Tag: Brendan Fraser

  • Bryan Cranston, Jessica Chastain join star-studded Times Square rally of striking actors and writers

    By Associated Press

    NEW YORK: SAG-AFTRA held its largest and most star-studded rally yet Tuesday in Times Square in a picket sign-waving show of solidarity 12 days into the actors strike.

    A day after a Variety report questioned the lack of A-listers that have hit picket lines thus far, the rally Tuesday boasted more star wattage than perhaps any single strike action yet. Among those joining throngs of demonstrators were Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston, Brendan Fraser, Ellen Burstyn, Wendell Pierce, Steve Buscemi, Rachel Zegler, Michael Shannon, Jane Curtin, Christian Slater and Chloe Grace Moretz.

    Taking up a full city block, actors and representatives from the actors union took turns giving fiery speeches on a stage in the heart of Times Square while tourists gawked and passing trucks honked in support. At times, the actors took aim at the corporate lights and billboards around them, including the Walt Disney-owned ESPN and ABC studios that sat alongside the rally.

    “We’ve got a message to Mr. Iger,” said Cranston, directing his comments at Disney CEO Bob Iger. “I know, sir, that you look through things from a different lens. We don’t expect you to understand who we are but we ask you to hear us, and beyond that, to listen to us when we tell you we will not be having our jobs taken away and given to robots. We will not have you take away our right to work and earn a decent living.”

    ALSO READ | Combined strike by Hollywood actors, writers enter second week

    The rally took place a stone’s throw from Broadway theaters and, given the talent involved, featured a higher degree of show business than your usual labor rally. “Avatar” actor Stephen Lang quoted Frederick Douglass. Wendell Pierce recited Samuel Beckett. Tituss Burgess didn’t speak; he sang Stephen Sondheim.

    Arian Moayed, who played the investor Stewy Hosseini in “Succession,” compared the characters of the HBO series to the studio executives the actors are negotiating with.

    “It’s like these people haven’t seen (expletive) ‘Succession,’” Moayed exclaimed. “It’s about you!”

    Christine Baranski of “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight” likewise drew from her own credits.

    “We will not live under corporate feudalism. It is time, it is just simply time to make things right. Our contribution will not be undervalued, and we will not be robbed,” said Baranski before concluding: “Let’s fight the good fight!”

    Earlier this month, actors joined striking screenwriters who walked out in May. It’s the first time both unions have been on strike at the same time since 1960. The stoppage has shuttered nearly all film and television production. Actors say the streaming revolution has altered pay in entertainment, stripping them of residuals and remaking working conditions. They are also seeking guardrails against the use of artificial intelligence, along with increases to the union’s health care and pension programs.

    “Our industry has changed exponentially,” said Cranston. “We are not in the same business model that we were in even 10 years ago. And yet, even though they admit that that’s the truth in today’s economy, they are fighting us tooth and nail to stick to the same economic system that is outmoded, outdated. They want us to step back in time.”

    ALSO READ | This isn’t the first time Hollywood’s been on strike; here’s how past strikes turned out

    The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which is negotiating on behalf of studios, has said it presented actors with a generous deal that included the biggest bump in minimum pay in 35 years among other benefits. Since talks broke off and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists commenced the strike, the sides have not negotiated and no talks are scheduled.

    “We may be on strike but I said to them on July 12 we are ready to continue talking tomorrow and every day after until we reach a deal,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA. “And I’ve said that every day since to the media, to them, to anyone who would listen. SAG-AFTRA is ready, willing and able to return to the bargaining table.

    “The only reason we aren’t there now is because those companies said that they didn’t want to deal with people who were uncivilized and because those companies said they wouldn’t be ready to talk for quite some time,” added Crabtree-Ireland.

    Many actors Tuesday cast the strike in personal terms. Slater said the union’s health care helped sustain his father’s life. Slater’s father, the actor Michael Hawkins, died last November. Liza Colón-Zayas, the 51-year-old Bronx-born actor of the Hulu hit series “The Bear,” said her lifetime of hard work isn’t paying off.

    “I have struggled 35 years to get here only to find residuals have dwindled exponentially,” said Colón-Zayas. “If you can announce the highest-viewed this and the highest profits in that, then you can track our residuals. So we need to come to the table but we need to come to the table in good faith that there will be transparency in how we are being paid by streaming. We need you to open the books.”

    NEW YORK: SAG-AFTRA held its largest and most star-studded rally yet Tuesday in Times Square in a picket sign-waving show of solidarity 12 days into the actors strike.

    A day after a Variety report questioned the lack of A-listers that have hit picket lines thus far, the rally Tuesday boasted more star wattage than perhaps any single strike action yet. Among those joining throngs of demonstrators were Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston, Brendan Fraser, Ellen Burstyn, Wendell Pierce, Steve Buscemi, Rachel Zegler, Michael Shannon, Jane Curtin, Christian Slater and Chloe Grace Moretz.

    Taking up a full city block, actors and representatives from the actors union took turns giving fiery speeches on a stage in the heart of Times Square while tourists gawked and passing trucks honked in support. At times, the actors took aim at the corporate lights and billboards around them, including the Walt Disney-owned ESPN and ABC studios that sat alongside the rally.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “We’ve got a message to Mr. Iger,” said Cranston, directing his comments at Disney CEO Bob Iger. “I know, sir, that you look through things from a different lens. We don’t expect you to understand who we are but we ask you to hear us, and beyond that, to listen to us when we tell you we will not be having our jobs taken away and given to robots. We will not have you take away our right to work and earn a decent living.”

