Hollywood Movies

Ben Foster Interview - 3:10 to Yuma

with Rebecca Murray

Lionsgate Films' Western drama 3:10 to Yuma is packed with acclaimed actors, including Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Peter Fonda, and Ben Foster. At the 2007 San Diego Comic Con, Foster discussed working on the set and the wide appeal of Westerns.

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Transcript: Ben Foster Interview - 3:10 to Yuma

Rebecca Murray from About.com Hollywood Movies at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con.

Ben Foster – 'Charlie Prince' in 3:10 to Yuma

Why are Westerns back in vogue? We've seen them on TV a lot recently.

Ben Foster: "I don't know. You can philosophize about why baseball movies come into vogue or war films come into vogue. I think there's something universally appealing about men who are stripped down from law and family connections and having to deal with internal beliefs. And then you pull in some powerful, intense actors who have to go head to head – it's pretty appealing."

What was that like on set because that's a huge ensemble and they're all fantastic?

Ben Foster: "You'd be surprised. The guys who play the more badass, the more violent, the more disturbed are generally, to my experience, some of the more gentle, sensitive, hard-working people you'd meet. Christian [Bale] and Russell [Crowe] are family men. They all have kids and we'd all have family barbecues on set, yeah."

Who do you play?

Ben Foster: "I play Charlie Prince, which is Russell's, I guess, vice president or dog of hell, which goes on a killing spree across the desert to try and get him back after he's been kidnapped."

So you really are a badass in this?

Ben Foster: "I don't like people taking the person I love so…."

That makes sense. What do you have to do to prepare for a Western? Is it different than anything else, mentally not physically?

Ben Foster: "Beyond the physical stuff, you find the things that you connect with. You try to make it as specific as possible to if someone took someone you love, what would you do. And if you can make that real for yourself, then it's pretty easy."

And the genre doesn't matter.

Ben Foster: "The genre never matters."

And then transitioning into a vampire movie after that (30 Days of Night), is there any different way that you approach that type of thing?

Ben Foster: "Oh that was just a blast. That was just super fun."

Did you get to have fun and play around and actually be a vampire in that one?

Ben Foster: "No, I don't get to be a vampire."

No teeth?

Ben Foster: "No teeth. Want to be a vampire, dismantle the town to make room for the vampires, want to be turned into a vampire, don't get to become a vampire."

Why is 3:10 to Yuma at Comic Con?

Ben Foster: "Well, it's the popular arts, right? So the Western being part of the popular arts and a very specific genre picture, I think it fits very well into Comic Con's audience."