Profile Text
Foster in 2010, photo by PrPhotos
Birth Name: Benjamin A. Foster
Place of Birth: Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Date of Birth: October 29, 1980
Ethnicity: * father – Ashkenazi Jewish * mother – Irish, English, French, distant Welsh and Scottish [likely converted to Judaism]
Ben Foster is an American actor. His roles include the films Liberty Heights , Big Trouble , Northfork , The Punisher , Hostage (2005), X-Men: The Last Stand , Alpha Dog , 3:10 to Yuma , 30 Days of Night , Birds of America , The Messenger (2009), Pandorum , The Mechanic , Rampart , Contraband , Kill Your Darlings , Lone Survivor , The Program (2015), Hell or High Water , Hostiles , Leave No Trace , and The Survivor , and television’s Freaks and Geeks and Six Feet Under .
Ben is the son of Gillian and Steven Foster, who were restaurant owners. He is the brother of actor Jon Foster . Ben is married to actress Laura Prepon , with whom he has two children.
Ben’s father is from a Jewish family that emigrated from Ukraine, Romania, and Russia. Ben’s mother has Irish, English, French, and distant Welsh and Scottish, ancestry; Ben’s mother may have converted to Judaism. Ben was raised Jewish, and had a Bar Mitzvah ceremony. Ben grew up mostly in Fairfield, Iowa.
Ben’s paternal grandfather was Abraham Frank Foster (the son of Samuel Foster and Bessie Fleshel). Abraham was born in Massachusetts, to Ukrainian Jewish/Russian Jewish parents. He was a prominent judge in Boston. Bessie was born in Podolsk, the daughter of Jachom/Jacob Fleshel and Gertune/Gittle Fisher.
Ben’s paternal grandmother was Celia “Lucille” Segal (the daughter of Barney Segal and Mary Seltzer). Celia was a Romanian Jewish immigrant, who came to the U.S. when she was eight, in the 1920s.
Ben’s maternal grandfather was Paul F. Jackson (the son of William Alfonso Jackson and Adele T. Carmody). William was born in New York City, New York, the son of Michael J. Jackson, whose parents were Irish, with his father being from Galway; and of Alice M. Birmingham, who also had Irish ancestry. Ben’s great-grandmother Adele was born in New York City, New York, the daughter of William Timothy Carmody, who was born in England; and of Victorine Bartelle, who was French, from Normandy.
Ben’s maternal grandmother was Sophie Louise Jones (the daughter of Arthur Donald Jones and Sophie Louise Kirwan). Ben’s grandmother Sophie was born in Maryland. Arthur was born in Dorchester County, Maryland, the son of James Radcliffe Jones and Miriam Estelle Navy. Ben’s great-grandmother Sophie was born on Taylors Island, Dorchester County, the daughter of Solomon Franklin Kirwan, Jr. and Addie/Ada Travers Robinson.
Sources: Genealogy of Ben Foster – https://www.geni.com
Ben’s paternal grandfather, Abraham Frank Foster, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org Abraham Frank Foster on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Ben’s paternal grandfather, Abraham Frank Foster – http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com
Ben’s paternal grandmother, Celia Segal, on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Ben’s paternal grandmother, Celia (Segal) Foster – http://brezniakrodman.com
Marriage announcement of Ben’s maternal grandparents, Paul F. Jackson and Sophie Louise Jones – http://fultonhistory.com
Ben’s maternal great-grandparents, William Alfonso Jackson and Adele T. Carmody, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Ben’s maternal great-grandfather, William Alfonso Jackson, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Ben’s maternal great-grandmother, Adele T. Carmody, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Ben’s maternal grandmother, Sophie Louise Jones, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org