Jodie Foster isn't afraid to embrace her characters' flaws—even if it makes them the internet's worst nightmares. The actor admitted while walking the red carpet at the show's Los Angeles premiere that her character in True Detective: Night Country is totally "Karen."
According to People magazine , Foster told reporters that her character Liz Danvers was "terrible" and called her a horrible nickname. "She's 'Alaskan Karen.' There's no two ways about it," she said. "She's a really, really, really bad character." But you understand why. "
Season 4 of the Emmy Award-winning series will premiere on Sunday, January 14th. The series follows detectives Liz Navarro and Evangeline Navarro (Carly Reiss), who must investigate eight people studying at a remote research center in Alaska male scientist suddenly disappeared. .
In the great tradition of True Detective , the partners are completely mismatched in every way, but learn to work together for a greater goal.
Foster went on to explain that there was a purpose behind Liz's actions. "You can see where it's coming from, you can see what she's struggling with, her inner turmoil, and her protectiveness and love for her partner, her other soldier character," she said.
Her co-star apparently agrees
Reis seemed to agree with Foster's analogy that Liz was a "Karen" -- even going so far as to call her a worse name in a separate interview. "It was really interesting to see how she portrayed [her character] as such an asshole," she told the New York Post before clarifying, "but in all the right ways."
"This is a push button for Navarro," she added.
However, Reiss, whose real-life experience with Foster was the complete opposite of "Karen," called her "amazing" to work with and said she left the shoot with a "new friend." "She's a brilliant mind to work with, and her smile and laugh are contagious and make you feel comfortable," she said.
Reis, who was a professional boxer before turning to acting, went on to explain the most valuable lessons she learned from the Oscar winner. "I asked, 'What do they mean when they say that? What does it mean?' When she starts sharing her knowledge, she lights up. That's not common," she said.
"I'm a perfectionist...and [I learned], don't take things so seriously. Let's have fun with it, let's create."
