There are few universal truths, but one of them is that everybody seems to love actor Brendan Fraser and support his major Hollywood comeback. Whether you fell in love with his performances in The Mummy franchise or as a child watching him swing in the trees in George of the Jungle, many are just happy to see Fraser return to major projects and have his time in the spotlight due to his massive success with the 2022 film The Whale. Here are just a few wholesome moments that show why fans love the actor.
8 Winning At The Critics' Choice Awards
After giving one of the most emotional performances of both his career and in recent cinema with his role as Charlie in The Whale, Fraser has been one of the top candidates this award season - the first time he's ever received such buzz in his career. It seems like everyone wants him to succeed and win as many awards as he can for the part and the moment he won a Critics' Choice Award for Best Actor in January 2023 was certainly an emotional, but rewarding display.
Fraser was so overcome by emotion, surprised by his win, that he could barely get his appreciation out for the win once he made it on stage. He did manage to make us smile though, joking about the critics not being there for his film Furry Vengeance. There wasn't a dry eye in the room or on at home that night, and it was even more endearing seeing him process the win further with a series of interview questions.
7 Meeting A Fan
One of Fraser's more viral moments in the past year came in a Zoom call between him and an adoring fan, connected through a convention called GalaxyCon. The fan had nothing but kind words and praise for the actor, choking him up a bit and having him tip his hat at her sweetness.
At one point Fraser takes a moment to gush about his recent achievements, including that he's going to be acting in the next Scorsese film, Killers of the Flower Moon, alongside Leo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro. It felt like all of his fans were being heard in that interaction, telling Fraser that he is loved and supported.
6 His Standing Ovation
Before many knew what The Whale would be about or had a trailer, audiences were just excited to see Brendan Fraser back in a leading role in Hollywood, regardless of the project. When the film had a screening at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival, audiences became even more excited to see that the film was receiving great praise, particularly for Fraser's performance.
A couple of videos were shared online of the cast and creative team receiving a standing ovation that lasted around six minutes at the festival and were almost brought to tears when they saw everyone applauding Fraser at the center of it all, letting his emotions flow. The video even caught the attention of Dwayne Johnson, who starred alongside Fraser in The Mummy Returns, and he shared his love at seeing Fraser get such praise.
5 THR's Actor Roundtable
Every year around awards season time, a series of roundtables featuring actors and creatives behind the most talked about films of the year get together and share their experiences. In early January 2023, The Hollywood Reporter released their actor roundtable, consisting of Brendan Fraser, Austin Butler, Jeremy Pope, Adam Sandler, Colin Farrell, and Ke Huy Quan. A few things brought the actors together - most of them are experiencing a comeback and none of them had ever received an Oscar nomination.
It was not only nice seeing all the actors relay their personal stories and how they navigated Hollywood, but see old cast mates reunite. Fraser got to share a few wholesome moments, not only taking in the praise for his performance, but in reuniting with Adam Sandler and Ke Huy Quan from their 1994 movie Airheads.
4 His Relationship With Ke Huy Quan
Two actors with amazing comeback stories right now are Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan. Fraser had dealt with a dark time in Hollywood, particularly after be sexually assaulted by the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and had decided to take a step back from being an actor, besides with a few small roles here and there. Ke Huy Quan was largely known for his child acting days when he starred in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies, before finding success in acting forty years later with the widely acclaimed film Everything Everywhere All at Once.
It's been a pleasure to see the former costars and underdogs rekindle their friendship and champion each other through awards season so far. They shared a tender moment at their actor roundtable and cheered for each other at the Critic Choice Awards with their new saying "We're still here".
3 Actors On Actors With Adam Sandler
Another tender moment came before the year's actors roundtable, when Fraser and Sandler participated in an episode of Variety's Actors on Actors. The moment provided the first reunion for the Airheads costars and was a wonderful moment between two underappreciated actors who are finally being recognized for their incredible talent and skill, with Sandler representing his basketball film Hustle.
Sandler even claimed he backed Fraser in his early days and demanded he was in Airheads, or he would back out of the project.
2 His Jimmy Kimmel Interview
One of Fraser's latest interviews in 2022 came on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! talk show, and it was one of the first times Fraser was confronted with someone rallying for his performance in The Whale to win an Oscar. Kimmel asks him if he's aware that he's a front-runner for the award and Fraser acts totally shocked, as if he's still stunned that he's getting such praise and can't believe he's made it to this moment.
It's another example of how humble and grateful Fraser is and why fans are championing so hard for him.
1 Reacting To His Career
Fraser's films have been iconic for so many people, with many being at the center of our childhoods, so it was a nice to see Fraser go down memory lane with GQ in a video that broke down some of his most noteworthy films and performances - including The Mummy, Encino Man, Bedazzled, and School Ties.
Fraser got to look back at his work and tell a few stories from behind the scenes while getting to fully take in what he's given to cinema. We could watch him talk about his films all day.
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