The last several years have seen Brendan Fraser being pulled out of Hollywood obscurity, particularly when he landed a major movie role in Darren Aronosky’s The Whale. His emotional performance landed him a “Brenaissance” of fans and critics loving this man all over again landing among the 2023 Oscar winners. However, the Best Actor winner made sure to share how he avoided the trap of his “brain chemistry changing” as a result of wanting a Hollywood career.
When you think about it, Brendan Fraser never really left Hollywood, he just downplayed his roles. Fraser's best movies include the likes of Encino Man, School Ties, The Mummy franchise and more. Then his resume consisted of TV shows like The Affair and a key role in Doom Patrol, and more low-key films like Steven Soderbergh’s No Sudden Moves. Then, everything changed when the Hollywood leading man in Fraser emerged once again playing an obese English teacher attempting to fix his relationship with his daughter in The Whale. With all the success this Bedazzled actor has experienced as of late, he explained to Backstage how important it was for him to stay true to who he is.
I know how wanting this profession can make people become. It can really change your brain chemistry, turn you into a different person that you maybe weren’t anticipating. I wanted to make sure I had a strong sense of identity. That always came from feeling comfortable in my own skin—the way I felt as a kid, going somewhere new all the time.
The worst thing that can happen to a person when they land at the top is receiving an ego boost. Feeling confident and proud of your accomplishments is always a good thing, but you want to make sure you don’t let it go to your head. You can tell that Brendan Fraser has remained modest throughout his big return. The reaction The Mummy actor has had to his acclaim and standing ovations has always been in tears, happy to be making an impact on an audience. He appears so grateful for every accomplishment he’s been getting with no expectations for what’s coming next.
The Journey to the Center of the Earth actor may have landed himself a number of new fans and attention, but told Backstage that he worries everything he’s fulfilled could be too good to be true.
I just didn’t want to get found out. I won’t call it a fear—more an expectation that somebody is going to walk in the room any second and say, ‘Fraser, get back in the dish pit,’ and throw me a towel. It hits me right in the face.
I wish I can say directly to Brendan Fraser that he more than deserves what he’s received, with plenty of confidence he’ll be sticking around for a long time. He may be living his life outside of Hollywood with a few kids of his own, but Fraser has a role in Martin Scorsese’s latest project Killers of the Flower Moon and will co-star with Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage in the upcoming comedy Brothers. If he continues achieving buzz with each of his future roles, the Golden Globe nominee will be one of the most sought-out actors for this generation.
Fortunately, Brendan Fraser’s newfound Hollywood fame has not changed any of his brain chemistry, as his Brenaissance train continues on a humble path. Take a look at our 2023 movie releases so you’ll have an idea when Brendan Fraser’s upcoming films will be released.
