Jodie Foster: 'I am Not Retiring'

Some people took Jodie Foster's suggestion at the Golden Globes that big changes were coming in her professional life to mean that the actress was retiring. She is not, she clarifies:

“No, I am not retiring,” Foster clarified emphatically. “I could never stop acting. You’d have to drag me with wild horses."
Nor is Foster leaving the world of entertainment behind, saying that she in fact wants to do more directing.

“I’m actually more into it than I’ve been,” Foster said of her desire to work in the business.

The point she meant to make in her speech, she explained, was that "my work is evolving.”

Added Foster:

"The speech kind of speaks for itself. It's a big, long career, and it's not just a career; it's friendships and relationships...I feel like I am graduating from something...And it's a big moment, and I wanted to say, you know, what's most in my heart...It's an expression of who I am and what I'm thinking and feeling."

Check out Foster's big speech HERE, if you missed it.

Jodie Foster Comes Out At Golden Globe Awards: VIDEO

Finally, after years of avoiding any official confirmation, Jodie Foster just came out at the Golden Globe Awards.

Receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Award for the many, many great films she has made over the past four decades, an obviously nervous Foster first toyed with the audience a little, dancing around the issue before affirming that, yes, she is a lesbian. (She had previously thanked a female partner in a 2007 speech, but it was not an official, direct coming out.)

Well aware that people have been waiting for this moment for years, Foster explained that her delay wasn't based in shame, but in the fact that she came of age when there was a larger premium on privacy.

She was not of the era when gay or lesbian stars held press conferences to discuss their private lives, she said.

I already did my coming out about a thousand years ago, back in the stone age. In those very quaint days when a fragile young girl would open up to trusted friends, and family, coworkers and then gradually, proudly, to everyone who knew her. To everyone she actually met. But now, apparently I'm told, that every celebrity is expected to honor the details of their private life with a press conference, a fragrance and a primetime reality show. You guys might be surprised, but I'm not Honey Boo Boo child.

She went on, "If you had been a public figure since the time you were a toddler, if you had to fight for a life that felt real and honest and normal against all odds, then maybe you too would value privacy above all else."

But, standing up on that stage, poised and proud, Foster finally did the deed - and, as always, she did it her way. And we couldn't be more happy for her!

Check out the video of Jodie's remarks, AFTER THE JUMP!

And, on a related topic, if you missed our 50 Most Powerful Coming Outs of 2012, check them out HERE.

News: Romney's 13%, Dave Mustaine, Lauren Conrad, Influential Victorians

Mitt Romney claims he pays at least a 13% tax rate. From the GOP presidential hopeful: "I did go back and look at my taxes, and, over the past 10 years, I never paid less than 13 percent... Every year, I paid at least 13 percent, and if you add in, in addition, the amount that goes to charity, the number gets well above 20 percent."

A shirtless Stephen Amell gets me even more excited for the CW's Arrow.

84% of New Yorkers couldn't give a hoot whether or not our next mayor is gay or lesbian.

Whet your appetite for British period drama with the Downton Abbey season 3 trailer.

One trick pony Rick Santorum will try to rally conservatives against marriage equality in Washington State.

The Ukrainian Moral Commission has decided that Spongebob Squarepants is gay and therefore unfit for television.

Thoughts on the late Gore Vidal's legacy: "It is difficult to overstate the courage Vidal demonstrated in publishing 'The City and the Pillar' in his early years as a writer. At that time, homosexuality was both a crime and, in the eyes of the medical establishment, a debilitating 'disease' — as well as the great American taboo. But honesty, both intellectual and moral, was an innate Vidal quality all his life — he always said and wrote exactly what he thought, no matter what the cost.

Local governments are using eminent domain to help rescue residents from underwater mortgages. Could this be just the tool needed to turn solve the nation's property-related problems? From NBC News: "Critics say seizing individual properties would benefit only the homeowners who gets a break on their loan balance. But proponents counter that local mortgage seizures would serve the public good because they would help boost local housing markets and speed economic recovery."

Anderson Cooper is still on vacation with Kelly Ripa as rumors continue to swirl that he booted boyfriend Ben Maisani after Maisani kissed another man.

Congratulations to Jane Austen and Sir Walter Scott! A Google-derived algorithm decided they are the most influential Victorian novelists.

Great Britain is pretty "disappointed" after Ecuador granted Wikileaks leader Julian Assange political asylum.

As part of their effort to oust Colorado House Speaker Frank McNulty, the Republican who single-handedly squashed civil unions there, the group Fight Back Colorado is asking readers to pick the lawmaker's next profession: Chick-fil-A jockey; spin class instructor, because of all the spin he puts on his hateful politics; or undertaker, "because he killed the civil unions bill—and 30 other important bills in the process".

Jodie Foster has Kristen Stewart's back.

Cheyenne Jackson sits down with David Mixner to discuss a variety of topics, including his forthcoming Broadway show alongside Henry Winkler: "In my Broadway play coming up [The Performers], I have some dialogue and some costumes that are gonna take some real cojones to say and wear without some initial embarrassment. But that's why I do what I do. Cuz if something scares you, it means you should do it. Again, thank you Oprah."

A new report that will shape the next decade of scientific research "emphasizes the need for research to better understand the sun, how it interacts with Earth and other bodies in the solar system, and the origins of potentially harmful space weather..."

Former reality star Lauren Conrad took down this video of her destroying books because it rightfully upset people.

Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine claims President Obama staged recent mass shootings, including the one in Aurora, Colorado, so that he can destroy gun rights.

Let us not play the blame game with the FRC shooting.

Ricky Gervais Can't Find a Man Who's Seen Jodie Foster's Beaver: VIDEO

One of Ricky Gervais' more notable digs in his arguably less cutting opening monologue this year came at the expense of Jodie Foster's reluctance to talk about her sexuality, and the film she starred in with Mel Gibson.