    ALSO READ | Combined strike by Hollywood actors, writers enter second week

    The rally took place a stone’s throw from Broadway theaters and, given the talent involved, featured a higher degree of show business than your usual labor rally. “Avatar” actor Stephen Lang quoted Frederick Douglass. Wendell Pierce recited Samuel Beckett. Tituss Burgess didn’t speak; he sang Stephen Sondheim.

    Arian Moayed, who played the investor Stewy Hosseini in “Succession,” compared the characters of the HBO series to the studio executives the actors are negotiating with.

    “It’s like these people haven’t seen (expletive) ‘Succession,’” Moayed exclaimed. “It’s about you!”

    Christine Baranski of “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight” likewise drew from her own credits.

    “We will not live under corporate feudalism. It is time, it is just simply time to make things right. Our contribution will not be undervalued, and we will not be robbed,” said Baranski before concluding: “Let’s fight the good fight!”

    Earlier this month, actors joined striking screenwriters who walked out in May. It’s the first time both unions have been on strike at the same time since 1960. The stoppage has shuttered nearly all film and television production. Actors say the streaming revolution has altered pay in entertainment, stripping them of residuals and remaking working conditions. They are also seeking guardrails against the use of artificial intelligence, along with increases to the union’s health care and pension programs.

    “Our industry has changed exponentially,” said Cranston. “We are not in the same business model that we were in even 10 years ago. And yet, even though they admit that that’s the truth in today’s economy, they are fighting us tooth and nail to stick to the same economic system that is outmoded, outdated. They want us to step back in time.”

    ALSO READ | This isn’t the first time Hollywood’s been on strike; here’s how past strikes turned out

    The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which is negotiating on behalf of studios, has said it presented actors with a generous deal that included the biggest bump in minimum pay in 35 years among other benefits. Since talks broke off and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists commenced the strike, the sides have not negotiated and no talks are scheduled.

    “We may be on strike but I said to them on July 12 we are ready to continue talking tomorrow and every day after until we reach a deal,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA. “And I’ve said that every day since to the media, to them, to anyone who would listen. SAG-AFTRA is ready, willing and able to return to the bargaining table.

    “The only reason we aren’t there now is because those companies said that they didn’t want to deal with people who were uncivilized and because those companies said they wouldn’t be ready to talk for quite some time,” added Crabtree-Ireland.

    Many actors Tuesday cast the strike in personal terms. Slater said the union’s health care helped sustain his father’s life. Slater’s father, the actor Michael Hawkins, died last November. Liza Colón-Zayas, the 51-year-old Bronx-born actor of the Hulu hit series “The Bear,” said her lifetime of hard work isn’t paying off.

    “I have struggled 35 years to get here only to find residuals have dwindled exponentially,” said Colón-Zayas. “If you can announce the highest-viewed this and the highest profits in that, then you can track our residuals. So we need to come to the table but we need to come to the table in good faith that there will be transparency in how we are being paid by streaming. We need you to open the books.”

  • ‘Oscar was Never Even a Dream’: Brendan Fraser on his Best Actor- win for ‘The Whale’

    Express News Service

    Your success this awards season is being hailed as ‘Brenaissance’ (he also won at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards and the Screen Actor Guilds Awards). Does bagging an Oscar feel like the culmination of this incredible comeback?

    I honestly don’t know what to say. I never could have dreamed that this would happen to me, but I am so grateful that it has. This award season has been humbling and has given me a chance to take stock of who I am and where I’m going. This win represents a triumph over adversity and a victory for everyone who managed to come together to make a film during the pandemic. Charlie (his character) gave me the opportunity to tell a beautiful and rich story, and The Whale is a film that has the power to save someone’s life. That is the greatest prize of all.

    Did you ever dream of getting an Oscar? Where are you going to keep the statuette?

    Winning an Oscar was never even a dream. My dream was always just to be an actor––a working actor. From the moment I was taken to see a play as a child, I knew this is what I wanted to do, and what I hope I can carry on doing it. I haven’t thought about where to keep the award yet, but it’s a lot heavier than I thought, so somewhere safe.

    What appealed to you about ‘The Whale’?

    I loved the script, and when there is a chance to work with a world-renowned director like Darren Aronofsky, it’s everything you could ask for as an actor. But more than anything, I loved how The Whale is a story of redemption. Right from the very beginning, I felt like I shared the journey of this character in a special way.

    For those who haven’t seen the film yet, how would you describe your character? 

    I play Charlie who is languishing in his two-bedroom apartment which, through his size and physical immobility, has become his world now. He fell in love, and pushed his family aside, which he now regrets terribly. Since that day, he has been progressively putting on weight in an attempt to resolve his mistake, in the most awful way, until he finally finds a way to redeem himself.

    ALSO READ | ‘The Whale’ movie review: Brendan Fraser’s virtuoso performance powers this deeply empathetic drama

    Your physical transformation in the film is incredible. How hard was that process?

    It was a lot of prosthetics, which was pretty tough. Just moving at all was hard, but Charlie’s size and physical limitations are crucial to the character as someone trapped by the weight of the trauma he carries. I actually used to feel a sense of vertigo at the end of the day when all of the devices were removed. It gave me an appreciation for those whose bodies are similar because you need to be an incredibly strong person, physically and mentally, to inhabit that physical being. Adrien Morot and his team did an amazing job creating Charlie’s body, which made my part in developing the character so much easier.

