Ben Foster on the Verge

May 18, 4:47 PMLA Indie Movie ExaminerJeffrey King

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Foster at the X-MEN 3 premiere

His name might ring any bells yet, but it will soon, so remember it.

Ben Foster.

The charismatic 29-yard-old has long been flying under the radar of the general public, but is poised to take the spotlight with leading roles in the upcoming films “The Messenger” and “Pandorum.”

Foster is no stranger to the big screen. He has built a reputation for himself as a strong character actor with supporting roles in films like “3:10 to Yuma” and “Alpha Dog,” winning a Breakthrough Performance award at the 2006 Young Hollywood Awards for the latter and an Outstanding Performance by a Cast nomination at the 2008 Screen Actors’ Guild for the former.

Foster was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but moved to Fairfield, Iowa at a young age - a town that had four community theaters. His passion for acting was discovered early on, and after starring in the title role in "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown” in one of the community theaters, he wrote, directed, and starred in his own play at the age of twelve.

He moved to Hollywood at sixteen and quickly landed a role in “Flash Forward,” a Disney television show for young adults.

Now, thirteen years later, he’s finally ready to become a leading man.

“The Messenger,” in which Foster plays an Iraq War veteran, is the harrowing story of two soldiers (Foster and Woody Harrelson) who are assigned to the Casualty Notification Office of the Army. Foster’s character struggles with an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer.

Both Harrelson and Foster are brilliant. The film received positive reviews at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, with some reviews even mentioning possible Oscar nominations for the two leading men.

The film has no opening date yet, although it would probably debut during award season if it’s granted a release. 

Foster also stars as the lead in the upcoming science fiction thriller, “Pandorum” opposite Dennis Quaid. The two play crew members aboard a spaceship who wake up with no knowledge of their mission or their identities. Overture Films will release the movie on September 4th of this year.

Whether or not the films are well-received on a large scale has yet to be seen.

But one thing is certain.

Ben Foster has a bright career ahead of him.