Marshall "Mars" Krupchek, one of the hostage-takers in the 2005 Bruce Willis actioner "Hostage," was played by budding star Ben Foster.

Foster has been quietly building up a resume and a strong reputation, since his debut in the short-lived family comedy series on ABC "Flash Forward" (not to be confused with the short-lived ABC sci-fi thriller series "FlashForward"). He appeared in "Hostage" just after ending a two-season run as Russell in the HBO hit "Six Feet Under."

That's not to say he's just a TV man, though. In fact, most of his attention has come from big-screen titles such as the cult horror hit "30 Days of Night," and the Western remake "3:10 to Yuma" (both released in 2007). He also had the lead in 2001's "Get Over It," in which he tried to win back his ex-girlfriend by joining a musical production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

His first big splash came recently, though, when he co-starred as an apprentice hitman in the much-talked-about 2011 action film "The Mechanic," a remake of the 1972 Charles Bronson classic. He was reprising the role played in the original by heartthrob Jan-Michael Vincent, starring opposite British action star Jason Statham.

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