CT: Every Role, Every Gig

Readers, every so often I feel like all I want to do is use my weekly post to point at something and say, "Look how awesome that is!" I try not to do it too often, but tonight's the night. We're going to take a minute and appreciate the truly impressive career of Ben Foster. 

This all got started because I saw The Program the other night. It's about Lance Armstrong and the doping scandals, and it was an interesting movie to watch. Even though I thought the film itself was far from perfect, I couldn't take my eyes away from the screen. Ben Foster was so captivating as Lance Armstrong that it even overshadowed the A+ performances from the rest of the cast. 

And let's be honest for a moment, his entire career has been like that. Foster's first big role was in the teen show Flash Forward. Even for a kid's show, the emotional weight of his character's actions was palpable. So it really wasn't any surprise when he made the leap from child actor to adult actor gracefully. 

Since then, it feels like Foster has transformed inside each role. He's one of those character actors that, when you really look at it, has been in so many movies and in so many different kinds of roles. From a psychotic gunman in 3:10 To Yuma, one of the only survivors of a doomed spacecraft in Pandorum, Angel in X-Men III. He was delightfully crazy in 30 Days Of Night, and deeply moving in The Messenger. 

I guess what I'm getting at is an appreciation for the kind of actor (or any artist, really) who works hard to hone his craft. Foster is one of those amazing actors to watch because he respects his characters and works to bring them to life. He said once "Every role, every gig you have to find a quality and you have to love the person. Not just like him, but love the person so you can care about what they care about." And for me that's the keystone of what is so great about his performances. Even when ( and sometimes especially when) his character is violent and angry and insane, you can't help but see the world through their eyes. Which brings the projects to life. 

Happy Watching! 

CT