Jodie Foster bags the Golden Globe in the best actress in a limited series category

The 82nd Golden Globe Award has given Jodie Foster another jewel to add to her already ornamented crown. The 62-year-old actress bagged the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Limited Series for her portrayal of Liz Danvers in True Detective: Night Country, which was the fourth installment of the hit HBO crime drama series.

Foster also won the Emmy in September 2024 for the same role, and that marked her as the first actor from the True Detective franchise to win an Emmy. The veteran actor already has two Academy Awards for Best Actress roles in The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs to her credit.

Let us now explore Foster’s role in True Detective: Night Country which won her the 82nd Golden Globe Award, along with her other projects.

Who did Jodie Foster play in True Detective: Night Country?

The fourth installment of HBO’s True Detective, titled True Detective: Night Country, saw Jodie Foster as Police Chief Liz Danvers, who, besides dealing with her own personal tragedy, is also investigating a murder and disappearance at Ennis, Alaska. The small town, situated at a far end of the North, is shown to be under darkness for almost six months during the winter solstice.

Throughout the show, Foster’s character goes through a lot, both in terms of her life at home and at her department. Foster delivers the performance of a lifetime as Liz's tough present and traumatic past collide, and it is thanks to her that Liz's character extends beyond a police detective looking into a murder.

One interesting thing about True Detective: Night Country is that it is the only season of the franchise that gives a nod back to the first season of the show, perhaps the most popular one that had Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as the leads. Besides the famous quote by McConaughey’s Rust getting repeated by one of the characters in this season that went like,

“Time is a flat circle.”

The show was thematically similar to the first season in terms of the bond between the two leads and how they help each other till the end. Issa López had stepped in as the new showrunner for True Detective: Night Country, and talking about her, Foster had said,

“I would follow her to the ends of the Earth, because she has that confidence in herself, but also is flexible.”

While talking about the show and how everything felt, Foster also added,

“As each person came aboard, each one of them just started doing the best work of their lives. The whole thing was kind of magical, to tell you the truth. That happens when you have a piece of material that’s grounded in something that really strikes the core of your humanness. I think the only other time that I’ve had this experience was on The Silence of the Lambs.”

In her acceptance speech, Foster mentioned her partner Alex, something she rarely does publicly. She had come out as a lesbian during the 2013 Golden Globes. This year, she mentioned,

"I just want to thank my family. Because Kit, my scientist son, and Charlie, my actor son who's starting his career: Hopefully you understand the joy, such joy, that comes from doing really hard, meaningful, good work. So, my boys, I love you, and this, of course, is for you. And the love of my life, Alex, thank you forever."

Her win also saw a fun moment of heckling as Sofía Vergara, who was nominated for her role as Griselda Blanco in Griselda, shouted,

"Oh no, give me one!"

She was seen doing this as Foster headed up the stage to collect her award, which marked her 5th win and 10th nomination.

What else has Jodie Foster starred in besides True Detective: Night Country?

In a career spanning over almost six decades, Jodie Foster debuted with Napoleon and Samantha in 1972. However, it was with Scorsese's Taxi Driver that Foster’s claim to fame came. Then came The Silence of the Lambs in 1991, which won her an Academy Award.

Besides having a great acting career, Foster has also worked as a director in films like The Beaver, Little Man Tate, Money Monster, etc.

All seasons of True Detective can be streamed on HBO. A fifth season has also been confirmed with López on board, but Foster will probably not return as a cast member since every season of True Detective casts new members and presents different stories.