Brendan Fraser Makes a Monumental Return in Venice
The former leading man is getting Oscar buzz for his turn as a 600-pound hermit in Darren Aronofsky's "The Whale," but he's nervous about it.
WHERE THE BLUE RIBBON WAS BORN: VENICE Brendan Fraser has a surprisingly delicate voice, considering he rose to fame playing lunkheads in films like "Encino Man" and "George of the Jungle" in the '90s.
While answering questions at a press conference about his new picture "The Whale" on Sunday at the Venice Film Festival, the 53-year-old actor's voice wavered slightly and director Darren Aronofsky placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. And the journalists in the room would applaud anytime the visibly moved Fraser would reach the end of a remark without wiping away tears.
Fraser expressed his appreciation for the enthusiastic welcome he had received. I can't wait to hear how the film touches others, just as it has me.
Though Fraser's career declined after "The Mummy" (1999) established him as a reliable leading man, "The Whale" provides him with a spectacular return role unlike any he has ever portrayed before. Fraser wears a prosthetic bodysuit to portray Charlie, a 600-pound gay man who lives in sad solitude after his boyfriend dies in Aronofsky's picture, adapted on the play by Samuel D. Hunter. Charlie is so intent on harming himself that he doesn't even bother to chew his meal before swallowing it whole. This is true whether he's eating a bucket of KFC or two double-stacked pieces of pizza topped with American cheese.
Charlie's blood pressure is so high, his caretaker (Hong Chau) says, that he would likely die unless he makes some drastic lifestyle changes or gets to a hospital. Charlie, on the other hand, is trying to reconcile with his estranged daughter (Sadie Sink) before the inevitable conclusion that seems to be barreling toward them both.
For years, Aronofsky tried to find the proper lead but was unable to move forward with production. The filmmaker added, "I considered everyone, all various sorts of actors, every single movie star on the globe, but nothing really really connected." Not being moved or having a good vibe from it.
When he saw the trailer for the low-budget 2006 film "Journey to the End of the Night," featuring Fraser, a lightbulb went out in his head. Maybe Fraser, like Mickey Rourke in Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler," might be redeemed.
And, by extension, metamorphosis. As Charlie, Fraser had to wear prosthetic gadgets that can add up to 300 pounds to his weight. According to Fraser, "I needed to learn to move differently." My body grew muscles I didn't realise I possessed. At the end of the day, when all the equipment were taken away, I had the same dizziness one would get when jumping from a boat into the shore in Venice.
Despite Setbacks, Brendan Fraser Makes a Splendid Return in Venice While Oscar voters are fond of actors who change their appearance to better compete for the award, not everyone is happy with his film adaptation. Actors Sarah Paulson, Colin Farrell, Jared Leto, Emma Thompson, and Renée Zellweger have all worn fat suits to play overweight roles in the previous year alone, a practise that critics have called "fat phobic" and "exploitative."
Fraser said that his time spent in Charlie's body had given him "an admiration for others whose bodies are comparable because I discovered that you need to be an immensely strong person physically, psychologically to occupy that physical being. I believe that to be Charlie.
One journalist, recalling watching "George of the Jungle" with her children, said, "Being extraordinarily handsome may isolate you, since others don't notice you." Many of Fraser's early roles relied on his physical beauty and powerful stature. Even though Fraser has outgrown his loincloth, he nodded to show his agreement.
I had a different appearance back then," he reflected. The toughest obstacle I had to overcome on my way to where I am today was deciding which characters to focus on.
Will this test qualify Fraser for an Academy Award? People were clearly pulling for Fraser at the news conference, and his story of a career comeback, coupled with a flashy part, might propel him to the forefront of his competition. But when asked if that buzz would help or hurt his career, Fraser said quietly that he didn't know.
Fraser informed the reporter, "My crystal ball is broken. I'm not sure if yours is functional, but if you like, we can check it out after the programme is over.