The next milestone in Jodie Foster’s renaissance has been added: she just won her first Emmy for her role in “True Detective: Night Country.”
During the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Foster took the stage at the Peacock Theatre to accept the award for outstanding lead actress in a limited series for her performance as Liz Danvers, the acid-tongued police chief tasked with investigating the disappearance of eight men in the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska.
Her acclaimed performance in the HBO anthology series came more than three decades after her other memorable role as a law enforcement officer: FBI agent Clarice Starling in “The Silence of the Lambs,” the 1991 film that earned her a second Oscar for lead actress (her first was for 1988’s “The Accused”).
“This is an incredibly emotional moment for me,” Foster said in accepting her award, “because ‘True Detective: North Country’ was just a magical experience.”
She thanked showrunner Issa Lopez, “who really dreamed up this crazy Liz Danvers for me.” She went on to thank the crew and her co-star, Kali Reis, “and most of all the indigenous people, the Inupiaq and Inuit of northern Alaska, who told us their stories and allowed us to listen. And that was a blessing. It was love, love, love. And when you feel that, something amazing happens. It’s deep and wonderful, and it’s older than this place in this time. And that’s the message, which is that love and work equal art.”
Foster’s return to the awards scene began earlier this year when she received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress for Netflix’s “Nyad.” In the film, she played Bonnie Stoll, the best friend and coach of long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad (Annette Bening).
“True Detective: Night Country” earned a total of 19 Emmy nominations, the culmination of acclaim for the show’s formidable fourth season, which became the most-watched iteration of the franchise since its debut in January.
