Ben Foster to Replace Shia LaBeouf as 'Treat' in Broadway-Bound ORPHANS

The producers of the Broadway production of Orphans, Lyle Kessler's play, directed by Daniel Sullivan, announced today that Ben Foster will join the cast immediately in the role of "Treat." Producers Frederick Zollo and Robert Cole said, "We are delighted that Ben will join Alec Baldwin and Tom Sturridge when rehearsals commence at Orphans tomorrow morning. He is an extraordinarily gifted actor."

Production dates remain unchanged thus far, with previews beginning March 19 and opening night on April 7 at the Schoenfeld Theatre (236 W. 45th Street).

Tom Sturridge is appearing with the support of Actors' Equity Association. The producers gratefully acknowledge Actors' Equity Association for its assistance of this production.
Tickets for Orphans are now on sale and can be purchased by calling Telecharge at 212-239-6200 or online by visiting www.Telecharge.com.

Foster's two Sundance Films, "Ain't Them Body Saints" and "Kill Your Darlings", will be released later this year by IFC Films and Sony Pictures Classics, respectively. The Village Voice noted about both performances that "Foster dazzled as the young William Burroughs on the edges of the Beat true-crime tale "Kill Your Darlings", then impressed even more as a kindly deputy trying to keep the peace in "Ain't Them Body Saints", a performance that evokes the young Gene Hackman in its understated masculine authority." In a poll of 42 critics conducted by Indiewire, Foster was named Best Supporting Performance for "Ain't Them Body Saints". Additionally, Foster stars opposite Mark Wahlberg in Peter Berg's highly anticipated film "Lone Survivor" chronicling the true story of the June 2005 failed mission of Seal Team 10, which will be released by Universal Pictures this Fall.

In 2009, Foster's starred opposite Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton in "The Messenger," a film by Oren Moverman. The film, a moving portrayal of one soldier's (Foster) journey to re-assimilate into the civilian world after his turn in Iraq, was an official selection at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay and the Peace Film Award at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival and the Grand Prize at the 2009 Deauville Film Festival. Foster reteamed with Moverman in 2011 to co-star in and produce, "Rampart," which stars Woody Harrelson as a veteran police officer who gets caught in up a corruption scandal. In the film, Ben portrays a homeless man at the center of the scandal. "Rampart," part crime drama-part action thriller, is based upon a real LAPD scandal from the 1990's. The film premiered at both the Toronto and AFI film festivals as well as the London International Film Festival, and was released by Millennium Entertainment in 2011.

In 2007, his portrayal in James Mangold's "3:10 to Yuma" as outlaw Charlie Prince, a cold blooded killer, earned Foster rave reviews. Of his performance, Todd McCarthy of Variety noted, "Ben Foster puts the kind of indelible imprint on this juicy role that, in earlier eras, allowed such thesps as Lee Marvin, Richard Boone, Dan Duryea, James Coburn, Jack Palance, Lee Van Cleef, Strother Martin, and others to immortalize themselves in the annals of Western villainy. He is a mad delight to watch." The cast received an SAG Ensemble nomination for their work in the film.

Foster's additional credits include Fernando Meirelles' "360"; Baltasar Kormakur's "Contraband"; Braden King's "Here" ; "The Mechanic"; Nick Cassavetes' "Alpha Dog"; the blockbuster film "X-Men 3: The Last Stand"; "30 Days of Night"; "Hostage"; and Barry Levinson's "Liberty Heights," which marked his film debut.

On the small screen, Foster shared the SAG Award for Best Ensemble Cast for his work in the 2003 season of HBO's critically acclaimed drama "Six Feet Under," in which he portrayed Russell Corwin for three seasons. He was also a part of the Emmy nominated HBO telefilm "The Laramie Project." He appeared in several episodes of the cult hit "Freaks and Geeks" as the mentally handicapped student 'Eli,' and Foster's lead performance in Showtime's "Bang Bang You're Dead" garnered him a Daytime Emmy.