Ben Foster (actor)

{{Infobox person

| name = Ben Foster

| image = Ben Foster (30) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Foster in 2018

| birth_name = Benjamin A. Foster

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|10|29}}

| birth_place = Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

| occupation = Actor

| nationality =

| years_active = 1995–present

| spouse = {{marriage|Laura Prepon|2018|2024|end={{abbr|sep.}}}}

| children = 2

| relatives = Jon Foster (brother)

}}

Benjamin A. Foster (born October 29, 1980){{cite web | url = http://www.filmreference.com/film/31/Ben-Foster.html | title = Ben Foster Biography (1980–) | publisher=FilmReference.com | access-date= October 15, 2013}} is an American actor. His films include The Punisher (2004), X-Men: The Last Stand and Alpha Dog (both 2006), 30 Days of Night (2007), The Messenger and Pandorum (both 2009),{{Cite news |last=Ordona |first=Michael |title=Ben Foster puts his heart into The Messenger |work=Los Angeles Times |date=November 1, 2009 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-nov-01-ca-foster1-story.html |access-date=November 15, 2010 }} The Mechanic (2011), Contraband (2012), Kill Your Darlings and Lone Survivor (both 2013), The Program (2015), Warcraft (2016), and Leave No Trace (2018). He has won an Independent Spirit Award for portraying Tanner Howard in Hell or High Water (2016).{{cite web|url=https://www.filmindependent.org/blog/2017-film-independent-spirit-awards-winners-announced/|title=2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards Winners Announced! – Film Independent|date=25 February 2017}} He also had a recurring role as Russell Corwin in Six Feet Under (2003–05).

Early life

Foster was born in Boston on October 29, 1980, the son of restaurant owners.{{Cite news |last=Fee |first=Gayle |author2=Laura Raposa |title=Inside Track: Pool barons foster son's fledgling career |work=Boston Herald |date=September 3, 1995 |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/20531991.html?dids=20531991:20531991&FMT=ABS |access-date=November 15, 2010 |archive-date=March 19, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130319113940/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/20531991.html?dids=20531991:20531991&FMT=ABS |url-status=dead }}{{subscription required}}{{Cite news |last=Sherman |first=Paul |title=New Heights; After landing the lead role in Barry Levinson's latest film, Boston native Ben Foster is flying |work=Boston Herald |date=December 9, 1999 |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/47037101.html?dids=47037101:47037101&FMT=ABS |access-date=November 15, 2010 |archive-date=March 19, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130319113930/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/47037101.html?dids=47037101:47037101&FMT=ABS |url-status=dead }}{{subscription required}}{{Cite news |last=Abel |first=Judy |title=Exploring life's 'darker corners' |work=The Boston Globe |date=November 15, 2009 |url=http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2009/11/15/ben_foster_addresses_grief_and_loss_in_the_messenger/?page=2 |access-date=November 15, 2010 }} He has described his parents as "free-spirited, Vietnam-protesting hippies".{{cite web |last=Miller |first=Gerri |title=Foster Reaches for the "Heights" |work=JVibe |year=1999 |url=http://www.jvibe.com/popculture/heights.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000523011623/http://www.jvibe.com/popculture/heights.shtml|archive-date=2000-05-23|access-date=November 12, 2006 }} He has a younger brother, Jon, who is also an actor. In 1984, the Foster family relocated to Fairfield, Iowa when their Boston home was broken into by robbers while they were present.

Foster was raised Jewish{{Cite news |last=Sragow |first=Michael |title=It's a boy's, boy's, boy's world (and a girl's) |work=Salon.com |date=December 16, 1999 |url=http://www.salon.com/entertainment/col/srag/1999/12/16/liberty_heights |access-date=November 15, 2010 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} His paternal grandparents were Celia (Segal) and Abraham Foster, who was a prominent judge and politician in Boston; their families emigrated from the Russian Empire.{{cite news |last=Breed |first=Allan G. |title=Ben Foster reaches for new Heights |work=Lawrence Journal-World |date=February 4, 1999 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6oEyAAAAIBAJ&pg=5145,1266634&dq=ben-foster-reaches-for-new-heights |access-date=December 10, 2007 }}{{cite news | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/290724968 | work=Boston Globe | first=Indira A.R. | last=Lakshmanan | title=A. Frank Foster, judge who once halted a man's beating; at 84 | date=December 27, 1994 | access-date=February 27, 2022 | archive-date=July 11, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160711164957/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/doc/290724968.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AFT&type=current&date=Dec%2027%2C%201994&author=Indira%20A.R.%20Lakshmanan%2C%20Globe%20Staff&pub=Boston%20Globe%20%28pre-1997%20Fulltext%29&edition=&startpage=&desc=A.%20Frank%20Foster%2C%20judge%20who%20once%20halted%20a%20man%27s%20beating%3B%20at%2084 | id={{ProQuest|290724968}} | url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://brezniakrodman.com/obituary/celia-segal-foster/ |title=CELIA ( SEGAL) FOSTER « Brezniak Rodman Funeral Directors |publisher=Brezniakrodman.com |date=2010-06-28 |access-date=2014-05-12 |archive-date=2013-12-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001723/http://brezniakrodman.com/obituary/celia-segal-foster/ |url-status=dead }} As a youth he attended Interlochen Arts Camp and studied theatre there.{{Cite web |url=https://www.interlochen.org/story/halloween-hollywood |title=Halloween in Hollywood | Interlochen Center for the Arts |access-date=2019-05-24 |archive-date=2020-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726201845/https://www.interlochen.org/story/halloween-hollywood |url-status=dead }}

