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Jodie Foster gets backlash after saying Gen Z are 'really annoying' in the workplace

Published Jan 07, 2024 5:59 pm Updated Mar 20, 2024 6:15 pm

Jodie Foster had something to say about Gen Z workers in the entertainment industry.

In an interview with the Guardian, the Taxi Driver star talked about what it was like growing up as a young actor as well as what it's like mentoring young people.

"They're really annoying, especially in the workplace," Foster, 61, said. "They're like, 'Nah, I'm not feeling it today, I'm gonna come in at 10:30 a.m."

"Or, like, in emails, I'll tell them this is all gramatically incorrect, did you check your spelling? And they're like, 'Why would I do that, isn't that kind of limiting?'"

On X, users have criticized Foster's statements, with some saying older generations criticizing younger ones isn't new.

Growing up as a child actress

In the rest of the interview, however, the actress had good things to say about Gen Z like how she feels "compelled" to reach out to young actresses because it was hard for her growing up.

The Silence of the Lambs actress began appearing in television commercials at the age of three and became a child star starring in Napoleon and Samantha (1972), Taxi Driver (1976), Freaky Friday (1976), and more.

"[Young people in the industry] need to learn how to relax, how to not think about it so much, how to come up with something that's theirs. I can help them find that, which is so much more fun than being, with all that pressure behind it, the protagonist of the story," she said.

During the interview, Foster also talked about her admiration for non-binary actor Bella Ramsey, who starred in HBO's The Last of Us, and recalled the moment they met as Bella stood out wearing "the most perfect suit, beautifully tailored, and a middle parting, and no makeup."

The 61-year-old actress shared that she didn't have the same freedom to dress the same way during her time.

"I did the best I could for my generation. I was very busy understanding where I fit in and where I wanted to be in terms of feminism. But my lens wasn’t wide enough. I lived in an incredibly segregated world," she said.

The actress recently starred in Nyad, a biopic about swimmer Diana Nyad's attempt to swim the Straits of Florida in 2013. Her role in the film has earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 81st Golden Globes and the 29th Critics' Choice Awards.