Jodie Foster is an Oscar nominee once again, and we’re taking the time to dive into her outlook on aging in Hollywood and entering as she embraces her 60s. Arriving at the 96th Annual Academy Awards in in bespoke LOEWE with styling Samantha McMillen, Foster is a vision in dark blue with a glittering starry night shimmer. Nominated for her role in Nyad, this is the first time Foster has had a nomination since her 1995 nomination for Best Actress for her work in Nell. And after decades in Hollywood, Nyad‘s story of pushing your own personal boundaries even after you’ve turned the big 6-0 is the perfect piece to welcome Foster back.
While Nyad tells the story of a 60-year-old woman challenging herself to tackle the impossible, Foster herself is well on her way to accomplishing her own “impossible” task: being a successful woman in Hollywood over 60. We’re used to hearing about how aging impacts women, especially celebrities that spend a lot of time in front of the camera. But for Foster, aging and how it looks on her isn’t a concern when she’s busy having fun.
“I don’t think about it a lot because I’m just busy doing stuff,” Foster tells Laverne Cox on the red carpet. “Lots of things are possible. I didn’t realize I would be happier than I’ve ever been.”
Sitting down with PEOPLE, Foster notes that entering her 60s was like a light-bulb moment, after more than a decade of feeling like she was past her prime.
“Something happened when I turned 60,” she says “I was like, ‘I figured it out. This is good.’ There was something about going back to the work with a different attitude, I think. About really enjoying supporting other people and saying to myself, ‘This is not my time. I had my time. This is their time, and I get to participate in it by giving them whatever wisdom I have.'”
One thing is clear, Foster is no longer afraid of growing older.
“There’s a kind of contentedness,” Foster explains tonight. “I think it might be hormonal, I think something happens to you, something goes through your body where suddenly you’re like “don’t care,” and it makes all of life more precious.”
