Some of us love horror movies, taking every single opportunity to watch something that is going to make us check under our beds before going to sleep. Others can’t stand jump scares, the supernatural, or any stories about slashers. For the first group, The Silence Of The Lambs is one of the best and most classic movies from the horror genre. It has an incredible story (an FBI agent begins working with a cannibalistic killer) and an amazing performance by Jodie Foster as said agent. It’s no wonder that there is a The Silence of The Lambs TV show.

While Jodie Foster has had an amazing acting career, also starring in The Panic Room and The Mauritanian, it also seems like she has chosen her roles carefully. That means saying no to some opportunities, like when she said no to playing a Star Wars character. As it turns out, the actress also turned down a lot of money. Let’s take a look at why Jodie Foster walked away from $20 million.

‘The Silence Of The Lambs’ Sequel That Jodie Didn’t Want To Make

When catching up with the cast of The Silence Of The Lambs, it’s definitely clear that Jodie Foster was perfectly cast as Clarice Starling.

While Jodie Foster was offered $20 million to star in the sequel, Hannibal, and reprise her role as Clarice, she actually said no, according to Looper.com.

It seems rare for someone not to reprise their role and appear in a sequel, but Jodie Foster had her reasons.

As Jodie Foster told Total Film, she was signed up for the film Flora Plum. The actress explained, “The official reason I didn’t do Hannibal is I was doing another movie, Flora Plum [a long-cherished project that has yet to be shot]. So I get to say, in a nice, dignified way, that I wasn’t available when that movie was being shot. But Clarice meant so much to Jonathan and I, she really did, and I know it sounds kind of strange to say but there was no way that either of us could really trample on her.”

Based on her words, it sounds like the timing didn’t work out, but she might not have wanted to play Clarice again, either.

Julianne Moore’s Experience Making ‘Hannibal’

Julianne Moore has shown her incredible talents over the decades, playing the main character in the TV adaptation of the Stephen King book Lisey’s Story and showcasing her dramatic range in the tearjearker film Still Alice. The actress was in a few episodes of 30 Rock and the comedic movie The Kids Are Alright, proving that she can handle any genre.

Julianne Moore played Clarice Starling in Hannibal instead of Jodie Foster, and she talked about the dark nature of this movie. According to ABC News, the actress said, “I read [the script] and thought, ‘This is really dark.’ My apprehensions had to do with the nature of the violence. I am pretty careful about violence, but eventually I came to feel that this story was fable-like. This is a film about good and evil coming up against each other. It’s iconic and almost mythologized. But it is psychologically horrifying.”

It’s interesting to hear this, as it does seem like it would be tough to star in a movie about a cannibal, as that’s just about the creppiest thing that many people can imagine. It’s also worth noting that while Jodie Foster was offered $20 million, Julianne Moore made $2 million for the sequel.

Playing Clarice In ‘Silence Of The Lambs’

While Jodie Foster didn’t sign on to play Clarice again in Hannibal, it does seem like she loved the experience of making the first movie and it meant a lot to her.

The actress told Total Film that she loved the Silence of the Lambs novel and could tell that Jonathan Demme wanted Michelle Pfeiffer to play this character. She went to NYC and told him that she figured she could be his “second choice” for the part. It sounds like Jodie was totally passionate about the story and she knew that she had to at least try to land the part.

When Michelle Pfeiffer left the film, Jodie Foster was cast, and she shared with Total Film that it was “really satisfying” acting in The Silence Of The Lambs: “The stuff with Lecter especially was just fun. And even though I didn’t know whether the movie would be any good, I knew that each one of us had done some of the best work of our life, because we were so inspired by that book.”

Hearing Jodie Foster talk about starring in The Silence Of The Lambs, it sounds like it was truly an amazing acting experience, and she seems to feel fine about not playing Clarice again in the sequel.