Brendan Fraser has received resounding accolades for his work in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, which our own Vince Mancini declared does qualify as an arthouse stunt, but it’s a damn fine arthouse stunt. Fraser portrays a 600-pound man who’s struggling towards redemption with his daughter, and the project has been held out as Fraser’s “comeback” film, although his real fans have been watching Doom Patrol for years. (Head over to HBO Max and do the same, if you are so inclined.)
The beloved 1990s mainstay will likely receive an Oscar nomination, and over the weekend, he prepped for the occasion by winning a Critics’ Choice Best Actor Award. TMZ reports that “he pretty much had the whole room in tears,” and from the below clip, it’s easy to see why:
Brendan Fraser's acceptance speech for The Whale at the #CriticsChoiceAwards pic.twitter.com/jxQsEfQfKo
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 16, 2023
The George of the Jungle and Airheads actor did send praises to his co-stars, including Sadie Sink, but that’s not all. “Darren Aronofsky, I was in the wilderness,” he declared. “[A]nd I probably should have left a trail of breadcrumbs, but you found me. And like all the best directors, you merely just showed me where to go to get to where I needed to be.”
Fraser continued with words of encouragement for anyone feeling adversity. “If you, like a guy like Charlie, who I played in this movie, in any way, struggle with obesity, or you just feel like you’re in a dark sea,” he tearfully told the audience. “I want you to know that if you too, can have the strength to just get to your feet and go to the light. Good things will happen.”
One example of a good thing: PEOPLE has a photo of Fraser and his Encino Man co-star, Ke Huy Quan (who recently won a Golden Globe), embracing at the ceremony. For these two, more good things are sure to come.
(Via TMZ, Philip Lewis on Twitter & PEOPLE)
