Jodie Foster Recalls Harrowing Childhood Lion Attack on Disney Film Set
In a startling new interview, legendary actress Jodie Foster has reflected on a terrifying childhood encounter with a wild lion that nearly claimed her life. The 63-year-old double Oscar winner opened up to W Magazine about the permanent physical marks and memories left by the mauling, which occurred during the filming of the largely forgotten 1972 Disney live-action feature Napoleon And Samantha.
The Attack That Left Permanent Scars
"I was mauled by a lion when I was eight-and-a-half or nine," Foster revealed with striking candour. She described how the fully-grown lion seized her in its jaws, lifted her from the ground, and shook her violently before dropping her. The attack left the young actress with "two perfect punctures on one side and then two perfect punctures" on the opposite side of her hip—injuries that have remained with her as lifelong scars.
Remarkably, Foster almost downplayed the severity of the incident, noting that "as the years have gone on and we get bigger, you know, who even knows where [the scars] are anymore. They kind of just move around." This nonchalant attitude belies what was clearly a traumatic and life-threatening event for the child star.
Camera Crew Flees as Lion Attacks
Foster admitted that much of the actual mauling remains blurry in her memory due to being in a state of shock. However, one vivid recollection stands out: witnessing the entire camera crew fleeing sideways as the lion held her in its mouth. "I saw the whole camera crew run—except sideways. So, I saw them running sideways, taking all their equipment with them, just like, running away from me," she recounted.
Fortunately, the attack occurred just after cameras had stopped rolling for a shot, meaning no footage of the horrific incident exists. Foster was saved when an on-set animal trainer commanded the lion to "Drop it," prompting the animal to release her from its jaws. "I think that was probably the scariest thing that ever happened to me when I was making a movie," she conceded, though added, "I’m not sure I had time for fear, honestly."
Returning to Work with the Same Dangerous Lion
In a stark illustration of the less regulated working conditions prevalent in Hollywood during that era, Foster revealed that after receiving hospital treatment and being cleared to work, she was required to return to set and continue filming with the same lion that had attacked her. This led to another frightening moment when Foster, tasked with carrying a rooster in a scene, perceived the lion showing interest in her again.
"I saw the lion turn his head and kind of go like this, like maybe he was going to approach me or something, and I threw the rooster, and I ran," she described. "I think that’s probably a scarier moment." The psychological impact of the initial attack clearly influenced her heightened fear during this subsequent interaction.
Identifying the Aggressive Substitute Lion
Foster clarified during the interview—and previously on The Tonight Show in 2008—that the lion responsible for the attack was not the primary animal used on set. The main lion, named Zamba, had behaved appropriately. The mauling was perpetrated by a substitute lion called Simba, who reportedly had a history of aggressive behaviour.
Foster claimed that Simba had nearly mauled Gilligan's Island star Bob Denver years earlier during the filming of a 1966 television episode, suggesting this particular animal posed a known danger that was nevertheless allowed to work with child actors.
The film Napoleon And Samantha, which also starred a young Johnny Whitaker and featured an early screen appearance by Michael Douglas, follows two children who run away with a former circus lion. Foster's chilling account provides a disturbing behind-the-scenes look at the risks child performers faced in an industry with markedly different safety standards half a century ago.
