Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling Clarice Starling, as portrayed by Foster is ranked by the American Film Institute as the greatest heroine in film history. Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly, ranked Starling as one of the "50 Greatest Movie Protagonists" and "100 Greatest Movie Characters" respectively. Foster's interpretation of Starling is highly ranked amongst the greatest screen performances of all-time receiving a multitude of accolades including the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1992.