The ‘Brenaissance’ continues apace after Brendan Fraser received his first ever Oscar last night for his incredible performance Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale.
Having beaten stiff competition from the likes of Colin Farrell, Austin Butler and Paul Mescal for the prestigious prize, the actor broke down on stage during his acceptance speech.
Fraser even admitted that ‘things didn’t come easily’ for him, as he reflected on the many highs and lows throughout his career.
In fact, Fraser nearly bowed out of Hollywood all together due to issues with his health and after he was allegedly assaulted by former Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Philip Berk.
His struggles meant that the actor nearly gave up on his lifelong passion, which began when he saw the West End musical Oliver! as a child.
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Since then, he’s had multiple film hit roles with many of his films becoming instant classics such as The Mummy and George of The Jungle.
However, his first role is less well known and came when the beloved actor was in his early 20s.
A year later in 1992, Fraser would become a household name though with comedy Encino Man which was about a caveman returning to modern day high school.
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While it wasn’t a box office smash, it would propel the young actor to heartthrob status, and it would lead to Fraser getting increasingly physically demanding roles.
Fraser admitted that by the time he appeared in George of the Jungle in 1997, he’d become a ‘walking steak’ because of his muscular appearance.
Reflecting on his former life a Hollywood heartthrob, Fraser admitted that he’d starve himself to the point where he became extremely fatigued and had intense ‘brain fog’.
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During a Variety interview, he even told the publication that he’d forgotten his PIN number because he was so ‘starved of carbohydrates’ at the time.
Fraser would eventually be cast in The Mummy - possibly the actor’s best-loved film.
He even teased fans that he’d be open to returning to the role alongside fellow Academy-award winner Michelle Yeoh, if the plot was right.
The 54-year-old told the Awardist podcast: “I think I’ve never been as famous, and never been as unsalaried at the moment as I am right now. So spread the word.”
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While fans may be delighted about his possible return to the franchise, for a long time the role was a high point for Fraser who struggled after he was allegedly assaulted by Philip Berk in 2003.
Speaking in 2018, he told GQ the incident happened in 2003 during a luncheon in the Beverly Hills Hotel in Hollywood and that he felt like a ‘little kid’.
It was during this time that Berk, who was a lead voter for the Golden Globes, reportedly blacklisted the actor for speaking out about his assault.
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Berk has always denied any wrongdoing.
This marked a big downturn in Fraser’s fortunes, as he struggled to work following the alleged incident and it eventually led to the breakdown of his marriage.
Despite earning considerably less than his heyday, the actor was asked to pay $50,000 (£41k) per month in spousal support to Afton Smith – whom he shares three kids with.
Although he had a few roles in the intervening years, including the lead in 2008’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Fraser felt like an outcast in LA.
It wasn’t until 2016, when he starred in HBO’s The Affair that his career began to recover.
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Following this, he starred in FX’s miniseries Trust alongside Donald Sutherland and Hilary Swank as a hard-nosed former CIA agent investigating the disappearance of billionaire John Paul Getty.
It would all be worth it as Fraser would eventually win his first Oscar for The Whale.
Long may the Brenaissance continue.
Topics: Oscars, Film and TV, Celebrity
Katherine Sidnell