Ben Foster was born on October 29, 1980, in Boston, Massachusetts, to Gillian Kirwan and Steven Foster, owners of a restaurant. His younger brother, Jon Foster, is also an actor. Their paternal grandparents, who immigrated to Massachusetts from Russian Jewish families, had a significant impact on Ben's upbringing. His mother's family, on the other hand, hails from Maryland.
Ben's family moved to Fairfield, Iowa, during his childhood, where he developed a passion for acting. He began acting at a young age, starring in the title role of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" in one of the local community theaters. At 12 years old, he wrote, directed, and starred in his own play, which won second place in an international competition.
Ben attended the Interlochen Theater Arts Summer Program at 14 and was soon inspired to drop out of high school at 16 and move to Los Angeles, California. He quickly landed a role in the Disney series "Flash Forward" (1995),followed by appearances in made-for-TV movies and television series.
Ben's film debut was a small role in the little-seen "Kounterfeit" (1996). He then appeared in several made-for-TV movies and television series before landing his next significant role in "Liberty Heights" (1999),where he played a rebellious Jewish teenager who engages in a forbidden relationship with a Black girl.
Ben's breakthrough role came in "Get Over It" (2001),where he starred alongside Kirsten Dunst as a lovelorn teenager. He then appeared in "Bang Bang You're Dead" (2002),playing the starring role of Trevor Adams. Although his roles were initially small but well-played, he landed the role of Marshall Krupcheck in "Hostage" (2005),which showcased his potential and talent.
Since then, Ben has played major roles in numerous movies, including "X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006),"Alpha Dog" (2006),"3:10 to Yuma" (2007),"The Messenger" (2009),"The Mechanic" (2011),"Rampart" (2011),"Kill Your Darlings" (2013),and "Lone Survivor" (2013).