Career

File:Ben Foster (22618765614).jpg in 2015]]

Foster began working as an actor when he was 16 years old. In 1996 and 1997, he starred in the Disney Channel television series Flash Forward. His first major film role was in the 1999 Barry Levinson film, Liberty Heights, which Todd McCarthy described as an "outstanding bigscreen debut."{{cite news |last1=McCarthy |first1=Todd |title=Liberty Heights |url=https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/liberty-heights-1200459767/ |work=Variety |date=10 November 1999}}

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.{{cite news |title=X-Men star Foster risks eyesight to play druggie |publisher=Contact Music |date=December 12, 2006 |url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/x-men%20star%20foster%20risks%20eyesight%20to%20play%20druggie_1016263 |access-date=December 12, 2006 |archive-date=May 28, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070528081342/http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/x-men%20star%20foster%20risks%20eyesight%20to%20play%20druggie_1016263 |url-status=dead }} In 2007, he played cold-blooded killer and outlaw Charlie Prince in the Western film 3:10 to Yuma.{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/the-erview-ben-foster-actor-and-producer-1-2121709 |work=The Scotsman |title=Interview: Ben Foster, actor and producer |date=February 17, 2012 |access-date=September 15, 2012 }} In February 2013, he was cast to replace Shia LaBeouf in the Broadway play Orphans as his first theater performance.{{cite web|last=Lawson|first=Richard|title=Ben Foster to Replace Shia LaBeouf, Esquire Reader, on Broadway|url=https://news.yahoo.com/ben-foster-replaces-shia-labeouf-190602363.html|work=The Atlantic Wire|publisher=Yahoo!|access-date=21 February 2013|date=21 February 2013}} In May 2014, it was announced that he would star opposite Gillian Anderson and Vanessa Kirby in Benedict Andrews' new production of A Streetcar Named Desire at the Young Vic in London.{{cite web|title=Ben Foster and Vanessa Kirby join Young Vic's Streetcar|url=https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/ben-foster-and-vanessa-kirby-join-young-vics-streetcar|website=London Theatre|access-date=9 June 2014}} The same production closed on September 19, 2014 and transferred to New York in 2016, opening at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn.{{cite web|title=St. Ann's Warehouse – A Young Vic & Joshua Andrews Co-Production|url=http://stannswarehouse.org/show/streetcar-named-desire|website=St. Ann's Warehouse|access-date=May 9, 2017}}

Foster played Lance Armstrong in the biopic The Program,{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/bikes-lance-armstrong-movie-sold-144586|title=Bikes from Lance Armstrong movie to be sold off|first1=Richard|last1=Windsor|access-date=2014-11-14|date=2014-11-13 |website=cyclingweekly.co.uk}}{{cite web|title=First Look: Ben Foster as Lance Armstrong in Stephen Frears' Biopic|access-date=June 20, 2018|date=October 23, 2013 |first1=Scott|last1=Roxborough|work=The Hollywood Reporter|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lance-armstrong-biopic-first-photo-650359}} and co-starred in the fantasy adventure Warcraft, released in June 2016.{{cite web|last=Collura|first=Scott|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/12/05/ben-foster-and-dominic-cooper-head-for-warcraft|title=Ben Foster and Dominic Cooper Head for Warcraft|date=December 4, 2013|publisher=IGN|access-date=December 5, 2013}}

Also in 2016, Foster appeared in Hell or High Water as the dangerous Tanner Howard, opposite Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges. He reunited with director Barry Levinson to make The Survivor in 2021.

Foster was acclaimed for his roles and has received numerous awards nominations.

