Ben Foster is an American actor whose tremendous acting skills put even some of the mainstream stars to shame. His method acting and desire to get right into the skin of the characters have helped him deliver some memorable performances. He has a penchant for western movies and his performances in 3:10 to Yuma and Hell or High Water are counted amongst his finest performances. However, that doesn’t mean he struggles with other roles. He was immense in his portrayal of in The Program. And, his preparation for the role that involved even copying Armstrong’s sitting style and peddling style on cycle, was a testament to the efforts he puts in the preparation of his roles.
Sun Sign
Scorpio
Nationality
Education
At the age of 14, Ben attended the Interlochen Theater Arts Summer Program in Interlochen, Michigan.
Ben Foster dropped out of high school at the age of 16 as he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. He had previously attended the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield.
Manager
Ben Foster is represented by Beverly Hills-based United Talent Agency.
Girlfriend / Spouse
Ben Foster has dated –
- (2000-2001) – Foster started going out with actress Kirsten Dunst in the year 2000. They had met on the sets of the teen comedy movie, Get Over It. Based on their performance, they even shared a nomination for Teen Choice Award for Choice Chemistry. However, by the time the movie was released, they had ended their relationship.
- (2006-2007) – In 2006, Foster reportedly started dating actress Ellen Page. They had worked together in the movie, X-Men: The Last Stand and as per the reports, they had grown close while working on the movie.
- (2007-2008) – Ben Foster reportedly hooked up with actress and singer Zoë Kravitz towards the end of 2007 summer. They dated for under a year and separated during the following year’s summer.
- – Antje Traue is a German actress who revealed in an interview that she had dated her Pandorum co-star, Ben Foster until they decided to bring the relationship to an end in 2010.
- Jenna Danneberger (2011) – In 2011, Foster was dating model Jenna Danneberger. They were spotted together on the red carpet of a couple of official events including BlackBerry Inside Film Lounge at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2011.
- (2011-2015) – He started dating actress Robin Wright towards the end of 2011. Their relationship was made public in the early months of 2012. They got engaged about 2 years later. But in November 2014, they decided to call off their engagement. They managed to get back together at the start of the following year. They even got engaged for the second time. But, it again didn’t work out for them and they decided to end their relationship for good in August 2015.
- (2016) – In the early months of 2016, Foster had a short-lived affair with the British model and singer Karen Elson.
- (2016-Present) – Ben Foster officially started dating actress Laura Prepon in June 2016. A couple of months later, they announced their engagement in October 2016. In January 2017, they revealed that they were expecting their first child and eventually in August 2017, Prepon gave birth to their daughter, Ella. They got married in June 2018 in a simple and low key wedding ceremony.
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Blonde Hair
- Goatee beard
Religion
He was raised in a Jewish household. He even had a Bar Mitzvah. However, his religious views as an adult aren’t known.
Best Known For
- Being cast in the role of Charlie Prince in the popular western film, 3:10 to Yuma, which had and in the leading roles
- Having played one of the leading roles in the crime thriller movie, Hell or High Water
- Being cast in important roles in popular movies such as The Punisher, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Mechanic, and Kill Your Darlings
First Film
In 1996, he made his theatrical film debut as Travis in the crime thriller movie, Kounterfeit.
First TV Show
In 1996, Ben Foster made his first TV show appearance as Tucker James in the Disney Channel series, Flash Forward.
Personal Trainer
To prepare for the role of the disgraced American cyclist Lance Armstrong in the biographical drama, The Program, Ben followed a special workout regime. He started with weight lifting sessions in the gym followed by the focused cycling routines.
He even worked with Armstrong’s former mechanic and nutritionist to attain a perfect physique for the role. Foster was so obsessed about getting the role right that he even took performance enhancement drugs like Armstrong.
Ben Foster Favorite Things
- Bands – Johnny Cash, Miles Davis, Radiohead
- Actress – Gena Rowlands
- Actor – , Philip Seymour Hoffman
- Movies – Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), Husbands (1970), The Jerk (1979), All That Jazz (1979), The Iron Giant (1999)
Source –
Ben Foster Facts
- He relies on Transcendental Meditation to clear his mind from the mental clutter caused by his need to completely get into his various characters.
- At the age of 12, Ben managed to secure the second position in an international competition for the play that he had written and directed.
- He managed to impress casting director Cecily Adams with the homemade audition tape that he had recorded in his home in Iowa. Adams got in touch with his parents and told them that although she couldn’t make any guarantees, he certainly had a talent and they should send him to Los Angeles.
- His parents heeded Adams’ advice and put him on a plane to Los Angeles. He eventually managed to land a role in the TV series, Flash Forward. Cecily Adams was the casting director of the show.
- To prepare for his role in 3:10 to Yuma, Foster took special training from the renowned Hollywood gun coach Thell Reed.
- While shooting for the movie Alpha Dog, he used to add glaucoma drops to his eyes to dilate his pupils, which would make him appear to be high. In between shots, he used to cover his eyes from the lights and used to talk to the director with his eyes closed. By using glaucoma drops, he also risked losing his sight in the long term.
- In 2008, he was placed on the 16th spot by the Entertainment Weekly for their 30 Under 30 actors’ list.
- Ben Foster is not present on any social media platform.
Featured Image by Romina Espinosa / Flickr / CC BY-SA 3.0
Facts of Benjamin A. Foster
- Gender Male
- full nameBenjamin A. Foster
- nicknamesBen, Goat Boy
- birthplaceBoston, Massachusetts, United States
- Date of Birth October 29, 1980
- Age 44 years 0 months
- Horoscope Scorpio
- Lucky Number 3
- Lucky Stone Garnet
- Lucky Color Purple
- Best Match for Marriage Capricorn, Cancer, Pisces
- ethnicity / ethnic backgroundWhite
- nationalityAmerican
- net worth$22 million
- professionActor
- weight70 kg or 154 lbs
- height5 ft 9 in or 175 cm
- hair colorBlonde
- eye colorBlue
- body type / buildSlim
- collegeMaharishi University
- motherGillian Kirwan
- fatherSteven Foster
- brothersJon Foster