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Topics: Oscars, Hollywood, Film and TV, Mental Health
Ellie Kemp
Topics: Oscars, Hollywood, Film and TV, Mental Health
Brendan Fraser has made a surprising admission about his work, despite his remarkable decades-long career.
The 57-year-old made his Hollywood breakthrough in 1997 as the lead in Sam Weisman's George of the Jungle. He'd previously cut his teeth in comedy fantasy Encino Man and drama movie School Ties.
Then in 1999, his role as adventurer Rick O’Connell in The Mummy launched him to new levels of global stardom, which only grew as he returned for two more sequels.
But Fraser's career hasn't been without its challenges.
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In the late 2000s, he stepped back from the limelight for a significant period of time.
He later cited a culmination of stressful events, including health issues, the breakdown of his marriage to actress Afton Smith and going public with a sexual assault allegation against former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) Philip Berk, which Berk denies.
And on top of that, Fraser struggles with an everyday issue most of the population can relate to.
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In 2022, Fraser made his comeback in psychological drama The Whale.
He played Charlie, a reclusive, morbidly obese English teacher attempting to reconnect with his estranged family before he dies.
Not only was the indie film a box office hit, but it saw Fraser win his first Oscar for Best Leading Actor.
Yet in an interview with AP, the celebrated star said he still grapples with his mental health.
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"I struggle with confidence," he told the publication, adding: "I always have, the feeling of not being good enough."
On his own inner-critic, he added: "Believe me, no one can be harder on me than me.
"No critic, no pithy internet comment can be more biting to me than myself in my private thoughts."
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The actor said he was still working to overcome the issue, as he recalled hosting SNL for the first time in 1997. He returned once more in 1999.
"The first time, during the monologue, [SNL creator] Lorne [Michaels] has a quick word with the host at dress rehearsal.
"He said, 'You know, it’s all about confidence.' I don’t know if that psyched me up or not."
He concluded: "Forget everything you know and just own it. 'Can you do that?' is the question, the eternal one."
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As per Psychology Today, some 85 percent of adults worldwide have low self-esteem.
It can impact every aspect of a person's life, but can be corrected through self-compassion, practising new hobbies and seeking help from a therapist, among other methods.
Fraser previously said the alleged incident when Berk groped him 'made me retreat' in a conversation with GQ.
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He said he suspected the HFPA, which runs the Golden Globes, may have blacklisted him, adding: "I don't know if this curried disfavor with the group, with the HFPA. But the silence was deafening."
The HFPA denies blacklisting Fraser while Berk initially called his allegation a 'total fabrication,' but admitted to having pinched Fraser's backside 'in jest' in his 2014 memoir.
In 2018, the HPFA told GQ Magazine it had conducted an internal investigation and apologized to Fraser, but that their review deemed the exchange 'was not an intended sexual advance'.