Foster has often received praise from critics for his "intense" and "unhinged" performances in numerous films.{{cite web|author1=Ebiri, Bilge|author-link=Bilge Ebiri|title=Ben Foster on Shooting The Messenger's Most Harrowing Scenes|url=http://www.vulture.com/2009/11/the_messengers_ben_foster_on.html|website=Vulture|access-date=26 February 2017|date=13 November 2009|quote=Ben Foster has been attracting attention for some time thanks to his intense (sometimes even downright unhinged) portrayals in action flicks...}}{{cite web|author1=Scott, A. O.|author1-link=A. O. Scott|title=Delivering Bad News and Truths About War|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/13/movies/13messenger.html|website=The New York Times|access-date=26 February 2017|date=12 November 2009|quote=... with this performance Mr. Foster, having shown intriguing promise in "Alpha Dog" and "3:10 to Yuma," places himself in the first rank of young American screen actors.}} Film critic Matt Zoller Seitz described Foster in 2016 as "one of those actors who makes even a bad film worth seeing. Sometimes he suggests the film you'd rather be watching."{{cite tweet|author=Matt Zoller Seitz|author-link=Matt Zoller Seitz|user=mattzollerseitz|number=759231040464576512|date=29 July 2016|title=Ben Foster's one of those actors who makes even a bad film worth seeing. Sometimes he suggests the film you'd rather be watching.|access-date=26 February 2017}}

Personal life

Foster was in a relationship with German actress Antje Traue, his co-star in the movie Pandorum. Traue revealed in an interview that she had moved to Los Angeles and lived with Foster until their relationship ended around 2010.{{cite web|url=https://www.focus.de/kultur/medien/kultur-der-schoenste-deutsche-hollywood-import_id_8760630.html|first=Harald|last=Pauli|title=Antje Traue, Der schoenste deutsche Hollywood-Import (in German)|work=Focus Magazin (Nr. 16, 2018)|date=2018-04-14|access-date=2018-06-08|archive-date=2019-09-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929145242/https://www.focus.de/kultur/medien/kultur-der-schoenste-deutsche-hollywood-import_id_8760630.html|url-status=dead}} Foster began a relationship with actress Robin Wright in early 2012.{{cite web|url=https://people.com/celebrity/robin-wright-and-ben-foster-get-cozy/|title=Robin Wright and Ben Foster Get Cozy|date=February 10, 2012|publisher=People|access-date=April 19, 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/robin-wright-46-and-ben-foster-32-affectionate-during-shopping-trip-20122412|title=Robin Wright, 46, and Ben Foster, 32, Affectionate During Shopping Trip|date=December 24, 2012|author=Justin Ravitz|publisher=US Magazine|access-date=April 19, 2013}} They became engaged in early 2014,{{cite web|url=https://people.com/celebrity/robin-wright-and-ben-foster-are-engaged/|title=Robin Wright and Ben Foster are engaged|date=January 11, 2014|author=Alexis L. Loinaz|publisher=People|access-date=January 11, 2014}} but called off their engagement on November 12, 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/robin-wright-ben-foster-split-call-off-engagement-details-20141211|title=Robin Wright and Ben Foster Split, Call Off 10-Month Engagement – Find Out What Went Wrong|date=November 12, 2014|first=Sierra|last=Marquina|work=Us Magazine|access-date=November 13, 2014}} Foster and Wright reconciled in early 2015;{{cite news|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/03/robin-wright-april-2015-cover|title=Introducing Robin Wright, Our April 2015 Cover Star|publisher=Vanity Fair}} however, on August 29, 2015, they announced they were ending their second engagement.{{cite web|last1=Webber|first1=Stephanie|title=Robin Wright, Ben Foster Call Off Engagement For the Second Time|date=29 August 2015|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/robin-wright-ben-foster-call-off-engagement-for-the-second-time--2015298|access-date=29 August 2015}}

In October 2016, Foster announced his engagement to actress Laura Prepon.{{cite web|url=http://people.com/style/laura-prepon-ben-foster-engagement-ring/|title=Laura Prepon and Ben Foster Are Engaged! See Her Gorgeous New Ring|date=5 October 2016}} Prepon gave birth to their first child, a daughter, Ella, in August 2017. Foster and Prepon married in June 2018.{{cite web|url=https://people.com/movies/laura-prepon-ben-foster-are-married/|title=Laura Prepon and Ben Foster Are Married! 'Thank You for All the Love'|work=People|date=June 3, 2018|access-date=June 4, 2018}} Their son was born in February 2020.{{cite web|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/laura-prepon-ben-foster-welcome-second-child-1281314|title= Laura Prepon and Ben Foster Welcome Second Child|website=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Lindsey|last=Weinberg|date=February 26, 2020|access-date=June 22, 2020}} Ben Foster filed for divorce from Prepon on November 12, 2024, citing “irreconcilable differences”.{{cite web | url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/ben-foster-files-divorce-laura-144535730.html#:~:text=The%20%22Hell%20or%20High%20Water,%2C%20citing%20%22irreconcilable%20differences.%22 | title=Ben Foster Files for Divorce from Laura Prepon a Year After Their Separation | date=13 November 2024 }} During a custody battle, Prepon accused Foster of being an alcoholic.[https://nypost.com/2024/12/11/entertainment/laura-prepon-accuses-ben-foster-of-alcohol-abuse-in-custody-battle/ Laura Prepon accuses ex Ben Foster of ‘alcohol abuse’ in bitter custody feud: report]

