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WVU Alumnus Ben Reed stars in ‘American Sniper’

Photo for The Daily Athenaeum by Bobby Quillard Ben Reed graduated from West Virginia University in 1988. He is known for his roles in ‘Face/Off’ and ‘American Sniper,’ as well as acting many television shows over the years.
Photo for The Daily Athenaeum by Bobby Quillard
Ben Reed graduated from West Virginia University in 1988. He is known for his roles in ‘Face/Off’ and ‘American Sniper,’ as well as acting many television shows over the years.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The recently premiered “American Sniper,” a movie based on the life of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, is getting loads of critical attention and praise alike. Some claim the movie is propaganda, while others defend its credibility and patriotic values.

Directed by Clint Eastwood, the movie stars Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle. Ben Reed, an alumnus of West Virginia University, stars as Chris’ father.

“I went and auditioned, and Mr. Eastwood looked at the tape and liked it, and that’s how I got chosen to be Wayne Kyle,” Reed said. “It’s a great story, the story of Chris Kyle. There’s heroism, patriotism, and being a part of something like this is really pretty cool.”

Reed shared a personal connection not only with the story, but also the characters themselves.

“I thought I could really do a good job with it as well because Chris Kyle’s from Texas, and I grew up in Oklahoma, so I kind of have the same up-bringing, and my father is kind of like Chris Kyle’s father,” Reed said. “So I thought it was something I could get, and I did.”

Rather than simply reading the script, Reed read the book “American Sniper,” written by Chris Kyle himself and researched the topic through the wealth of information available on the internet.

“Then, I also have a brother who is an Army Special Forces Green Beret,” Reed said, “and I called him up, spoke with him, and then I spoke with my father about sending his son off to war knowing that he might get killed…

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