Evelyn “Brandy” Foster, who managed Jodie Foster’s career until she won the Academy Award for The Silence of the Lambs in 1991, has died. Jodie Foster is in mourning.
Foster’s mother died on Monday at 90. Foster, along with her siblings Lucinda, Constance, and Bud, wrote a touching obituary for their mother. Evelyn’s dementia-related difficulties, according to her family, contributed to her death.
“Evelyn was without a doubt the strongest person her family has ever known, a champion, a fighter, full of fire and love,” according to the obituary.
“No one could match her sense of style with her naturally “corkscrew” hair and five feet in height. Her dimple smiles, warm embraces, and strategic use of four-letter words will be remembered by her family. Nobody dared to mess with Nana because she was an original. May she live on in each of us forever.
Bud Foster, who starred in the sitcom Mayberry R.F.D. from 1968 to 1971, was also managed by Evelyn. For a time, Arthur Jacobs’ publicist was a former big band singer who was “entertainment savvy.” Jacobs represented Grace Kelly, Gregory Peck, James Stewart, and Marilyn Monroe, among others.
Instead of flowers, the family asks that visitors “look up at the sky, open your arms, and utter her name.” Continue reading to read the full obituary. “She would love that,” they wrote in their letter.
Evelyn “Brandy” Foster, the mother of Jodie, Lucinda, Constance, and Bud, died quietly in her home on May 13 from dementia-related complications. She was 90 years old.
She was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, but moved to California in the 1940s to practice her big band singing. She met Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Lucius Foster at a fencing match there. They were married and had four children. Lucius went on to become a successful real estate developer in Los Angeles.
Evelyn worked as Arthur Jacobs’ publicist in Hollywood for a short time, representing celebrities such as Grace Kelly, Gregory Peck, James Stewart, and Marilyn Monroe. Evelyn, a divorced single mother of four in her thirties, used her experience in the entertainment industry to oversee Buddy’s burgeoning acting career.
Buddy is best known for his role as Ken Berry’s son in the television show Mayberry RFD. Jodie, her youngest daughter, won her first commercial when she was three years old—the well-known Coppertone ad from the 1960s. Evelyn successfully managed and guided her daughter’s career until 1991, when she won her second Best Actress Oscar for The Silence of the Lambs.
She considered Paris her second home, where she enjoyed exploring the city’s streets with her grandchildren and collecting art for her Ile de St. Louis apartment. Because she was always happiest in the presence of beautiful things, she spent her Sundays surrounded by a collection of art and architectural periodicals. She was an outspoken advocate for social justice, a liberal firebrand with an opinion on everything, and an avid fan of foreign films.
Evelyn was the toughest person her family had ever known; she was a warrior, a champion, and brimming with passion and affection. Nobody could match her sense of style, thanks to her naturally “corkscrew” hair and five-foot-tall frame. Her dimple smiles, warm embraces, and strategic use of four-letter words will be remembered by her family. Nobody dared to mess with Nana because she was an original. May she always be a part of all of us?
Her death will be mourned privately by her family. Instead of flowers, they advise you to look up at the sky, spread your arms, and recite her name. That’d make her happy.
