The Incredible Comeback of Brendan Fraser
The Incredible Comeback of Brendan Fraser
How Brendan Fraser Prepared for The Whale
Hitting the scene in the 90s, Brendan Fraser primarily rose to prominence with his comedic roles in “Encino Man,” “Airheads,” and his first $100 million+ box office hit, “George of the Jungle.” By the early 2000s, Fraser had gained a reputation as an action star with blockbuster franchises like “The Mummy.” In the 2010s, though, Fraser’s career and personal life hit several roadblocks, taking a toll on his A-lister status. Browsing social media, chances are you stumbled across a few articles with the headlines, “Whatever Happened to Brendan Fraser?,” “Why Hollywood Won’t Cast Brendan Fraser Anymore,” and “Actors Who Fell Off the Map” with Fraser in the thumbnail. Fraser’s story is one plagued with tragedy, but also triumph. Although Fraser proved himself a bankable movie star, his name alone didn’t practically print money like Tom Hanks or Jim Carrey during their peaks. For every “Mummy,” there was a box office bomb like “Dudley Do-Right,” “Looney Tunes: Back in Action,” and most infamously, “Monkeybone,” which lost the studio at least $70 million. Even “The Mummy” franchise wasn’t always a surefire hit. While “Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” made over $400 million against a $145 million budget, it was still the trilogy’s lowest-grossing entry and a critical dud. While there were reportedly talks of a fourth film, Universal ultimately decided to reboot the franchise and their monster brand with Tom Cruise launching the Dark Universe. Well, we all know how that worked out. Fraser seemingly had another hit franchise on his hands with “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” but he was MIA come sequel time with his “Mummy Returns” co-star, Dwayne Johnson, taking center stage. Supposedly, Fraser didn’t want to make a sequel without the first film’s director, Eric Brevig, who was too busy making the “Yogi Bear” movie. Had Fraser signed on, he likely would’ve been expected to take a salary cut after another box office dud, “Furry Vengeance.” Fraser’s personal life was also enduring turbulence during this time. After several years together, Fraser’s marriage to Afton Smith officially ended in 2009. Fraser was ordered to pay $50,000 per month in alimony for a decade and another $25,000 monthly in child support. While Fraser didn’t protest paying the child support, he argued that he couldn’t afford $600,000. It didn’t help that Smith accused Fraser of hiding assets. While the court threw out the fraud allegations, Fraser couldn’t get the alimony payments down. Even if a fourth “Mummy” and big paycheck had come along, Fraser might not have been up to the task. Having done many of his own stunts, Fraser said his body was held together by “tape and ice” by the third “Mummy” movie. This resulted in multiple surgeries on his knee, back, and vocal cord over several years. Health issues, along with his divorce and the death of his mother from cancer in 2016, contributed to Fraser’s absence from the public eye. Another reason for Fraser’s sabbatical was an incident with former HFPA president Philip Berk. According to Berk, he pinched Fraser in the buttock at a 2003 luncheon. In a 2018 GQ piece, Fraser said it was more than a pinch. He accused Berk of assault, touching Fraser in areas that made him feel “frightened,” “ill,” and “ashamed.” Berk was definitely inappropriate either way, although he accepted “no wrongdoing.” A meme-worthy 2010 appearance aside, Fraser was rarely invited back to the Golden Globes. Berk denies that Fraser was blacklisted, saying, “His career declined through no fault of ours.” Fraser wouldn’t be the last person to criticize the HFPA, which has come under fire for its lack of diversity, accepting lavish gifts, and other sexual harassment claims. For much of the 2010s, Fraser’s film credits were limited to low-budget theatrical releases, direct-to-video movies, and D-list animated films like “The Nut Job.” Things started to pick up towards the decade’s end, albeit on the small screen. He received positive notices for his six-episode stint on “The Affair,” his colorful performance as fixer James Fletcher Chace on the FX series “Trust,” and playing Robotman on “Doom Patrol.” Yet, many assumed his movie star days were over. Even during the height of his early career, Fraser was somewhat underappreciated. Such is often the case with actors mainly known for comedies and action. The industry acts like those genres are “easy” to master, but it’s a lot harder than critics and awards groups give credit. Fraser did prove his dramatic chops in Oscar darlings like “Gods and Monsters” and “The Quiet American.” In both cases, though, the award buzz surrounded Fraser’s seasoned co-stars, Ian McKellen and Michael Caine. Fraser got to take center stage in dramas like “School Ties,” although that early film didn’t do nearly as well financially as his comedies. Even in the Best Picture-winning “Crash,” Fraser was part of a huge ensemble with Matt Dillon getting most of the attention come awards time. Fraser thus became synonymous with lighthearted fare, which isn’t a bad thing. Countless Millenials grew up loving Fraser. Fans have thanked Fraser for making their childhoods “awesome,” which clearly means the world to him. After several setbacks, he’s making our adulthoods awesome as well. Fraser landed his best film role in nearly a decade as recruiter Doug Jones in 2021’s “No Sudden Move.” Directed by Steven Soderbergh, the film also featured A-listers like Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, and Jon Hamm. Even greater things awaited Fraser, as he was given an opportunity that most actors only dream of: playing the lead in a Darren Aronofsky picture. Despite once being married to Rachel Weisz, aka Evie from “The Mummy,” Aronofsky hadn’t followed Fraser’s career closely. It wasn’t until Aronofsky saw a trailer for the indie thriller “Journey to the End of the Night” that he recognized Fraser’s potential. Aronofsky had wanted to adapt Samuel D. Hunter’s play “The Whale” for a decade, finally deeming Fraser perfect to play protagonist Charlie. To portray the 600-pound character, Fraser worked closely with the Obesity Action Coalition, thoroughly researched weight gain, and trained to move around in up to 300 pounds of prosthetics. This would be the most physically and emotionally challenging role of Fraser’s career. It’d also become the most acclaimed. When the film premiered at Venice in 2022, it was greeted with a six-minute standing ovation. Fraser was moved to tears with most of the applause reserved for his astounding performance. He went on to win an acting award at TIFF, which is expected to be the first of many accolades. Having never received a true apology from the HFPA, Fraser won’t attend the Golden Globes even if he’s nominated, saying, “my mother didn’t raise a hypocrite.” The Oscars are another story, however! Whatever awards may await Fraser, his performance in “The Whale” is bound to go down as one of the century’s finest. This isn’t the end for Fraser either. He’ll be starring alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.” We’re unlikely to see Fraser as Firefly in the unreleased “Batgirl” movie anytime soon, but never say never. Fraser is also returning to comedy with Max Barbakow’s “Brothers,” which co-stars Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage. It’s been 30 years since Fraser appeared in “Encino Man.” Like the frozen Link, Fraser might’ve been out of the picture for a while, but he’s back in action with a bright new age on the horizon.