    Did you have to put on weight yourself or was it all prosthetics?

    Some of it was me. I sat around during the pandemic playing games and going only to the kitchen and back for snacks, so I had a head-start in becoming Charlie.

    A lot has been made of how you seemed to have disappeared (for almost a decade) after huge successes such as The Mummy series and George of the Jungle. What really happened?

    Honestly, I was fatigued and disenchanted. I wasn’t sure I was doing the right thing anymore. I needed time to focus on my personal life and figure out who I was. But I was always an actor and knew I always wanted to come back. I never stopped loving the craft and the art of filmmaking.

    Of all the roles you have played, which do fans want to talk to you about the most?

    I get a whole range. Some want to talk about George of the Jungle, some about Encino Man. Now I already have people talking about The Whale, which is so humbling. But most of all, I guess it’s The Mummy. Like a mummy, that one is always around.

    Which character of yours have you felt closest to?

    There’s a little bit of me in all the characters I’ve played. They are all like me in some way. I believe acting comes from the heart, the people and the places that you know, so they all at least start from a personal place.

    Finally, what is next for you?

    I’m back looking for a job. I’m hoping this win will help.  

    ––Asia Features

    Your success this awards season is being hailed as ‘Brenaissance’ (he also won at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards and the Screen Actor Guilds Awards). Does bagging an Oscar feel like the culmination of this incredible comeback?

    I honestly don’t know what to say. I never could have dreamed that this would happen to me, but I am so grateful that it has. This award season has been humbling and has given me a chance to take stock of who I am and where I’m going. This win represents a triumph over adversity and a victory for everyone who managed to come together to make a film during the pandemic. Charlie (his character) gave me the opportunity to tell a beautiful and rich story, and The Whale is a film that has the power to save someone’s life. That is the greatest prize of all.

    Did you ever dream of getting an Oscar? Where are you going to keep the statuette?googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Winning an Oscar was never even a dream. My dream was always just to be an actor––a working actor. From the moment I was taken to see a play as a child, I knew this is what I wanted to do, and what I hope I can carry on doing it. I haven’t thought about where to keep the award yet, but it’s a lot heavier than I thought, so somewhere safe.

    What appealed to you about ‘The Whale’?

    I loved the script, and when there is a chance to work with a world-renowned director like Darren Aronofsky, it’s everything you could ask for as an actor. But more than anything, I loved how The Whale is a story of redemption. Right from the very beginning, I felt like I shared the journey of this character in a special way.

    For those who haven’t seen the film yet, how would you describe your character?
     

    I play Charlie who is languishing in his two-bedroom apartment which, through his size and physical immobility, has become his world now. He fell in love, and pushed his family aside, which he now regrets terribly. Since that day, he has been progressively putting on weight in an attempt to resolve his mistake, in the most awful way, until he finally finds a way to redeem himself.

    ALSO READ | ‘The Whale’ movie review: Brendan Fraser’s virtuoso performance powers this deeply empathetic drama

    Your physical transformation in the film is incredible. How hard was that process?

    It was a lot of prosthetics, which was pretty tough. Just moving at all was hard, but Charlie’s size and physical limitations are crucial to the character as someone trapped by the weight of the trauma he carries. I actually used to feel a sense of vertigo at the end of the day when all of the devices were removed. It gave me an appreciation for those whose bodies are similar because you need to be an incredibly strong person, physically and mentally, to inhabit that physical being. Adrien Morot and his team did an amazing job creating Charlie’s body, which made my part in developing the character 
    so much easier.

    Did you have to put on weight yourself or was it all prosthetics?

    Some of it was me. I sat around during the pandemic playing games and going only to the kitchen and back for snacks, so I had a head-start in becoming Charlie.

    A lot has been made of how you seemed to have disappeared (for almost a decade) after huge successes such as The Mummy series and George of the Jungle. What really happened?

    Honestly, I was fatigued and disenchanted. I wasn’t sure I was doing the right thing anymore. I needed time to focus on my personal life and figure out who I was. But I was always an actor and knew I always wanted to come back. I never stopped loving the craft and the art of filmmaking.

    Of all the roles you have played, which do fans want to talk to you about the most?

    I get a whole range. Some want to talk about George of the Jungle, some about Encino Man. Now I already have people talking about The Whale, which is so humbling. But most of all, I guess it’s The Mummy. Like a mummy, that one is always around.

    Which character of yours have you felt closest to?

    There’s a little bit of me in all the characters I’ve played. They are all like me in some way. I believe acting comes from the heart, the people and the places that you know, so they all at least start from a personal place.

    Finally, what is next for you?

    I’m back looking for a job. I’m hoping this win will help. 
     

    ––Asia Features

  • Brendan Fraser caps ‘Brenaissance’ with best actor Oscar win

    By AFP

    HOLLYWOOD: Brendan Fraser’s best actor Oscar win on Sunday for his powerful performance as a morbidly obese man in “The Whale” caps a remarkable career comeback for the charismatic leading man.

    The former star of 1990s hits such as “The Mummy” endured a decade in the Hollywood wilderness before winning over Academy voters with his portrayal of a reclusive teacher who eats compulsively as he is tormented by grief.

    “So this is what the multiverse looks like,” an emotional Fraser told the audience at the Dolby Theatre.

    “I started in this business 30 years ago, and things — they didn’t come easily to me, but there was a facility that I didn’t appreciate at the time until it stopped,” he said, referring to his long absence from the big screen.