Said Gervais:

"No smut or innuendo. And I’m not to libel anyone. And I must not mention Mel Gibson this year. Not his private life, his politics, his recent films or especially not Jodie Foster’s Beaver. I haven’t seen it myself. I’ve spoken to a lot of guys – they haven’t seen it either but that doesn’t mean it’s not good.”

Of course Gervais wasn't outing Foster, who seemed to love the joke. She pretty much told the world who's seen her beaver four years ago.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Movies: Bradley Cooper Stars in 'Limitless' and Michael Fassbender Doesn't Appear to Have Any (Limits)

"Mr Rochester's visits are always unexpected."

NATHANIEL ROGERS
...would live in the movie theater but for the poor internet reception. He blogs daily at the Film Experience. Follow him on Twitter @nathanielr.

 
Happy St. Patrick's Day! 
You should totally celebrate by finding JANE EYRE this weekend and falling in love with Irish/German Michael Fassbender along with Jane and the rest of the world. While it's possibly true that the sudden collective Fassboner is more publicist command than organic development, it couldn't happen to a better actor. He's the real deal. (See also: Hunger, Fish Tank, Inglourious Basterds for an extraordinarily rangey, complicated star-is-born quadruple.) Fassbender was recently seen filming sex scenes in public [NSFW] for the sex-addiction drama SHAME as if to taunt (or reward?) his millions of new admirers. That future film, which co-stars Carey Mulligan, will reunite him with his Hunger director Steve McQueen. I can't recommend their first collaboration highly enough as their telling of the Irish hunger prison strike in Thatcher era Britain is visceral take-no-prisoners stuff in both direction and performance. Hunger is the kind of film you should only watch with all the lights off and your phone turned off and your hands from the remote control; distractions will ruin its hypnotic commitment.

Opening:
Bradley Cooper headlines LIMITLESS as a writer who makes a miraculous about face once he ingests a super drug, becoming his perfect self.

It's a neat parallel with Cooper's own backstory that he's been selling that his career took a while to take off because he "wasn't f**kable enough". Problem long since solved? MORE AFTER THE JUMP...

News: India, Tony Kushner, Jerusalem, Don Imus, Bash'd

Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis forbids liberal Catholic church from holding gay pride prayer service: "St. Joan of Arc Church in Minneapolis has held the event for several years in conjunction with the annual Twin Cities Pride Celebration. The archdiocese is instead suggesting that the church hold a "peace" service Wednesday with no mention of rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Archdiocese spokesman Dennis McGrath says the gay pride prayer service is inimical to the teachings of the Catholic church."

Global warming expert Hansen: Earth close to the tipping point.

This used to be her playground: Madonna and family go to Yankees game.

Grease RIP: A Rydell High death.

Angels in America playwright Tony Kushner to marry in California: "Mark and I are going to get married in California very soon. Then we’re going to be recognized in New York as legally married."

New Bedford, Massachusetts, where two-and-a-half years ago 18-year-old Jacob Robida terrorized a local gay bar with a hatchet and a shotgun, held its first gay pride over the weekend, which attracted 250 people.

Jerusalem gay pride a "go": "The High Court of Justice rejected Monday afternoon a petition filed by right-wing activists Itamar Ben-Gvir and Baruch Marzel against holding a gay pride parade in Jerusalem. As a result, the parade will take place as scheduled this coming Thursday."

Don Imus under fire again for racist comment.

Gay activists in India plan mass gay pride action: "The marchers plan to sing, give speeches and hold candlelit vigils in simultaneous parades in New Delhi, Calcutta and Bangalore on Sunday, said Gautam Bhan, a writer and gay rights activist involved with organizing the marches. While several dozen activists have marched in the eastern city of Calcutta in recent years, these would be the first gay pride parades in New Delhi and Bangalore. Bhan said the activists want to raise awareness of the issues facing the gay community in India."

Bash'd: a rap opera that fights back against anti-gay violence, playing in NYC: "With exceedingly bawdy lyrics, two rapping angels, T-Bag (Mr. Craddock) and Feminem (Mr. Cuckow), recount the tragedy of a Canadian couple, Jack and Dillon, who meet in an Edmonton club, fall in love and wed. But when Jack becomes the victim of violence, their idyll collapses."

New Yorker: Is "angry" Keith Olbermann changing TV news?

Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev sued over Moscow Pride: "Organisers of Moscow Gay Pride today applied to the city’s Tverskoi District Court accusing Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev of 'inaction on their letter' concerning the staging of the march for tolerance – and respect for the rights of freedoms of homosexual people in Russia – in Alexandrovskiy Sad, part of the Kremlin."

Jodie Foster in tussle with paparazzi.

PhD: Memoir of a gay stripper. “The truth was that stripping had long called out to me. It offered something different from my grad school grind of dealing with students, grading papers, and sitting through seemingly endless seminars.”

Obama curtails use of altered presidential seal.

James McAvoy on the perils of six packs and protein: "[The abs] were not a special effect. It was the result of a lot of time at the gym — which I hated. I was also trying to take these super protein supplements and they gave me incredible bouts of flatulence which wouldn’t have endeared me to the rest of the cast. But I’m back to normal."

Boy George takes his orchid for a walk.

A few notes and photos from the Provincetown International Film Festival.

New York Senate Majority Leader Republican Joe Bruno announces he won't seek reelection: "It also means a seat that had been considered a safe one for Republicans will not necessarily be a sure thing this fall. With all New York lawmakers' two-year terms ending in December, Republicans are defending their narrow 32-30 majority in the Senate, the party's last stronghold in state government. Democrats now hold the governor's post and dominate the Assembly by a 106-42 margin."