Actor Brendan Fraser had a ‘Brenaissance’ during the 2023 Hollywood awards season, perhaps culminating in the most prestigious win an actor may have. Fraser won Best Actor at the 95th Academy Awards for his role as Charlie in The whale. The actor, who first rose to prominence in the 90s as an idol in films such as George of the Jungle And The Mummy, looked shocked when he was announced as the winner. He delivered a moving speech filled with nautical references and gratitude for those involved in the film.
“So this is what the multiverse looks like!” Fraser exclaimed as he stepped onto the stage. The comment referred to the film Everything everywhere all at oncewhich would go on to win Best Picture (in addition to Michelle Yeoh for Best Actress, Ke Huy Quan for Best Supporting Actorand Jamie Lee Curtis for Best Supporting Actress).
He then thanked the cast and crew of The whale as well as his family. “I am grateful to Darren Aronofsky [the director] for throwing me a creative lifeline and carrying me aboard the right ship The whale“, Fraser said. “This was written by Samuel D. Hunter who is our beacon. Gentleman, you have laid bare your hearts the size of a whale so that we can see into your souls like no one else couldn’t do it. It’s an honor for me to be nominated alongside you in this category. I want to tell you that only whales can swim to the depth of Hong Chau’s talent. [co-star and fellow nominee].”
Fraser continued his speech by commenting on his career trajectory. “I started in this profession 30 years ago, things were not easy for me but there was an ease that I did not appreciate at the time, until it stopped. I just want to say thank you for this recognition. It couldn’t be done without my cast. It was as if I had been on a diving expedition and the air on the line to the surface was being watched by certain people in my life, like my sons.
The whale stars Fraser as Charlie, a homebound 600-pound English teacher as he tries to reconnect with his teenage daughter, played by Sadie Sink. Fraser’s performance and the movie itself won numerous awards throughout the season, but it wasn’t without his controversies— in particular the way it stigmatizes fatty substances.
The other nominees in the Best Actor category were Austin Butler (Elvis), Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Paul Mescal (After Sun), and Bill Nighy (Life).
Brendan Fraser won the Best Actor Oscar for his role as Charlie in The whale. Watch his moving and heartfelt speech here:
h/t: [Variety]
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