    “Thank you for this acknowledgment.”

    In Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale,” Fraser plays Charlie, a 600-pound (250-kilogram) English teacher whose only regular contact with the real world is his nurse and friend Liz (Hong Chau).

    Charlie rarely leaves his couch, teaching his students via video calls while gorging on delivery food, and resisting Liz’s pleas to seek medical help for his rapidly deteriorating health.

    The drama follows Charlie’s attempts to secretly reconnect with his rebellious and aloof teenage daughter Ellie, while he is also visited by a young missionary who is seemingly determined to save him.

    Fraser delivers an intense performance, imbuing his character with depths of regret and agony which are punctuated by bursts of passion and hope sparked by Ellie’s presence.

    “Charlie is by far the most heroic man I’ve ever played,” Fraser said at the film’s world premiere in Venice last year.

    “His superpower is to see the good in others and bring that out in them.”

    ‘The Mummy’Fraser was born in December 1968 to Canadian parents in the US state of Indiana.

    Theater sparked his interest in acting at a young age, and after graduating from a Seattle arts college, Fraser moved to Los Angeles in the early 1990s to pursue his dream.

    Success came swiftly — he landed his breakthrough role as a frozen caveman discovered by two modern-day California teens in 1992 hit comedy “Encino Man.”

    That sparked a run of major roles for the tall, hunky, wide-eyed leading man, ranging from anti-Semitism drama “School Ties” to rock-and-roll comedy “Airheads” to family blockbuster “George of the Jungle.”

    In 1998, Fraser married actress Afton Smith, with whom he had three children.

    Fraser’s greatest commercial success would be his trilogy of “The Mummy” films.

    Loosely based on the 1930s ancient Egypt horror film franchise, the movies starred Fraser as Rick O’Connell, a maverick American adventurer who battles sinister immortals and greedy treasure hunters.

    Collectively, the film and its two sequels earned well over $1 billion, also spawning the “Scorpion King” spin-off film series and a poorly received Tom Cruise reboot in 2017.

    Fraser also starred opposite Liz Hurley in a 2000 remake of “Bedazzled,” and led the live action-animation hybrid “Looney Tunes: Back in Action” three years later.

    Lost decadeBut Fraser’s A-list career would soon be derailed.

    In 2003, Fraser was the alleged victim of sexual assault by a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which hands out the Golden Globes.

    Fraser only made the incident public more than a decade later, saying in an interview that he had been blacklisted by the industry after accusing Philip Berk of groping him at a Beverly Hills hotel luncheon.

    Berk denies the incident.

    But Fraser has said the psychological impact of the alleged attack, combined with the industry’s response, and a bitter and costly divorce from Smith, all took their toll on his mental health.

    Fraser refused to attend this year’s Golden Globes, despite being nominated for “The Whale,” due to his history with the group.

    Back in the 2000s, he also suffered a series of physical injuries — many acquired on-set during his action movie stunt sequences — which eventually required multiple surgeries across a seven-year period on his knees, back and vocal cords.

    While he appeared in best picture Oscar winner “Crash” in 2004, and guest starred in hospital sitcom “Scrubs,” the big-screen roles soon dried up and Fraser largely vanished from the public eye.

    ‘Brenaissance’Fraser’s comeback — dubbed the “Brenaissance” by fans — began in earnest with a villainous role in the third season of hit television drama “The Affair.”

    But it was his role in “The Whale,” which appropriately tells its own story of redemption, that brought him back to star status, with Hollywood flocking to praise his vulnerable, heartfelt performance.

    In the run-up to the Oscars, he won a Critics Choice and a Screen Actors Guild award.

    Future projects for Fraser include Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

    In claiming his first Oscar, Fraser saw off Austin Butler (“Elvis”), Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”), Paul Mescal (“Aftersun”) and Bill Nighy (“Living”).

    HOLLYWOOD: Brendan Fraser’s best actor Oscar win on Sunday for his powerful performance as a morbidly obese man in “The Whale” caps a remarkable career comeback for the charismatic leading man.

    The former star of 1990s hits such as “The Mummy” endured a decade in the Hollywood wilderness before winning over Academy voters with his portrayal of a reclusive teacher who eats compulsively as he is tormented by grief.

    “So this is what the multiverse looks like,” an emotional Fraser told the audience at the Dolby Theatre.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “I started in this business 30 years ago, and things — they didn’t come easily to me, but there was a facility that I didn’t appreciate at the time until it stopped,” he said, referring to his long absence from the big screen.

    “Thank you for this acknowledgment.”

    In Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale,” Fraser plays Charlie, a 600-pound (250-kilogram) English teacher whose only regular contact with the real world is his nurse and friend Liz (Hong Chau).

    Charlie rarely leaves his couch, teaching his students via video calls while gorging on delivery food, and resisting Liz’s pleas to seek medical help for his rapidly deteriorating health.

    The drama follows Charlie’s attempts to secretly reconnect with his rebellious and aloof teenage daughter Ellie, while he is also visited by a young missionary who is seemingly determined to save him.

    Fraser delivers an intense performance, imbuing his character with depths of regret and agony which are punctuated by bursts of passion and hope sparked by Ellie’s presence.

    “Charlie is by far the most heroic man I’ve ever played,” Fraser said at the film’s world premiere in Venice last year.

    “His superpower is to see the good in others and bring that out in them.”

    ‘The Mummy’
    Fraser was born in December 1968 to Canadian parents in the US state of Indiana.

