Actor Ben Foster spent two weeks sleeping it rough on Los Angeles streets to get into the skin of the character he will be playing in his new film Rampart in which he plays a homeless police informer.
The 3:10 to Yuma star first spent months growing a beard. He then picked up a supply of grubby clothes from a charity store, and went to Skid Row with his cardboard sleeping mat.
Foster related to WENN that the experience helped him not only garner resources for his role but also to instill in him great empathy for those on the streets. He talked about how it was difficult at night since violence was common, but that there was also a beautiful community that took care of their own.
That star says he took his experience to director Oren Moverman, hoping that he would take what Foster had learned from his time on the streets to create a more realistic character.
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