Actor Brendan Fraser is being hailed as a comeback kid after his performance in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale” won him an Oscar. Variety, Indie Wire and Awards Daily all have Fraser near the top of their lists for Best Actor alongside Austin Butler for his performance as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll in “Elvis” and Colin Farrell for his role in “The Banshees of Inisherin.”
“The Whale” is a film about a 600-pound writing teacher in failing health who desperately wants to bond with his daughter. “With ‘The Whale,’ Aronofsky and Fraser took a huge risk, in the name of compassion. I think, and my tears agree, that these risks paid off,” Glenn Kenny writes for Roger Ebert.com.
Usually, when people are in front of the Academy Award they can also receive a nod from the Golden Globes. However, if Fraser is elected, he won’t be leaving.
“I have more history with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association than I have respect for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” Fraser told GQ in an intimate interview. “No, I will not participate.
“It’s because of the history I have with them,” Fraser continued. “And my mother did not raise a hypocrite. You can call me many things, but not that.”
Fraser claims that in 2003, Philip Berk, former president and member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), groped and assaulted Fraser during a lunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel. “I felt sick. I felt like a little kid,” he told GQ. “I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry.”
When Fraser made the claim public in 2018, it sparked an outpouring of support for the actor at a time when health problems and trauma from the attack forced him to step back from the public eye. Berk disagrees with Fraser’s claims and reaches out to him, but he does not plead guilty.
Berk denied the charge in a statement saying: “Mr. Fraser’s version is false.”
via Montclair Film
The HFPA drafted a joint statement to be signed by Fraser but he refused because he felt it disrespected Berk’s behavior. Berk was kicked out of the HFPA last year but not because of his behavior towards Fraser. He was kicked out after writing an email to HFPA members that called Black Lives Matter a “hate group”.
Fraser’s critical praise for his performance in “The Whale” is a welcome return to the actor and his fans see him as part of their childhood. He impressed many younger Gen Xers and millennials with his performances in the 1990s and 2000s, including in “School Ties,” “Encino Man,” “The Mummy” franchise and “Looney Tunes: Back in Action.”
Fraser told GQ that he is excited to be in talks for an Oscar nod this awards season. But he is not going to put his dignity ahead of his career by attending an awards ceremony hosted by a group he believes has neglected his character.
In a town where there is no higher honor than a nod during awards season, Fraser proves that he has even higher standards to maintain.
