Jodie Foster Recalls Telling Robert Downey Jr. She Was ‘Scared’ During Peak Of His Addiction

Jodie Foster still remembers working with Robert Downey Jr. at the height of his addictions.

The Oscar winner happily directed Downey in “Home for the Holidays” (1995), but had to have an honest chat about his substance abuse while filming at the time. Downey landed drug and weapons charges in 1996 — and was sentenced to three years in 1999.

“I took him aside at one point during filming and said, ‘Look, I couldn’t be more grateful for what you’ve given in this film,’” Foster told Esquire for an in-depth profile on Downey published Monday. “‘But I’m scared of what happens to you next.’”

“‘Right now you are incredibly good at balancing on the barstool,’” she purportedly continued telling Downey during production. “‘But it’s really precarious, and I’m not sure how that’s going to end.’”

Downey shared his own version of events in 2020 and told David Letterman that Foster “was really critical” during production and told him: “Well, looks like you’re getting away with it on this one! I wouldn’t try this again, because we’re kind of a forgiving group.”

“I was like, ‘Wasn’t that last take great?’ and she goes, ‘Yeah, you’re great, it’s going great,’” he continued at the time. “And then when I was locked up in a penitentiary, she sent me a letter saying, ‘Let me tell you what I meant by ‘It’s going great.’”

The “Iron Man” star was reportedly sent to North Kern State Prison for violating his parole several times and admitted on the “Armchair Expert” podcast that it was “the most dangerous place” he’d ever been. Downey went on to serve 15 months behind bars.

“He was so out there that all of that wonderful talent was … flailing his arms in the water and making a big mess,” Foster told Esquire. “But it was in there somewhere, right?