve never seen because they do tease me often about that, even though they’ve never seen the movie.”

source: people.com