"Most incredible child actor that has ever existed": Kate Burton reflects on Jodie Foster and their shared Yale years

Kate Burton, who's in Grey's Anatomy, talked about her early link to actress Jodie Foster. She said the Oscar winner used to rent from her when they went to Yale University.

In an interview with People, Burton, 68, recalled,

“She was my tenant at Yale, I was her landlord, because she was an undergraduate and I was a graduate student.” The two crossed paths in New Haven, Connecticut, when Burton was pursuing graduate studies and Foster was enrolled as an undergraduate.

Jodie Foster got famous as a child actor. She had a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nod for Taxi Driver (1976) before she started at Yale in 1980.

There, she learned about African-American literature and finished with high honors in 1985.

Reflecting on Foster’s early achievements, Burton said,

“She was the most incredible child actor that has ever existed — and she's got an extraordinary career.”

She also highlighted Foster’s lasting influence on the industry, adding,

“She’s a beacon to a lot of actors, and particularly child actors who know that there’s a world out there for them.”

After graduation, Foster kept doing well in Hollywood. She got two Best Actress Oscars — for The Accused (1988) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991). She also had another nomination for Nell (1994).

She's still acting and getting praise. She has a Best Supporting Actress nomination for the 2024 movie Nyad.

Jodie Foster reflects on her Yale memories and life lessons

Jodie Foster’s connection to Yale has endured through the years. In April 2018, she returned to the university to accept the Yale Undergraduates’ Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing her work as an actress, director, and producer.

“Thank you so much for receiving me back in my hometown,” she said during her acceptance speech, as reported by Yale News. “This place means more to me than almost any place else … I came to Yale and the second I walked on campus it was like I had just found the love of my life.”

She reflected fondly on her college experiences, saying,

“Yale for me is lying on the floor of my dorm room, crying and crying and crying, but it’s also going to one of the tops of those towers with beer in my hand going like ‘Woo, woo, woo!’”

Foster also spoke candidly about her insecurities as a student and young actor.

“I felt like everybody else was smarter than me. I had to pretend that I knew what I was talking about,” she said. “I think that if you don’t have that feeling of being insignificant and wanting to be significant, you must not be significant. I think that pushes you to not be satisfied with who you are and pushes you to be the best person you can be.”