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I just saw NataliePortman's story on the Biography channel, and I was surprised to note a few parellels with JodieFoster's life. I don't really follow the lives of celebrities, so this might be old news to some, but I found it interesting.
Both started as child actresses, but had their big breakout roles around the same age (12/13) in which they played prematurely sexualized, precocious, tough-talking young girls from dysfunctional backgrounds who were taken under the wing of an adult male who was a criminal. In both roles there was a "sexualized" but not sexual relationship between the girl and the man. Both roles got their parents and agents a lot of criticism for letting them take the roles, and possibly exposing them to a psychologically damaging experience and to creepy fans who might decide to stalk them. Jodie's role was Iris in Taxi Driver, and Natalie's role was Mathilda in Leon: The Professional.
Both were excellent students in high school, even while making movies. Both went on to Ivy League universities (Foster to Yale, and Portman to Harvard) and graduated. Yes, there are other stars who have Ivy League educations, but these two already had fame before going to college, and chose to pursue schooling, valuing that over show business, at least for those 4 years. I think the other stars with prestigious college educations got those educations before becoming famous. Well, maybe you can toss Brooke Shields in there, but she was famous as a model and sometimes-actress when she went to Princeton, and never really became a 'great' actress.
Both Foster and Portman went on to stay with acting after their Ivy educations, and both eventually won Academy Awards.
There may be more parallels. But I just thought it was odd, especially since I hardly ever watch Biography, and when I happened to catch Natalie Portman's, I was repeatedly reminded of having seen Jodie Foster's a few years ago.
I wonder if there are other pairs of stars with "parallel careers?"
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