The 2009 co-star Woody Harrelson called the second coming of James Dean: “His talent is that big”
Woody Harrelson praised Ben Foster as a talent on the scale of James Dean while they worked together on the 2009 Iraq War drama *The Messenger*. The comparison drew attention to Foster’s performance, though his career developed steadily rather than through a rapid rise to stardom.
Harrelson said Foster’s talent was “that big”, but *The Messenger* lost about $7 million at the box office. Harrelson received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for the film, while Foster later appeared in *Hell or High Water* and *Lone Survivor*. Harrelson subsequently played Haymitch in the *Hunger Games* films, which have earned $3.3 billion.
In short
- Harrelson compared Ben Foster’s talent to James Dean’s.
- Foster starred alongside him in 2009’s *The Messenger*.
- Harrelson later joined the hugely successful *Hunger Games* films.
Explained simply
The Messenger is a 2009 drama set during the Iraq War. Ben Foster plays a US Army officer assigned to tell families that a service member has died, while Woody Harrelson plays his partner in that work.
Foster was an established actor, but had not become a major star. Harrelson’s praise compared his ability with that of James Dean, the American actor whose brief career made him a lasting cultural figure. The film drew more attention for its performances than for its box-office returns, and Foster went on to appear in films including Hell or High Water and Lone Survivor.