    Theater sparked his interest in acting at a young age, and after graduating from a Seattle arts college, Fraser moved to Los Angeles in the early 1990s to pursue his dream.

    Success came swiftly — he landed his breakthrough role as a frozen caveman discovered by two modern-day California teens in 1992 hit comedy “Encino Man.”

    That sparked a run of major roles for the tall, hunky, wide-eyed leading man, ranging from anti-Semitism drama “School Ties” to rock-and-roll comedy “Airheads” to family blockbuster “George of the Jungle.”

    In 1998, Fraser married actress Afton Smith, with whom he had three children.

    Fraser’s greatest commercial success would be his trilogy of “The Mummy” films.

    Loosely based on the 1930s ancient Egypt horror film franchise, the movies starred Fraser as Rick O’Connell, a maverick American adventurer who battles sinister immortals and greedy treasure hunters.

    Collectively, the film and its two sequels earned well over $1 billion, also spawning the “Scorpion King” spin-off film series and a poorly received Tom Cruise reboot in 2017.

    Fraser also starred opposite Liz Hurley in a 2000 remake of “Bedazzled,” and led the live action-animation hybrid “Looney Tunes: Back in Action” three years later.

    Lost decade
    But Fraser’s A-list career would soon be derailed.

    In 2003, Fraser was the alleged victim of sexual assault by a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which hands out the Golden Globes.

    Fraser only made the incident public more than a decade later, saying in an interview that he had been blacklisted by the industry after accusing Philip Berk of groping him at a Beverly Hills hotel luncheon.

    Berk denies the incident.

    But Fraser has said the psychological impact of the alleged attack, combined with the industry’s response, and a bitter and costly divorce from Smith, all took their toll on his mental health.

    Fraser refused to attend this year’s Golden Globes, despite being nominated for “The Whale,” due to his history with the group.

    Back in the 2000s, he also suffered a series of physical injuries — many acquired on-set during his action movie stunt sequences — which eventually required multiple surgeries across a seven-year period on his knees, back and vocal cords.

    While he appeared in best picture Oscar winner “Crash” in 2004, and guest starred in hospital sitcom “Scrubs,” the big-screen roles soon dried up and Fraser largely vanished from the public eye.

    ‘Brenaissance’
    Fraser’s comeback — dubbed the “Brenaissance” by fans — began in earnest with a villainous role in the third season of hit television drama “The Affair.”

    But it was his role in “The Whale,” which appropriately tells its own story of redemption, that brought him back to star status, with Hollywood flocking to praise his vulnerable, heartfelt performance.

    In the run-up to the Oscars, he won a Critics Choice and a Screen Actors Guild award.

    Future projects for Fraser include Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

    In claiming his first Oscar, Fraser saw off Austin Butler (“Elvis”), Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”), Paul Mescal (“Aftersun”) and Bill Nighy (“Living”).

  • Brendan Fraser caps ‘Brenaissance’ with best actor Oscar win

    By AFP

    HOLLYWOOD: Brendan Fraser’s best actor Oscar win on Sunday for his powerful performance as a morbidly obese man in “The Whale” caps a remarkable career comeback for the charismatic leading man.

    The former star of 1990s hits such as “The Mummy” endured a decade in the Hollywood wilderness before winning over Academy voters with his portrayal of a reclusive teacher who eats compulsively as he is tormented by grief.

    “So this is what the multiverse looks like,” an emotional Fraser told the audience at the Dolby Theatre.

    “I started in this business 30 years ago, and things — they didn’t come easily to me, but there was a facility that I didn’t appreciate at the time until it stopped,” he said, referring to his long absence from the big screen.

    “Thank you for this acknowledgment.”

    In Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale,” Fraser plays Charlie, a 600-pound (250-kilogram) English teacher whose only regular contact with the real world is his nurse and friend Liz (Hong Chau).

    Charlie rarely leaves his couch, teaching his students via video calls while gorging on delivery food, and resisting Liz’s pleas to seek medical help for his rapidly deteriorating health.

    The drama follows Charlie’s attempts to secretly reconnect with his rebellious and aloof teenage daughter Ellie, while he is also visited by a young missionary who is seemingly determined to save him.

    Fraser delivers an intense performance, imbuing his character with depths of regret and agony which are punctuated by bursts of passion and hope sparked by Ellie’s presence.

    “Charlie is by far the most heroic man I’ve ever played,” Fraser said at the film’s world premiere in Venice last year.

    “His superpower is to see the good in others and bring that out in them.”

    READ MORE | Oscar for ‘RRR’: ‘This is just the beginning’, says Jr NTR, ‘Still feels like I’m living in a dream, says Charan

    ‘The Mummy’Fraser was born in December 1968 to Canadian parents in the US state of Indiana.

    Theater sparked his interest in acting at a young age, and after graduating from a Seattle arts college, Fraser moved to Los Angeles in the early 1990s to pursue his dream.

    Success came swiftly — he landed his breakthrough role as a frozen caveman discovered by two modern-day California teens in 1992 hit comedy “Encino Man.”

    That sparked a run of major roles for the tall, hunky, wide-eyed leading man, ranging from anti-Semitism drama “School Ties” to rock-and-roll comedy “Airheads” to family blockbuster “George of the Jungle.”

    In 1998, Fraser married actress Afton Smith, with whom he had three children.

    Fraser’s greatest commercial success would be his trilogy of “The Mummy” films.

