It’s Business with Arrington Foster

When it comes to acting, the role an actor gets early on can be so pivotal for the trajectory of their career. You get the right role and the audience can see the depth you can go and the multidimensional character you can play and develop. 

It’s always been business

Foster’s acting has been prevalent in his life since he was 10 years old. From plays to musicals, he had done it all throughout his middle and high school years. After honing in on his theatrical skills while attending Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Dallas, he realized that television is where he wanted to go. “ I really felt like television is where I wanted to be and that there is nothing wrong with theater because most of the greatest on television are classically trained in theater,” said Foster. He wants new emerging actors to remember that you need to put in the hours of always working and developing your craft because in the day and age of social media you can get distracted with popularity and being an influencer rather than being a great actor. This is why he appreciates going from theater to the screen because it built a foundation for him to develop professionally and artistically. 

Valet was the start

At 21 after graduating from TCU, Foster moved back home to Maryland where he valet cars and did community theater. This wouldn’t suffice for the hungry actor as he had his sights set on television. An associate informed him that he could easily pick up valet gigs in Los Angeles if he really wanted to see what was out there for him. “ It was a no-brainer so I went to Los Angeles for 10 days checking out different hotels to get some form of stable employment before deciding to make the big move,” said Foster. With this move he had to start from ground zero taking odd jobs and doing free work to start to get his name out there while surviving the not so cheap cost of living in Los Angeles. 

The Big Break

To build his resume he was doing everything from short films to student films and many of the times they were unpaid. Foster didn’t care because he knew that it would take time, exposure and more credits on his resume to get him prepared for when his big break would come. For Arrington Foster that big break would come in the role as Rio in Carl Weber’s The Family business as the tough, feisty, and loyal Rio. “ This was a my first gay character I have ever played, which meant I had to make sure to do him justice,” said Foster. His dreams were coming true as he shared the screen with so many amazing people who he grew up seeing and admiring. 

There is still more work

Foster still has more work to do as he shared that even during the first season of the show he was valeting cars. “ Many people think once you get on a new show the money and roles start coming in,” said Foster, which is the opposite. Many might be surprised but since the airing of the show he hasn’t booked another gig yet, which he shared last year he went through a period of depression. “From the pandemic, police brutality, to asking where do I fit in Hollywood I really started questioning things,” said Foster. It was the daily meditations, workouts, prayers, and daily affirmations that helped center himself. This was the work that not only got him out of his depression but also became a way of life for him to keep himself grounded and protected. 

Foster is thankful for this opportunity of life and is looking forward to where it will take him next, but until then he will keep practicing and perfecting his craft because he says he is always a student of the theater.