On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate United States President Ronald Reagan in an attempt to impress the actress Jodie Foster, who played Iris in "Taxi Driver". Hinckley's inspirations for his assassination attempt were directly linked to Travis Bickle's attempted assassination of Charles Palantine in the film, with Hinckley even fashioning his appearance to resemble Bickle's mohawk and army jacket. Ironically, Bickle's character was inspired by Arthur Bremer, who attempted to assassinate presidential candidate George Wallace on May 15, 1972. Upon hearing of Hinckley's assassination attempt, "Taxi Driver" director Martin Scorsese considered quitting the film industry.