Jodie Foster told Robert Downey Jr she was ‘scared’ for him during addiction

Jodie Foster told Robert Downey Jr she was “scared” for him because of his struggles with addiction, the actor has revealed.

Foster directed the actor in her 1995 Christmas comedy Home for the Holidays, which coincided with the height of Downey Jr’s substance abuse.

One year later, the Iron Man actor was arrested for possession of heroin, cocaine, and an unloaded gun.

Speaking to Esquire, as part of a profile interview with Downey Jr, Foster recalled a conversation the pair had in which she voiced her concern about the trajectory the actor was going down.

“[I said], ‘Look, I couldn’t be more grateful for what you’ve given in this film, but I’m scared of what happens to you next. Right now you are incredibly good at balancing on the barstool. But it’s really precarious, and I’m not sure how that’s going to end’.”

Downey Jr would be jailed shortly after as he skipped a court-ordered drug test. Failure to attend another test in 1999 led to a three-year prison sentence for the actor, who served 15 months.

He would be arrested again four months after his release, an outcome which led to him being ostracised from the film industry for a period of time.

Foster also praised the Marvel star for his talents but highlighted the qualities he struggled with: “What was so interesting about him then was what a genius he was – there was more creativity in his little finger than I will ever have in my whole life – but he did not have the discipline.”

The Silence of the Lambs actor said she regarded Downey Jr as someone who was “just, like, flailing his arms in the water and making a big mess”. She added: “Now he is somebody who’s become disciplined almost as a way of surviving.”

Downey Jr won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor earlier this year for his portrayal of Lewis Strauss in blockbuster Oppenheimer.

Host Jimmy Kimmel divided viewers as he made a joke about the actor’s addiction history, but the star has since come out to say “he didn’t care” about the gag, calling Kimmel a “national treasure”.