Jodie Foster Says ‘Taxi Driver’ Scenes Were Less Risqué Than People Remember

Jodie Foster is looking back on Taxi Driver and says the movie’s controversial scenes involving her have often been exaggerated.

Speaking on the Jan. 19 episode of Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Foster reflected on working with director Martin Scorsese when she was just 12 years old. The 1976 film starred Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle, a troubled New York City taxi driver, while Foster played Iris, a young girl being exploited by older men.

Conan O’Brien noted that Foster couldn’t have known at the time that Taxi Driver would go on to become one of the most influential films of the 1970s. Foster agreed, saying she was simply focused on the work and trusted Scorsese, whom she already knew after appearing in his 1974 film Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore when she was 9.

During the conversation, O’Brien brought up the long-discussed fact that Foster’s older sister, Connie, served as her stand-in for certain scenes that were considered sexually suggestive. Foster pushed back on the idea that those moments were especially explicit.

“They weren’t really very suggestive,” she said.

Foster explained that concerns at the time largely came from education officials, who were becoming wary of young actors taking on adult roles. When she was set to appear in Taxi Driver, the Board of Education initially refused to approve her work permit. A lawyer was brought in to demonstrate that Foster was capable of understanding the role and the work environment.

As part of the agreement, the production promised that if any scenes were deemed sexually suggestive, another actor would perform them. That’s when Foster’s mother suggested bringing Connie to the set. Connie was over 18 and similar in size, making her a suitable stand-in.

Looking back now, Foster says the worries feel overblown.

“With modern eyes, it just doesn’t seem that risky,” she said, explaining that one moment involved her character pulling her shirt slightly down off her shoulders. Another involved a brief implication of a sexual gesture. “That was about it,” she added.

O’Brien jokingly remarked that similar moments can be seen on children’s television today, a point Foster laughed and agreed with. She also said it was comforting to have her sister with her on set.

Foster, who currently stars in the new film A Private Life, has been openly reflecting on her childhood in Hollywood. Earlier this month, she told NPR that she has spent time thinking about why she avoided the abuse that many other child actors experienced.

She acknowledged that she faced misogynistic behavior and “microaggressions,” but said gaining professional power at a young age helped protect her. After receiving her first Oscar nomination for Taxi Driver, Foster said she was no longer seen as an easy target.

“I had power,” she explained. “I was too dangerous to touch.”

For Foster, revisiting Taxi Driver today is less about controversy and more about perspective — and about recognizing how different the conversation around child actors has become over time.