During the recent Oscars, Brendan Fraser experienced one of the most important moments of his career when the 54-year-old actor won his first gold statuette thanks to his role in The Whale.
In his speech, Fraser emphasized that “only whales can swim in deep waters,” and while many took that phrase as a special mention from the film that put it back in fame, the truth was that the actor was talking about the difficulties a can a man goes through his whole life, the same ones that are not alien to him.
Although it’s true that the American achieved success thanks to films like “George Of The Jungle”, “Bedazzled” and the saga of “The Mummy”, His career collapsed early on when he dared to denounce the sexual abuse he was the victim of at the hands of the Golden Globes organizer.
At the time, Brendan’s name was high in the sky, so he believed that by telling his story he would be supported by the industry; However, the results she achieved were completely different than expected, her attacker had not only hurt her life and body but also ended her career and dreams.
The federation replied that they overdid it, they justified the aggression and minimized it to a simple “joke”. Next to, They closed the doors completely and they were responsible for Fraser not getting a role in any production for a long time.
How did you return to the big screen?
The actor, who had already come to terms with mandatory retirement, experienced another very painful moment: his wife and mother of his three children filed for divorce. He also faced the death of his mother, which eventually plunged him into a deep depression. The actor neglected his image, his work and his face seemed to be just a memory in the world of cinema. His sporadic performances only generated criticism and nostalgia to recall his prime when he was a star.
It was in 2022 that Fraser received the rematch he so desperately asked for. Director Darren Aronofsky cast him as Charlie, a gay teacher struggling with severe obesity and depression while trying to salvage his relationship with his daughter. For the actor, this film reflected him more than he could have expected. He felt so identified with the character, and not because he lived in the same situation, but because both were trying to leave a world of darkness behind to find their happy ending.
His work was masterful. Critics praised him, and at the film’s premiere during the Venice Film Festival, Fraser received a minute-long ovation. As the awards season wore on, he became the front-runner at the Oscars, and with some divine justice, the industry that had once turned its back on him recognized him as the best actor of the year.
“I started in this business 30 years ago and things haven’t come easy to me, but there was an ease that I didn’t appreciate back then until it stopped, and I want to thank you for that recognition,” he said on his night .