    Loosely based on the 1930s ancient Egypt horror film franchise, the movies starred Fraser as Rick O’Connell, a maverick American adventurer who battles sinister immortals and greedy treasure hunters.

    Collectively, the film and its two sequels earned well over $1 billion, also spawning the “Scorpion King” spin-off film series and a poorly received Tom Cruise reboot in 2017.

    Fraser also starred opposite Liz Hurley in a 2000 remake of “Bedazzled,” and led the live action-animation hybrid “Looney Tunes: Back in Action” three years later.

    ALSO READ | Oscars 2023: Check out the winners; ‘Naatu Naatu’, women create history

    ALSO READ | Tamil documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ triumphs at Oscars 2023

    Lost decadeBut Fraser’s A-list career would soon be derailed.

    In 2003, Fraser was the alleged victim of sexual assault by a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which hands out the Golden Globes.

    Fraser only made the incident public more than a decade later, saying in an interview that he had been blacklisted by the industry after accusing Philip Berk of groping him at a Beverly Hills hotel luncheon.

    Berk denies the incident.

    But Fraser has said the psychological impact of the alleged attack, combined with the industry’s response, and a bitter and costly divorce from Smith, all took their toll on his mental health.

    Fraser refused to attend this year’s Golden Globes, despite being nominated for “The Whale,” due to his history with the group.

    Back in the 2000s, he also suffered a series of physical injuries — many acquired on-set during his action movie stunt sequences — which eventually required multiple surgeries across a seven-year period on his knees, back and vocal cords.

    While he appeared in best picture Oscar winner “Crash” in 2004, and guest starred in hospital sitcom “Scrubs,” the big-screen roles soon dried up and Fraser largely vanished from the public eye.

    When Brendan Fraser first heard his name called for the best actor #Oscar, he thought “this can’t be right.” https://t.co/4SznPYcRjn pic.twitter.com/5AlrycCrWa— Variety (@Variety) March 13, 2023 ‘Brenaissance’Fraser’s comeback — dubbed the “Brenaissance” by fans — began in earnest with a villainous role in the third season of hit television drama “The Affair.”

    But it was his role in “The Whale,” which appropriately tells its own story of redemption, that brought him back to star status, with Hollywood flocking to praise his vulnerable, heartfelt performance.

    In the run-up to the Oscars, he won a Critics Choice and a Screen Actors Guild award.

    Future projects for Fraser include Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

    In claiming his first Oscar, Fraser saw off Austin Butler (“Elvis”), Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”), Paul Mescal (“Aftersun”) and Bill Nighy (“Living”).

    ALSO WATCH |

    HOLLYWOOD: Brendan Fraser’s best actor Oscar win on Sunday for his powerful performance as a morbidly obese man in “The Whale” caps a remarkable career comeback for the charismatic leading man.

    The former star of 1990s hits such as “The Mummy” endured a decade in the Hollywood wilderness before winning over Academy voters with his portrayal of a reclusive teacher who eats compulsively as he is tormented by grief.

    “So this is what the multiverse looks like,” an emotional Fraser told the audience at the Dolby Theatre.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “I started in this business 30 years ago, and things — they didn’t come easily to me, but there was a facility that I didn’t appreciate at the time until it stopped,” he said, referring to his long absence from the big screen.

    “Thank you for this acknowledgment.”

    In Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale,” Fraser plays Charlie, a 600-pound (250-kilogram) English teacher whose only regular contact with the real world is his nurse and friend Liz (Hong Chau).

    Charlie rarely leaves his couch, teaching his students via video calls while gorging on delivery food, and resisting Liz’s pleas to seek medical help for his rapidly deteriorating health.

    The drama follows Charlie’s attempts to secretly reconnect with his rebellious and aloof teenage daughter Ellie, while he is also visited by a young missionary who is seemingly determined to save him.

    Fraser delivers an intense performance, imbuing his character with depths of regret and agony which are punctuated by bursts of passion and hope sparked by Ellie’s presence.

    “Charlie is by far the most heroic man I’ve ever played,” Fraser said at the film’s world premiere in Venice last year.

    “His superpower is to see the good in others and bring that out in them.”

    READ MORE | Oscar for ‘RRR’: ‘This is just the beginning’, says Jr NTR, ‘Still feels like I’m living in a dream, says Charan

    ‘The Mummy’
    Fraser was born in December 1968 to Canadian parents in the US state of Indiana.

    Theater sparked his interest in acting at a young age, and after graduating from a Seattle arts college, Fraser moved to Los Angeles in the early 1990s to pursue his dream.

    Success came swiftly — he landed his breakthrough role as a frozen caveman discovered by two modern-day California teens in 1992 hit comedy “Encino Man.”

    That sparked a run of major roles for the tall, hunky, wide-eyed leading man, ranging from anti-Semitism drama “School Ties” to rock-and-roll comedy “Airheads” to family blockbuster “George of the Jungle.”

    In 1998, Fraser married actress Afton Smith, with whom he had three children.

    Fraser’s greatest commercial success would be his trilogy of “The Mummy” films.

    Loosely based on the 1930s ancient Egypt horror film franchise, the movies starred Fraser as Rick O’Connell, a maverick American adventurer who battles sinister immortals and greedy treasure hunters.

    Collectively, the film and its two sequels earned well over $1 billion, also spawning the “Scorpion King” spin-off film series and a poorly received Tom Cruise reboot in 2017.

    Fraser also starred opposite Liz Hurley in a 2000 remake of “Bedazzled,” and led the live action-animation hybrid “Looney Tunes: Back in Action” three years later.

