'The Whale' marked his comeback as a leading man after 12 years
If you live on the internet, there's no chance you could have missed the tremendously viral video of Brendan Fraser tearing up before a crowd breaking out in loud applause for him.
Though the physical demands transformed him into a "walking steak," Fraser was pleased about playing "king of the jungle" (via The Morning Call). Photography is among his more practical interests that he can indulge in. The veteran actor, whom the Academy nominated for a Best Actor award only after 30 years in the industry, originally got a start on television.
Brendan Fraser is willing to test the extremes of his physical and mental tolerance, all for the sake of his craft. After graduation he found a minor role as Sailor #1 in River Phoenix's Dogfight (1991), then somewhat more substantial roles in Encino Man (1992) and School Ties (1992). His early exposure to theatre, particularly in London, led him to Seattle's Cornish Institute.
The duo met in 1993 during a 4th of July party at Winona Ryder's house.
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1999
Fraser starred in The Mummy, which made him one of Hollywood's hottest leading men.
Credit: 20th Century Fox/Ocean/Kobal/Shutterstock
2000
The Mrs.
So, you couldn't reference a lot of their past work." After racking up more credits in Airheads, Glory Daze and more, Fraser landed the role that catapulted him to an even higher level of stardom: the titular character in George of the Jungle. "This is a prime opportunity," Fraser told Vanity Fair in August 2022 of his gig in the Darren Aronofsky film.
"I was building an exoskeleton for myself daily." The Scrubs alum eventually underwent spinal surgery, a partial knee replacement and a vocal cord procedure. Aware of the emotion he embodied for a whole generation, Fraser summarized it concisely: "In their words, they say I was their childhood" (via GQ). He had an impressive run at the movies for about two decades, after which he seemed to have gradually taken a backseat.
The Indiana native made his film debut in 1991's Dogfight, one year before Encino Man and School Tiesturned him into a heartthrob. "I wanted to disappear into it.