Jodie Foster is recounting an experience of being “attacked” by a lion during her childhood acting career

“I was attacked by a lion when I was eight-and-a-half or nine,” Foster revealed to W in a recent conversation

The incident occurred between filming scenes, and Foster confirms she still bears the physical marks from the encounter

Jodie Foster is providing additional context about a terrifying confrontation she experienced with a lion while working on a movie set during her youth.

The Incident Details

In a conversation with W, Foster, 63, disclosed that she carries “numerous scars”—including injuries sustained from a lion attack between takes of a production.

“I was attacked by a lion when I was eight-and-a-half or nine,” Foster explained. “The lion grabbed me, violently shook me, carried me horizontally, then released me. I had two clean puncture marks on one side and two clean puncture marks on the opposite side, on my hip. But as years pass and our bodies grow… who can even locate them now? They’ve essentially shifted positions.”

A Shocking Experience

Foster described the lion incident as occurring during a filming break, recalling, “I was in shock so my memory is somewhat fragmented. I recall the actual event. I witnessed his mane moving forward… he repositioned me sideways and shook me violently, and as he rotated me back toward the entire camera crew, I watched the whole camera crew flee—but sideways. So I observed them running laterally, grabbing all their equipment, simply fleeing from me.”

“And then apparently the trainer commanded, ‘Drop it,’ and the lion released me from his jaws,” she continued.

Returning to Work After the Attack

Foster elaborated: “I believe that was likely the most terrifying experience I had while filming. I’m not certain I had opportunity for fear, truthfully. After my hospital release, once it was determined I was fit to resume work, I returned to work with the identical lion but this time I was holding a rooster.”

“I noticed the lion rotating his head… as if perhaps he might approach me, and I hurled the rooster and fled. That moment was probably more frightening,” she admitted.

Previous Discussion of the Event

During a 2024 appearance on The Graham Norton Show, the actress also discussed the experience, which she confirmed occurred during production of the 1972 film Napoleon and Samantha.

In that production, Foster appeared alongside a young Michael Douglas and Johnny Whitaker. She and Whitaker portrayed children who embark on an adventure with their pet lion rather than parting with it.

On The Graham Norton Show, Foster remembered three lions being present during filming: the primary lion, a stunt lion, and a backup lion—the latter being the one involved in her incident.

“We had completed a take and I was ascending the hill and all I can recall is witnessing his mane approaching and then he grabbed me sideways, shook me in his jaws and spun me around,” Foster recounted at the time.

Physical Reminders Remain

The lasting physical evidence of this childhood trauma serves as a permanent reminder of the dangers child actors sometimes faced during Hollywood’s earlier era. Foster’s candid discussion of the incident highlights how different safety protocols were during that period of filmmaking, particularly when working with wild animals.

Despite the severity of the attack and the understandable fear it generated, Foster’s professionalism—even as a child—led her to return to the same production and continue working, demonstrating the resilience that would characterize her decades-long career.

Hollywood’s Dangerous Past

Foster’s experience reflects a broader reality about filmmaking practices in the 1970s, when safety regulations for child actors and animal handling were far less stringent than contemporary standards. The fact that a child was placed in such proximity to dangerous animals, resulting in actual injury, would likely be prohibited under modern film production guidelines.

The actress’s willingness to share these details decades later provides valuable historical perspective on how the entertainment industry has evolved regarding child actor protection and animal safety protocols on film sets.