Jodie Foster Still Has Scars from a Terrifying Lion Attack on Her First Movie Set

Before she was hunting serial killers as Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, Jodie Foster faced a real-life predator that left her with permanent reminders of the encounter.

While the two-time Oscar winner is known for her intense roles and calm demeanor, her introduction to feature films involved a brush with death that sounds like something out of a horror movie. During the filming of her first big-screen project, Disney’s Napoleon and Samantha (1972), a then nine-year-old Foster was mauled by a lion on set.

The film, which also starred a young Michael Douglas, follows two children who run away into the wilderness with their pet lion to save it from being sent to a zoo. Ironically, the production used multiple lions for the shoot, including a “tame” stand-in lion named Simba. It was this animal that suddenly turned on the young actress.

Foster has recounted the harrowing experience on several occasions, describing the surreal moment the animal snapped. According to her, she was walking ahead of the lion, which was on an invisible piano-wire leash, when he seemingly grew impatient with her pace.

“He picked me up sideways, shook me in his mouth, and turned me around,” Foster recalled in an appearance on The Graham Norton Show. She described being shaken “like a doll,” a terrifying sensation that she initially mistook for an earthquake because of the disorientation.

Perhaps the most chilling detail Foster remembers is the reaction of the film crew. As she hung from the lion’s jaws, she looked out to see the entire production team fleeing the scene. “I saw the whole camera crew run—except sideways,” she joked, noting that they were running away while still keeping their eyes fixed on the horrifying scene unfolding behind them. Even in their panic, she noted, they made sure to grab their equipment before bolting.

The situation was defused by the animal’s trainer, who stepped in and commanded the lion to “drop it.” Miraculously, the well-trained animal obeyed, opening its mouth and releasing the child star. Foster immediately ran for safety.

Although she survived the attack without life-threatening injuries, she did not walk away unscathed. The incident left her with deep puncture wounds on her back and stomach, resulting in scars she still bears today. Beyond the physical marks, the event left a psychological imprint as well; Foster has admitted to having a lifelong wariness of cats, a condition known as ailurophobia. Despite the trauma, she returned to the set to finish the film, displaying the resilience that would characterize her decades-long career.

From Child Star to Industry Icon

Since that terrifying debut, Jodie Foster has cemented her place as one of Hollywood’s most respected talents. Successfully transitioning from child stardom to adult roles, she won Academy Awards for Best Actress for her performances in The Accused (1988) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991).

Recently, Foster has been enjoying a major career renaissance. In 2024, she starred in the fourth season of HBO’s anthology series, True Detective: Night Country. Her portrayal of Chief Liz Danvers, a abrasive police chief investigating a mysterious disappearance in the frozen Alaskan darkness, earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress.

Prior to her return to television, she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the biopic Nyad (2023), where she played Bonnie Stoll, the coach and best friend of long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad (played by Annette Bening).

Looking ahead, Foster is set to star in the French drama A Private Life (Vie privée), directed by Rebecca Zlotowski. In the film, Foster plays an American psychoanalyst living in Paris, a role that allows her to showcase her fluency in French—a skill she has possessed since attending a French-language prep school as a child. The film is expected to make waves on the festival circuit in late 2025 and 2026.

Whether she is directing episodes of Black Mirror, accepting lifetime achievement awards, or tackling complex characters in foreign languages, Foster remains a powerhouse in the entertainment industry.

Did you know about this frightening incident from Jodie Foster’s childhood, and what is your favorite performance of hers? Share your thoughts in the comments.