After filming of the movie Here ended, five members of the cast and crew got tattooed with the letters T.I.A., which stand for "This is Armenia".{{cite web |last1=Westal |first1=Bob |title=A Roundtable Chat with Ben Foster of Mechanic |url=http://www.bullz-eye.com/movies/interviews/2011/ben_foster.htm |website=Bullz-Eye |access-date=17 November 2022}}

Foster practices transcendental meditation.{{cite web|url=https://www.connectsavannah.com/savannah/extreme-closeup-ben-foster/Content?oid=2131727|title=Extreme closeup: Ben Foster|last=DeYoung|first=Bill|work=Connect Savannah|date=October 27, 2009|access-date=November 15, 2010}}

Acting credits

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:left; font-size:100%;"

! Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1996

| Kounterfeit

| Travis

1999

| Liberty Heights

| Ben Kurtzman

2001

| Get Over It

| Berke Landers

| Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Chemistry (shared with Kirsten Dunst)

rowspan="3"|2002

| The Laramie Project

| Aaron Kreifels

Big Trouble

| Matt Arnold

Phone Booth

| Big Q

| Uncredited

rowspan="2"|2003

| Northfork

| Cod

11:14

| Eddie

rowspan="2"|2004

| The Punisher

| Spacker Dave

The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things

| Fleshy Boy

2005

| Hostage

| Marshall "Mars" Krupcheck

rowspan="2"|2006

| Alpha Dog

| Jake Mazursky

|Young Hollywood Award for Breakthrough Performance—Male

X-Men: The Last Stand

| Warren Worthington III / Angel

rowspan="2"|2007

| 3:10 to Yuma

| Charlie Prince

|Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor (2nd place)
Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor (2nd place)
Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

30 Days of Night

| The Stranger

2008

| Birds of America

| Jay

rowspan="3"|2009

| The Messenger

| Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery

| Women Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated—St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor

Blink

| AJ

| Short film

Pandorum

| Bower

rowspan="4"|2011

| The Mechanic

| Steve McKenna

Here

| Will Shepard

360

| Tyler

Rampart

| Terry

| Also producer

2012

| Contraband

| Sebastian Abney

rowspan="4"|2013

| North of South, West of East

| Cass

Kill Your Darlings

| William S. Burroughs

Ain't Them Bodies Saints

| Patrick Wheeler

Lone Survivor

| Matthew "Axe" Axelson

2015

| The Program

| Lance Armstrong

| Limited release

rowspan="4"|2016

| The Finest Hours

| Seaman Richard Livesey

Hell or High Water

| Tanner Howard

| Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male
San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble
Nominated—Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble
Nominated—Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated—Houston Film Critics Society for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor

Warcraft

| Medivh

Inferno

| Bertrand Zobrist

rowspan="2"|2017

| Rock'n Roll

| Ben Foster

Hostiles

| Sergeant Charles Wills

rowspan="2"|2018

| Leave No Trace

| Will

Galveston

| Roy Cady

rowspan=4|2022

| The Contractor

| Mike

Hustle

| Vince Merrick

Medieval

| Jan Žižka

Emancipation

| Fassel

2023

| Finestkind

| Tom

2024

| Sharp Corner

| Josh McCall

2025

| {{Pending film|Long Day's Journey into Night}}

| Jamie Tyrone

| Post-productionAndreas Wiseman, [https://deadline.com/2022/11/jessica-lange-ed-harris-new-movie-long-days-journey-into-night-1235182453/ Jessica Lange & Ed Harris Wrap New Movie Version Of 'Long Day's Journey Into Night']

rowspan="2" {{TBA}}

| {{pending film|Motor City}}

| {{TBA}}

| Post-production

| {{TBA}}

| Filming{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2025/05/the-stalemate-movie-adds-jeremy-bobb-anthony-carrigan-paul-sparks-1236411604/|website=Deadline Hollywood|accessdate=27 May 2025|title= Jeremy Bobb, Anthony Carrigan, Paul Sparks & More Join Western Comedy ‘The Stalemate’|first= Matt |last=Grobar|date=

May 27, 2025}}