Ben Foster (born October 29, 1980) is an American actor. His film roles include The Laramie Project, Liberty Heights, Get Over It, Hostage, X-Men: The Last Stand, Alpha Dog, 30 Days of Night, The Messenger, Bang Bang You're Dead, The Mechanic Contraband, and Pandorum.He received best supporting actor nominations from both the Saturn and Satellite Awards for his 2007 role in the film 3:10 to Yuma.
Early life
Foster was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of restaurant owners Gillian Kirwan (née Sterling) and Steven Foster.He has described his parents as "free-spirited, Vietnam-protesting hippies".He has a younger brother, Jon, who is also an actor. When Foster was four years old, his family relocated to Fairfield, Iowa, after their Boston home was burglarized while they were present.
Foster was raised in his father's Jewish religion.His paternal grandmother emigrated from Russia to escape pogroms in 1923. Foster practices Transcendental Meditation, and, while living in Fairfield, attended the Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment.
Career
Foster began working as an actor when he was sixteen years old.Foster dropped out of high school and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career. In 1996 and 1997, he appeared in the television series Flash Forward and had an unsuccessful audition for the lead role in Richard Kelly's Donnie Darko. Over the next three years, Foster obtained small roles in two made-for-TV movies as well as two episodes of the TV series Freaks and Geeks.
In 2001, he acted in the film Get Over It. Foster also had a recurring role as Russell Corwin (22 episodes) in the HBO Original Series, Six Feet Under.After appearing in the films 11:14 and The Punisher, Foster 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.In the crime thriller Alpha Dog, he played the character Jake Mazursky and added glaucoma drops to his eyes to simulate the appearance of a drug addict in the film. In 2007, he played cold-blooded killer Charlie Prince in the critically acclaimed western film 3:10 to Yuma.
Filmography
Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
1996–97 |
Flash Forward |
Tucker James |
26 episodes |
1997 |
Kounterfeit |
Travis |
|
1998 |
I've Been Waiting for You |
Charlie |
Television film |
1998 |
You Wish |
Earl |
Episode: "Future Shock" |
1998 |
Breakfast with Einstein |
Ryan |
Television film |
1998 |
1973 |
Peter |
Television film |
1999 |
Liberty Heights |
Ben Kurtzman |
|
1999 |
Freaks and Geeks |
Eli |
· Episode: "Pilot"
· Episode: "Carded and Discarded" |
2000 |
Family Law |
Jason Nelson |
Episode: "A Mother's Son" |
2001 |
Get Over It |
Berke Landers |
|
2001 |
Boston Public |
Max Warner |
Episode: "Chapter Twenty-Nine" |
2002 |
Laramie Project, TheThe Laramie Project |
Aaron Kreifels |
|
2002 |
Big Trouble |
Matt Arnold |
|
2002 |
Bang Bang You're Dead |
Trevor Adams |
|
2002 |
Phone Booth |
Big Q (uncredited) |
|
2003 |
Northfork |
Cod |
|
2003 |
11:14 |
Eddie |
|
2003 |
Six Feet Under |
Russell Corwin |
22 episodes |
2004 |
Punisher, TheThe Punisher |
Spacker Dave |
|
2004 |
The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things |
Fleshy Boy |
|
2005 |
Hostage |
Mars Krupcheck |
|
2005 |
Dead Zone, TheThe Dead Zone |
Darren Foldes |
Episode: "The Last Goodbye" |
2006 |
X-Men: The Last Stand |
Warren Worthington III / Angel |
|
2007 |
Alpha Dog |
Jake Mazursky |
|
2007 |
3:10 to Yuma |
Charlie Prince |
|
2007 |
My Name Is Earl |
Glenn |
· Episode: "My Name Is Inmate #2801-016: Part 1"
· Episode: "My Name Is Inmate #2801-016: Part 2" |
2007 |
30 Days of Night |
The Stranger |
|
2008 |
Birds of America |
Jay |
|
2009 |
Messenger, TheThe Messenger |
Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery |
|
2009 |
Blink |
AJ |
Short film |
2009 |
Pandorum |
Bower |
|
2010 |
Here |
Will Shepard |
|
2011 |
Mechanic, TheThe Mechanic |
Steve McKenna |
|
2011 |
Rampart |
Terry |
Also Produced |
2012 |
Yellow |
Nowell |
|
2012 |
Contraband |
Sebastian Abney |
|
2012 |
360 |
Tyler |
|