    ALSO READ | Oscars 2023: Check out the winners; ‘Naatu Naatu’, women create history

    ALSO READ | Tamil documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ triumphs at Oscars 2023

    Lost decade
    But Fraser’s A-list career would soon be derailed.

    In 2003, Fraser was the alleged victim of sexual assault by a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which hands out the Golden Globes.

    Fraser only made the incident public more than a decade later, saying in an interview that he had been blacklisted by the industry after accusing Philip Berk of groping him at a Beverly Hills hotel luncheon.

    Berk denies the incident.

    But Fraser has said the psychological impact of the alleged attack, combined with the industry’s response, and a bitter and costly divorce from Smith, all took their toll on his mental health.

    Fraser refused to attend this year’s Golden Globes, despite being nominated for “The Whale,” due to his history with the group.

    Back in the 2000s, he also suffered a series of physical injuries — many acquired on-set during his action movie stunt sequences — which eventually required multiple surgeries across a seven-year period on his knees, back and vocal cords.

    While he appeared in best picture Oscar winner “Crash” in 2004, and guest starred in hospital sitcom “Scrubs,” the big-screen roles soon dried up and Fraser largely vanished from the public eye.

    When Brendan Fraser first heard his name called for the best actor #Oscar, he thought “this can’t be right.” https://t.co/4SznPYcRjn pic.twitter.com/5AlrycCrWa— Variety (@Variety) March 13, 2023 ‘Brenaissance’
    Fraser’s comeback — dubbed the “Brenaissance” by fans — began in earnest with a villainous role in the third season of hit television drama “The Affair.”

    But it was his role in “The Whale,” which appropriately tells its own story of redemption, that brought him back to star status, with Hollywood flocking to praise his vulnerable, heartfelt performance.

    In the run-up to the Oscars, he won a Critics Choice and a Screen Actors Guild award.

    Future projects for Fraser include Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon.”

    In claiming his first Oscar, Fraser saw off Austin Butler (“Elvis”), Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”), Paul Mescal (“Aftersun”) and Bill Nighy (“Living”).

    ALSO WATCH |

  • Brendan Fraser’s ‘The Whale’ to release in India on February 3

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Indian audiences will get to see Brendan Fraser’s Oscar-nominated performance in “The Whale” on the big screen on February 3.

    Impact Films is leading the distribution for the Darren Aronofsky-directed film in the country.

    “The Whale” is the story of a reclusive English teacher Charlie (Fraser) living with severe obesity who tries to connect with her estranged daughter for one last chance at redemption. It’s based on a famous play by Samuel D hunter and also stars Hong Chau and Sadie Sink. We had been waiting for this moment and I am pretty sure Brendan’s fans in India are going to love his comeback film on big screens” Ashwani Sharma, founder of Impact Films, said in a statement.

    “The Whale” premiered at Venice Film Festival last year. At the Oscars 2023, the film scored three nominations — Best Actor for Fraser, Best Supporting Actress for Chau and Best Makeup and Hair Styling.

    ALSO READ | ‘The Whale’ review: Darren Aronofsky’s film is a hard but astounding watch

    Fraser has already won the Critics Choice Award for Best Actor for his performance in the movie.

    Sharma also announced that Impact Films will soon release Ruben Ostlund’s Palme D’ Or winner feature “Triangle of Sadness”.

    ALSO READ | Venice Film Festival: Brendan Fraser’s performance in ‘The Whale’ gets him standing ovation 

    Starring Charlbi Dean, Harris Dickinson and Woody Harrelson, the satirical black comedy is nominated for Best Picture at the 95th Academy Awards.

    MUMBAI: Indian audiences will get to see Brendan Fraser’s Oscar-nominated performance in “The Whale” on the big screen on February 3.

    Impact Films is leading the distribution for the Darren Aronofsky-directed film in the country.

    “The Whale” is the story of a reclusive English teacher Charlie (Fraser) living with severe obesity who tries to connect with her estranged daughter for one last chance at redemption. It’s based on a famous play by Samuel D hunter and also stars Hong Chau and Sadie Sink. We had been waiting for this moment and I am pretty sure Brendan’s fans in India are going to love his comeback film on big screens” Ashwani Sharma, founder of Impact Films, said in a statement.

    “The Whale” premiered at Venice Film Festival last year. At the Oscars 2023, the film scored three nominations — Best Actor for Fraser, Best Supporting Actress for Chau and Best Makeup and Hair Styling.

    ALSO READ | ‘The Whale’ review: Darren Aronofsky’s film is a hard but astounding watch

    Fraser has already won the Critics Choice Award for Best Actor for his performance in the movie.

    Sharma also announced that Impact Films will soon release Ruben Ostlund’s Palme D’ Or winner feature “Triangle of Sadness”.

    ALSO READ | Venice Film Festival: Brendan Fraser’s performance in ‘The Whale’ gets him standing ovation 

    Starring Charlbi Dean, Harris Dickinson and Woody Harrelson, the satirical black comedy is nominated for Best Picture at the 95th Academy Awards.

  • Venice Film Festival: Brendan Fraser’s performance in ‘The Whale’ gets him standing ovation 

    By Express News Service

    VENICE: Actor Brendan Fraser was moved to tears after he got a six-minute long standing ovation after the screening of ‘The Whale’ at the Venice Film Festival. After the credits started rolling, the actor tried to walk out but he had to stop after the applause went on, he was eventually moved to tears. 

    The Whale is directed by Darren Aronofsky, known for films like Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream while A24 is producing the film. Brendan Fraser is playing a 300 Kg man in the film who struggles to connect with his teen daughter, played by Stranger Things star Sadie Sink.

    Aronofsky is returning to the director’s chair, nearly five years after Mother!, which had Jennifer Lawrence in the lead. Brendan Fraser was last seen in a supporting role in No Sudden Move directed by Steven Soderbergh. The Whale is adapted from the stage play of the same name, written by playwright Samuel D Hunter. 

    The film also stars Hong Chau, Samantha Morton, and Ty Simpkins in supporting roles. A24 is currently planning to give the film a worldwide theatrical release on 9 December.

    (This story originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com)

    VENICE: Actor Brendan Fraser was moved to tears after he got a six-minute long standing ovation after the screening of ‘The Whale’ at the Venice Film Festival. After the credits started rolling, the actor tried to walk out but he had to stop after the applause went on, he was eventually moved to tears. 

    The Whale is directed by Darren Aronofsky, known for films like Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream while A24 is producing the film. Brendan Fraser is playing a 300 Kg man in the film who struggles to connect with his teen daughter, played by Stranger Things star Sadie Sink.

    Aronofsky is returning to the director’s chair, nearly five years after Mother!, which had Jennifer Lawrence in the lead. Brendan Fraser was last seen in a supporting role in No Sudden Move directed by Steven Soderbergh. The Whale is adapted from the stage play of the same name, written by playwright Samuel D Hunter. 

    The film also stars Hong Chau, Samantha Morton, and Ty Simpkins in supporting roles. A24 is currently planning to give the film a worldwide theatrical release on 9 December.

    (This story originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com)

  • Brendan Fraser to receive TIFF Tribute Award for The Whale

    By Express News Service

    Brendan Fraser made his comeback with Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale. And now, the Toronto International Film Festival has just announced that they will be honouring Fraser with the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance for his role in the film. Previous recipients of the award include Jessica Chastain, Anthony Hopkins, and Joaquin Phoenix.

    The Whale is the film set to put Fraser back in a leading role. The film was originally announced in January 2021, with Aronofsky directing and Fraser taking the lead role. Shortly after the announcement of the project, Hong Chau, Sadie Sink, and Samantha Morton joined the cast.

    The screenplay for the film was written by Samuel D Hunter, who also wrote the original 2012 play. The Whale tells the story of a 600-pound man named Charlie, played by Fraser, who is struggling to try and reconnect with his teenage daughter, Sink, after he abandoned her and her mother to be with a same-sex partner.

    The Whale is set to premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 4. The Whale will also be shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. There is no theatrical release date for the project yet.

    Brendan Fraser made his comeback with Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale. And now, the Toronto International Film Festival has just announced that they will be honouring Fraser with the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance for his role in the film. Previous recipients of the award include Jessica Chastain, Anthony Hopkins, and Joaquin Phoenix.

    The Whale is the film set to put Fraser back in a leading role. The film was originally announced in January 2021, with Aronofsky directing and Fraser taking the lead role. Shortly after the announcement of the project, Hong Chau, Sadie Sink, and Samantha Morton joined the cast.

    The screenplay for the film was written by Samuel D Hunter, who also wrote the original 2012 play. The Whale tells the story of a 600-pound man named Charlie, played by Fraser, who is struggling to try and reconnect with his teenage daughter, Sink, after he abandoned her and her mother to be with a same-sex partner.

    The Whale is set to premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 4. The Whale will also be shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. There is no theatrical release date for the project yet.

  • Brendan Fraser to play villain in ‘Batgirl’

    By Express News Service

    Looks like many interesting projects are coming Brendan Fraser’s way in his second innings. Earlier, it was announced that the actor is roped in for a prominent role in Martin Scorsese’s upcoming film Killers of The Flower Moon, which also stars Leonardo DiCaprio. Now, according to Deadline, the actor is signed in for DC’s Batgirl. 

    In the film, Brendan Fraser will be playing the villain Firefly, a sociopath with a passion for pyrotechnics. Leslie Grace will be playing the titular character Barbara Gordon/Batgirl. JK Simmons, who played Gotham police commissioner Jim Gordon in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, will be returning to the role in the film. He will also be the father of Barbara in the film.  

    Adil El Arbi and Bilaal Fallah will be directing the film, while Christina Hodson, known for Bumblebee, will be writing the screenplay. Batgirl is set to premiere on HBO Max sometime in 2022. 

    Brendan Fraser, known for The Mummy series and George of the Jungle, was missing from action for a while. He made his comeback with Steven Soderbergh’s No Sudden Move. Other than Killers of the Flower Moon, he is also part of Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale.

  • John Lithgow boards Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Two-time Oscar nominee John Lithgow has joined the cast of Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon”, based on David Grann’s 2017 bestseller.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, the veteran star will play the role of a prosecutor in the Apple Studios project, The film explores the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation during the 1920s America.

    ALSO READ: Brendan Fraser boards cast of Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’

    The previously announced members are Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Lily Gladstone and Brendan Fraser.

    The screenplay was penned by Eric Roth and Scorsese, who also directs and serves as producer alongside Imperative Entertainment’s Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas, and Appian Way Productions founded by DiCaprio.

    Lithgow was recently nominated for an Emmy for his performance in the HBO series “Perry Mason”.

    He will next be seen in the Showtime revival series “Dexter: New Blood”.