Jodie Foster Accepts the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award

On Tuesday, December 4, actress, director and producer Jodie Foster was presented with the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award at the Hollywood Reporter’s 16th annual Women in Entertainment breakfast. The award, named after the former CEO of Paramount Pictures, was presented by Lansing herself, who said that she was “overwhelmed to be presenting it to Jodie.” This marks the fourth year of the award, which, in past years, has been presented to both Barbara Walters and Meryl Streep. While the other speakers praised Foster for her accomplishments in the film industry, Foster herself seemed a bit hesitant to accept the award saying, “I’m not sure why I’m here today. I’m not powerful. I’m fragile, unsure, and I struggle to get there—wherever there is. I’ve been in this business for 42 years; there’s no way to do that and not be as nutty as a fruitcake.” Other speakers for the event, which is held every year in conjunction with the release of the Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Power 100 list, included John Travolta and Queen Latifah, as well as Andrea Wong and Susanne Daniels, two executives from the Lifetime network.