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Ben Foster

 
Actor: Ben Foster
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: Oct 29, 1980
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: 2000s
  • Major Genres: Comedy Drama, Drama
  • Career Highlights: Liberty Heights, 3:10 to Yuma, 11:14
  • First Major Screen Credit: I've Been Waiting for You (1998)

Biography

Making a name for himself by often taking roles unusually weighty for such a young actor, Ben Foster nevertheless began his career with such made-for-TV efforts as I've Been Waiting for You and Breakfast With Einstein (both 1998). Subsequently gaining positive notice for his portrayal of the mentally handicapped Eli in the short-lived series Freaks and Geeks, it wasn't long before Foster was challenging himself with such dramatic efforts as Liberty Heights and The Laramie Project. Born in Boston in October 1980, he began to realize his passion for acting after attending the Interlochen Theater Arts Summer Program. After writing, directing, and starring in his first play at the age of 12, it wasn't long before the venom of the acting bug had successfully worked its way into the budding thespian's blood. Devoting his life to acting, Foster dropped out of high school at 16 and prepared to face the challenges that accompany such a career. Following his film debut in the 1996 crime thriller Kounterfeit, a series of TV films followed. In 1999, he starred in Liberty Heights. Set in 1950s Baltimore, Foster starred as a Jewish high school student whose socially taboo relationship with an African-American classmate (Rebekah Johnson) finds him facing negative pressure from his family and friends. Following up with the musical comedy Get Over It! in 2001, Foster was next seen in The Laramie Project, a made-for-cable feature documenting small town in Laramie, WY, following the murder of Matthew Shepard. Foster appeared with Tim Allen in the ill-fated comedy Big Trouble in 2002, and his subsequent role in the made-for-TV feature Bang, Bang, You're Dead offered viewers a chilling look into the mind of a disturbed teen. It wasn't long after that Foster became a familiar face to cable viewers with his role in the acclaimed HBO series Six Feet Under. As the love interest of Claire Fisher (Lauren Ambrose), Foster's portrayal of a budding young artist found him essaying a complex character who is attempting to discover his true sexuality while simultaneously tapping his creative potential. Next appearing in director Michael Polish's Northfork, Foster later stepped behind the wheel for the non-linear thriller 11:14. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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Ben Foster

Foster in December 2007
Born October 29, 1980 (1980-10-29) (age 29)
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Occupation Actor
Years active 1996—present

Ben Foster (born October 29, 1980) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the teen movies Liberty Heights and Get Over It, as well as the action films Hostage, X-Men: The Last Stand, Alpha Dog, 3:10 to Yuma, 30 Days of Night, and most recently in the science fiction film Pandorum.

Contents

Early life

Foster was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Gillian and Stephen Foster, who own several restaurants.[1][2] He has a younger brother, Jon, who is also an actor. Foster's parents, whom he has described as "free-spirited, Vietnam-protesting hippies", relocated to the small town of Fairfield, Iowa four years after he was born, after their Boston home was burglarized while they were present.[3] Foster is Jewish; his paternal grandmother emigrated from Russia to escape Pogroms.[3][4]

Career

At the age of sixteen, Foster dropped out of high school and moved to Los Angeles. In 1996-97, he appeared in the television series Flash Forward. He auditioned for the role of Donnie Darko in Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko. The role eventually went to Jake Gyllenhaal. In the next three years, Foster had small roles in two made-for-TV movies and in two episodes of the series Freaks and Geeks. In 2001, he acted in Get Over It. Foster also had a recurring role as the bisexual Russell Corwin (22 episodes) in the HBO Original Series, Six Feet Under. After he made 11:14 and The Punisher, Foster also appeared in Hostage with Bruce Willis, Kevin Pollak and Michelle Horn. In 2006, Foster appeared in X-Men: The Last Stand as the comic-book hero Angel/Warren Worthington III. A notable role was in the crime thriller Alpha Dog, in which he played Jake Mazursky, a drug addict. Foster added glaucoma drops to his eyes during filming in order to simulate the appearance of a drug abuser.[5] In 2007, he played cold-blooded killer Charlie Prince in the critically acclaimed 3:10 to Yuma.

Filmography

Year Film Role Other notes
1996 Kounterfeit Travis
1998 I've Been Waiting for You Charlie TV Film
Breakfast with Einstein Ryan TV Film
1999 Liberty Heights Ben Kurtzman
2001 Get Over It Berke Landers
The Laramie Project Aaron Kreifels
2002 Big Trouble Matt Arnold
Bang Bang You're Dead Trevor Adams Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special
2003 Phone Booth Big Q Uncredited
Northfork Cod
11:14 Eddie
2004 The Punisher Spacker Dave
The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things Fleshy Boy
2005 Hostage Mars Krupcheck
2006 Alpha Dog Jake Mazursky Young Hollywood Award for Best Breakthrough Performance - Male
X-Men: The Last Stand Warren Worthington III / Angel
2007 3:10 to Yuma Charlie Prince SAG Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
30 Days of Night The Stranger
2008 Birds of America Jay
2009 The Messenger Will Montgomery Gotham Award nomination for Breakthrough Actor
Pandorum Bower
2010 Here Will Shepard in production[6]

Television appearances

Year Title Role Other notes
1996 Flash Forward Tucker James Seventeen episodes, lead role
1998 You Wish Earl One episode, "Future Shock"
2000 Freaks and Geeks Eli Two episodes
Family Law Jason Nelson One episode, "A Mother's Son"
2001—2002 Boston Public Max Warner Two episodes
2005 The Dead Zone Darren Foldes One episode, "The Last Goodbye"
2003—2005 Six Feet Under Russel Corwin Twenty-two episodes, supporting character
SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2007 My Name Is Earl Glenn One two-part episode, "My Name Is Inmate 28301-016"

References

  1. ^ http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/20531991.html?dids=20531991:20531991&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+03%2C+1995&author=Gayle+Fee+%26+Laura+Raposa&pub=Boston+Herald&desc=INSIDE+TRACK+Pool+barons+foster+son's+fledgling+career&pqatl=google
  2. ^ http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/47037101.html?dids=47037101:47037101&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Dec+09%2C+1999&author=PAUL+SHERMAN&pub=Boston+Herald&desc=New+%60Heights'%3B+After+landing+the+lead+role+in+Barry+Levinson's+latest+film%2C+Boston+native+Ben+Foster+is+flying&pqatl=google
  3. ^ a b Miller, Gerri (1999). "Foster Reaches for the "Heights"". JVibe. http://www.jvibe.com/Pop_culture/BenFoster.php. Retrieved 2006-12-12. 
  4. ^ Breed, Allan G. (1999-01-25). "Ben Foster has been stealing the show since second grade". Associated Press Archive. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=APAB&d_place=APAB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F8A0766A15A3B0F&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 2007-12-10. 
  5. ^ "X-MEN STAR FOSTER RISKS EYESIGHT TO PLAY DRUGGIE". Contact Music. 2006-12-12. http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/x-men%20star%20foster%20risks%20eyesight%20to%20play%20druggie_1016263. Retrieved 2006-12-12. 
  6. ^ Mitchell, Wendy (July 27, 2009). "Ben Foster, Lubna Azabal join Braden King's Armenia-set Here". ScreenDaily.com. http://www.screendaily.com/production/europe/ben-foster-lubna-azabal-join-braden-kings-armenia-set-here/5003959.article. Retrieved July 27, 2009. 

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