Jodie Foster
works the red carpet at Flightplan premiere

While most headliners are chronically delayed arriving at their own Hollywood premieres, lesbian icon Jodie Foster landed early to work the red carpet at the unveiling of the thriller Flightplan. "It's my job," Foster told AP Television News on Monday night. "I wouldn't not promote my movie, and you want to get out there and tell people what it's about and to communicate why you loved it."

Flightplan, which opens Friday, follows a woman and young daughter who become separated while on an international flight. Was the girl abducted? Did she even exist? No spoilers from Foster, 42, who was glamorous in a black Armani cocktail dress.

One secret was revealed by screenwriter Peter A. Dowling, who said Foster's role was originally intended for a male actor. "[The character] is a very strong woman," Dowling explained. "I think one of the most amazing things about that kind of situation when it starts off as a man: It has a tendency not be to written as a victim, because a male star doesn't want to be seen as a victim, whereas a lot of these female-driven thrillers...well, it's a woman in peril, that's the way people come at her, so I think it is good that she is a very proactive, strong woman."

Other attendees included costars Peter Sarsgaard, Erika Christensen, and Sean Bean. Kate Beahan, who has a key role as a flight attendant, said none of the film was shot on a real aircraft but that it felt that way: "When I finished filming and I flew back home to Australia, I really did not want to take that 14-hour flight." (Michael Cidoni, via AP)