Buddy Foster

Buddy Foster
Foster c. 1970
Born
Lucius Fisher Foster IV

(1957-07-12) July 12, 1957 (age 67)
OccupationActor
Years active1966–1980
Children2
RelativesJodie Foster (sister)

Lucius Fisher "Buddy" Foster IV (born July 12, 1957) is an American former child actor. He is the older brother of actress and director Jodie Foster. Beginning his career at the age of eight, he had television roles from the late 1960s through the early 1970s, most notably Mayberry R.F.D. (1968–1971).

Early life

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Lucius Foster IV was born on July 12, 1957,[1] the son of Evelyn (née Almond) and Lucius Fisher Foster III.[2] He has two older sisters and one younger sister, the latter being actress Jodie Foster. His parents divorced in the early 1960s, and his mother obtained a job in the entertainment industry to support her children.[3]

Career

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In the early 1960s, Evelyn Almond Foster[4][5] began managing the career of her son Buddy Foster.[6][7][8]

"Buddy, the first to start acting, lost a Coppertone commercial when 4-year-old Jodie charmed the casting director and got the job."[9]

As a child actor, Foster appeared in a regular role on the 1967 TV western Hondo and Mayberry, R.F.D. (1968–1971), as well as appearing guest roles on numerous other television series throughout the 1970s including The Six Million Dollar Man. He appeared on the Dragnet TV series in the 1969 episode "Burglary Auto: Juvenile Genius" as James "Watermelon" Chambers.

In 1967, Foster appeared on Petticoat Junction in the episode "Temperance, Temperance", as Clint Priddy. He voiced the little boy in the famous 1969 Tootsie Pop commercial Mr. Owl "How Many Licks Does It Take?", often miscredited to fellow child actor Peter Robbins.[a] He made his final screen appearance with a small role in the film Foxes (1980) starring his sister Jodie Foster.

In 1997, Foster released the book Foster Child, in which he chronicled his childhood.[10][11] The book saw Foster allege that Jodie was a lesbian or bisexual, many years before she came out, and claim that their mother had once had a same-sex relationship.[12] Jodie called the book a "cheap cry for attention and money, filled with hazy recollections, fantasies, and borrowed press releases [...] Buddy has done nothing but break our mother's heart his whole life".[13]

In October 1997, Foster owned a construction company in Duluth, Minnesota, where he lived with his second wife.[14][15]

Footnotes

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  1. ^ Peter Robbins is the young voice actor who portrayed Charlie Brown in the 1960s animated "Peanuts" movies.

References

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  1. ^ "Buddy Foster Biography". AllMovie. Archived from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  2. ^ "Jodie Foster biography". The Biography Channel. Archived from the original on August 15, 2012. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  3. ^ "Jodie Foster". The Biography Channel. Movies. Archived from the original on April 17, 2009. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  4. ^ Pelisek, Christine (July 13, 2017). "Jodie Foster's Father Accused of California Housing Scam". The Daily Beast. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  5. ^ "Jodie Foster's father jailed over scam". ABC News (Australia). December 9, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  6. ^ Evans, Greg (2019-05-16). "Evelyn "Brandy" Foster Dies: Mother And Early Manager Of Jodie Foster Was 90". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  7. ^ Hearon, Sarah (2019-05-16). "Evelyn Foster Dead: Jodie Foster's Mom Dies at 90". Us Weekly. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  8. ^ "Happy New Year to Six Bright stars". The Messenger. Madisonville, Ky. January 24, 1970. p. 10. Retrieved 2024-02-24 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Foster Child". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  10. ^ Foster, Buddy; Wagener, Leon (May 1997). Foster Child: A biography of Jodie Foster. New York City: E. P. Dutton. ISBN 978-0-5259-4143-9.
  11. ^ Kennedy, Dana (May 16, 1997). "Foster Child". Entertainment Weekly (book review). Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  12. ^ Borrill, Rachel (May 24, 1997). "Festering Fosters". Irish Times. Dublin. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  13. ^ Sydney, Laurin (May 15, 1997). "Foster angry over brother's tell-all". CNN. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  14. ^ "Real Life Cruel for Young Actor". Orlando Sentinel. 1996-05-02. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
  15. ^ "Lucius 'Buddy' Foster breaks the Silence of the Fosters". The Sunday Times. October 12, 1997. Archived from the original on Oct 9, 2010. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
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