Seems like the world is rooting for Brendan Fraser! At the Venice Film Festival, he received a six-minute standing ovation that brought him to tears along with rave reviews for his performance as a 600-pound man who is doing his best to reconnect with his estranged daughter in The Whale. Reportedly, the actor’s performance has brought the attendees of the Toronto International Film Festival to tears. He was also honored with TIFF Tribute Award statuette for his work.
Per Entertainment Weekly, upon receiving the award the actor joked, "This is new for me.” Adding, “Normally I'm the guy who hands these things out, and I got really good at it. The trick is: Left hand, hold; right hand, shake.” The actor then further quipped, “Apart from being a part of some impressive and talented ensemble casts, I think the last time that I waited to hear my name called aloud to receive an award was in grade 4.” Fraser has had a three-decade-long career in Hollywood; however, the Darren Aronofsky feature is being hailed as his ‘come back.’ Not that The Mummy franchise-helmer stopped working, but it has been quite a while that he’s got top billing or led a cast. "Art is about taking a risk, and [Aronofsky and writer Samuel D. Hunter] took a chance on me, and I'm grateful to them," Fraser said.
In The Whale, Fraser plays Charlie, a man affected by obesity, congestive heart failure, and deep bouts of grief as he grapples with his late wife’s memories and tries to mend his relationship with his daughter, Ellie, played by Sadie Sink. The actor described Charlie’s journey as a “redemption story.” Adding, “he's gone through significant life changes and has forgotten about who he is and the ones he loves, and he's running out of time to tell them that — if he can at all.” Nonetheless, it's an inspiring story, and his character has a “superpower” of sorts. He revealed, “Charlie sees the good in others when they can't see that in themselves, and he can bring that out in them.”
The actor is a “firm believer” that we need more of that in this world. He further showed his gratitude to the audience saying, “It's the audience that gives cinema life, so I must thank you for keeping me in the job that I love because it's nice work if you can get it." With his moving performance, Fraser has entered the Oscar chatter, and receiving the prestigious TIFF Award has only enhanced his claim as in the past the award has gone to eventual winners like Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) and Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye).
The Whale hits theaters on December 9. Meanwhile, you can check out Fraser's reaction to the standing ovation below: