The following piece contains discussion on sexual assault.
When Darren Aronofsky's The Whale finished its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, as much as fans loved the movie, they loved actor Brendan Fraser even more and gave him a six-minute long standing ovation. Usually, these are reserved for the director, but Fraser's performance was so moving that fans and reviewers had to pay tribute immediately, keeping him in the building and moving him to tears as he tried to exit.
It really was a heartwarming moment for one of Hollywood's biggest leading men from the '90s and 2000s. Even former co-star Dwayne Johnson lauded him as a person and professional and thanked him for helping launch his career. However, while it might seem like the outpouring of love came due to Aronofsky's film alone, the praise heaped on Fraser is much more important, as it connects to the turbulent journey he has had in Hollywood over the last decade-plus.
Everyone knows Fraser was a darling in the entertainment industry for his role in The Mummy franchise, which stems back to 1997's George of the Jungle. In fact, movies like Encino Man, Gods and Monsters, Blast from the Past, Still Breathing, Dudley Do-Right and Crash all painted a versatile picture of someone who could float from romance to drama to action to comedy in a heartbeat. Yet after 2008's The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and a cameo in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Fraser dropped out of the mainstream.
It turns out Fraser had his own personal battles to deal with, on top of feeling blacklisted from Hollywood. It connects to him alleging Philip Berk, former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, sexually assaulted him in 2003. Berk wasn't fired until 2021 for racist emails. To top it off, this incident was followed by Fraser's divorce and the death of his mother, which sent him into a depression.
But, despite various struggles, fans never forgot how wholesome and pure Fraser was -- as evidenced by this TikTok video that went viral showing his humility and gratitude for all the support. Thus, The Whale isn't just about the Brenaissance; it's a personal journey, and Fraser shows fans the sense of triumph in the human spirit.
In the film, Fraser plays an overweight person, Charlie, who's ostracized by his family for being gay and spirals into depression and overeating after the death of his significant other. The Whale then focuses on him trying to reforge a bond with his 17-year-old daughter, Ellie (played by Stranger Things' Sadie Sink), in a performance that already has critics raving about it being award-worthy. In that sense, the movie reflects a lot about Fraser's life and how he became reclusive. So, that standing ovation wasn't for him just playing a character; it was respect for his resilience, the troubles he's endured, and how he's fought tooth and nail to keep his head up in a business that gets nasty in terms of politics, chewing people up and spitting them out.
And make no mistake, he's had an army of supporters behind him in the comic book arena, too, from those who loved him as Cliff in Doom Patrol to those who are angry that they won't get to see his performance as Firefly in the canceled Batgirl film. As such, this reminder that Brendan Fraser is important and holds a dear place in the hearts of cinema purists is more important now than ever. Not only is it such a positive affirmation to help him get his confidence back and remind him the world misses and values him, but the rousing reception also sends a message of solidarity for those going through similar struggles as both Fraser and his character in The Whale.
It's a stark reminder about how victims of all genders struggle to tell their stories regarding sexual assault, the toll it takes, and the long, arduous road to recovery -- something Fraser admitted to GQ in 2018 emotionally extracted a lot out of someone like him who didn't know how to speak his piece in the Hollywood narrative. Ultimately, though, from the way Fraser teared up at Venice, he got the message that while he didn't land that role as Clark Kent in a Superman movie Brett Ratner would never go on to make, to many fans, he's still a Superman, and one they hope keeps flying high.
The Whale is set to premiere in North American theaters on Dec. 9.