Ben Foster Talks ‘Contraband’by Wilson Morales
January 10, 2012
Coming out this week is the drama thriller ‘Contraband,’ starring Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster, Giovanni Ribisi, Lukas Haas, and Diego Luna.
Directed by Baltasar Kormakur and based on the Nordic heist film ‘Reykjavik-Rotterdam,’ Wahlberg plays former and notorious smuggler Chris Farraday who finds himself getting back into his old lifestyle when his brother-in-law Andy screws up a contraband deal and Chris has to settle his debt to protect the rest of the family.
For Foster, who plays Chris’ best friend, Sebastian, the role gave him the opportunity to work with Wahlberg and Ribisi, guys whose work he’s admired.
He recently started a production company, Third Mine, with director Oren Moverman after starring in the critically acclaimed film, ‘The Messenger.’ Their first project will be ‘Rampart,’ starring Woody Harrelson.
In speaking with Blackfilm.com, Foster talks his role in ‘Contraband’ and producing ‘Rampart.’
What did you think of the script when you first read it?
Ben Foster: I didn’t see the original film. Mark (Wahlberg) called up and said he had an interesting script that the two of us can do. I read it and spoke with Baltasar about the role of Sebastian. They originally wanted me to come in and play the kid at the beginning and I was like, “I’m not 12 years old anymore guys.” Life’s happening. But the role of Sebastian is interesting and it was written a little straight forward to the end result of the picture. I was excited to work with Mark and Baltasar in developing a character that’s a little less streamlined.
With your character, who isn’t fighting for his family and seems more structured, can you talk about developing the layers of it?
BF: Yes. His goals are well set. The American dream and he’s living beyond that. That was important to us; to show a man who needs to be liked by everyone. A man who needs to present to the world as an American and that he’s successful and powerful. Meanwhile, his internet structure is falling apart. In working with Bolt on that, I don’t think it takes a brain surgeon to figure out the metaphors there. He’s a very smart person. He was game to adapt and go more in a direction that deals with those themes, but interweaved with family. The family being Mark’s family. More importantly, how do we humanize somebody who does things we don’t necessarily agree with. The door in is how we let our loved ones down and done things we wish we hadn’t and approaching it that way rather than values that most of us hold true on how we treat our loved ones.
How was working with Giovanni Ribisi?
BF: I was living in Iowa before I moved to Hollywood and I saw an ‘X-Files’ episode and this man, not much older than myself, doing something that I thought I had never seen that really excited me. I waited for the credits and there was this name that I had no idea how to pronounce. I may had been 13 or 14 at the time. I got his name from the TV guide when the episode aired again and wrote it down, Giovanni Ribisi. That’s an actor. I had been doing school plays at the time and when I got to Los Angeles, it was such a kick to meet him. He was running in similar groups that I was running in. I looked up to him in a sense that he takes so many chances. He’s an electric performer and is someone I was grateful to know a little bit socially. Having the opportunity to play with him was a real kick here on ‘Contraband.’
How’s your production company coming along?
BF: It’s going great. We have ‘Rampart’ coming out on January 27th and Woody Harrelson’s finest performance, I dare say. This is the first film we did, Oren Moverman and myself. I started the production company, Third Mind Pictures. We’re in pre-production for ‘Queer,’ Steve Buscemi’s film based on the William S Burroughs novel . We have a few projects floating around right now. That’s the closest one to going. Protecting and supporting your loved ones’ projects is a thrill and I want to keep doing doing as much as possible.
