upworthy

brendan fraser

Pop Culture

Brendan Fraser surprised everyone at a screening of 'The Mummy' by showing up in costume

Now we want a "Mummy 4."

The Prince Charles Cinema/Youtube

Brendan Fraser dressed as Rick O'Connell.

Brendan Fraser might be making the greatest career comeback ever, racking up accolades and award nominations for his dramatic, transformative role in “The Whale." But the OG Fraser fans (the ones who watch “Doom Patrol” solely to hear his voice and proudly pronounce his last name as Fray-zure, for this is the proper pronunciation) have known of his remarkable talent since the '90s, when he embodied the ultimate charming, dashing—and slightly goofball—Hollywood action lead.

Let us not forget his arguably most well-known and beloved '90s character—Rick O’Connell from the “Mummy” franchise. Between his quippy one-liners, Indiana Jones-like adventuring skills, and fabulous hair, what’s not to like? During a double feature of “The Mummy” and “The Mummy Returns” in London, moviegoers got the ultimate surprise when who should walk in but Brendan Fraser himself, completely decked out in Rick O’Connell attire. The brown leather jacket. The scarf. Everything.


stephen colbert, brendan fraser, montclair film festival, red carpet, Stephen Colbert and Brendan Fraser at the Montclair Film Festival 2022.via Montclair Film/Wikimedia Commons

"I am proud to stand before you tonight," he told the audience. "This is a film that was made in Britain. You should know that! Even the second one, too. Be proud. Thank you for being here."

He continued, "We didn’t know if it was a drama or a comedy or a straight-ahead action or romance, a horror picture, more action, all of the above. No idea until it tested in front of British audiences. Thank you for that.”

Fraser then asked the crowd if anyone hadn’t actually seen the movie yet, before shouting, “Outstanding!” when somebody raised their hand. He then quickly made a polite plug, encouraging people to go see “The Whale” before whisking himself away, saying, “I won’t take up any more of your time.”

Uh, yeah…I don’t think any time spent with Brendan Fraser is a waste. Do you?

Watch the adorable clip below:


- YouTubewww.youtube.com


Will we ever see Fraser back on the big screen as Rick O'Connell again? There has been talk of a "Mummy 4" that would reunite Fraser and Rachel Weisz, but there are some big hurdles to a fourth installment being produced. First, the "The Mummy" reboot with Tom Cruise in 2017, was a massive bomb that scuttled Universal's attempts to create a cinematic universe around its classic monsters from the '30s and '40s. However, Fraser and "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns" director Stephen Summers are interested in the project. Summers told The Hollywood Reporter that he hasn't been approached about doing another "Mummy" film.

"Not that I know," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "All the people at Universal are new after I left. I don’t really know them, and they haven’t got a hold of me, so I don’t know what’s in their heads. At the same time, it would have to be something really special. Of course, I would work with all of those actors again."

This article originally appeared two years ago.

brendan fraser
Pop Culture

How Brendan Fraser once helped an entire VFX crew get paid after a studio went bankrupt

“Brendan Fraser is a righteous dude.”

Fandom.com

Brendan Fraser in "Journey to the Center of the Earth"

After an epic Hollywood comeback—including a momentous Oscar win—could the well of heartwarming, inspiring Brendan Fraser stories run dry?

Of course not. It’s Brendan Fraser.

Granted, this anecdote is technically from 2007, but thanks to it recently being shared by FX artist Dave Rand, it’s like the world is now privy to a whole new layer of Fraser’s enduring kindness.

In a lengthy two-part Twitter post, Rand detailed how his special effects crew for “Journey to the Center of the Earth” had nearly been robbed of $1.3 million dollars worth of work.

“In November 2007 our paychecks stopped,” he wrote. Meteor Studios, the company producing the film, had convinced Rand and his crew to complete their work on the handful of shots left, guaranteeing that they'd be compensated with overtime.

Then, the studio filed for bankruptcy. “As soon as we delivered the last shot, we were escorted out. It was two weeks before Christmas and we'd soon learn there was no money,” Rand said.

Rand had tried to share his plight with Hollywood news outlets, to no avail. Even Variety rejected him, saying “another visual effects company going bankrupt, however sad, is really not newsworthy at this time."Even trying to publish their own press release was met with threats.

Desperate, Rand attempted reaching out to Fraser, who was the star and a producer on the film. Or rather, he tried to contact Fraser’s “people.” According to Rand, “they said they'd tell him, they did not.”

Finally, thanks to gossip column Page Six, Fraser actually did see what was happening. And he immediately called Rand.

“My phone rang as I was reading the piece, a 212 area code, I answered to thank the girl, but a man answered and he said. ‘Is this Dave Rand?’ I said ‘Yes,’” he wrote. "’This is Brendan Fraser, what the f**k is going on?’"

Rand continued, “He had no idea that artists were not paid on his movie. He listened intently, asked a lot of questions and promised he would call me regularly until this was solved.”

Fraser publicly campaigned for the artist, starting with a tell-all with The Post. Two years later, the crew got 80% of what they were owed.

Rand concluded with perhaps the world’s most accurate statement:

“Brendan Fraser is a righteous dude.”

It’s all too often that artists do not get paid what they deserve for the work they do. That goes especially for those who work in crafts that aren’t exactly the center of attention. Fraser using his celebrity to offer these people some leverage in a dire situation is reason #132 why he’s seriously the coolest guy in Hollywood.

From Your Site Articles
best of humanity
Celebrity

Brendan Fraser cements his comeback with an emotional Oscar win for best actor

"So this is what the multiverse looks like."

ABC/YouTube

Brendan Fraser emotionally cements his comeback.

Brendan Fraser has become everyone's favorite comeback story after his long break from Hollywood, which he attributed to being blacklisted after his 2018 interview with GQ. In the interview, he revealed that he was sexually assaulted by the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Philip Berk, though Berk denies the claims.

Fraser also experienced a lot of personal setbacks during his time away from Hollywood, including losing his mother, getting divorced and living with depression. But since the release of his recent hit, "The Whale," in which he plays a morbidly obese, gay father attempting to reconnect with his teenage daughter, it seems the awards keep coming and people can't get enough. Fraser's most recent win is the coveted Oscar for Best Actor, his first nomination with the Academy, and his speech was full of emotion and gratitude.

After thanking the Academy for the award, Fraser hopped right into pulling out all of the nautical stops.

“I’m grateful to Darren for throwing me a creative lifeline and hauling me aboard the good ship 'The Whale,'"Fraser said. “It was written by Samuel D. Hunter, who is our lighthouse.”

Fraser told NBC that had this role come earlier in his career, he wouldn't have had the life experience or heartache to play the character authentically. While some people took issue with him portraying a 600-pound man by wearing a fat suit in "The Whale," he continues to receive accolades for his acting in the film as evidenced by the multiple awards he has won this season.

The Oscar winner has been acting for 30 years, and while this role is more serious with a lot of depth, Fraser may be better known for his corky roles. Most people instantly recognize his big blue eyes from "George of the Jungle," "Encino Man" or "The Mummy." By all accounts, he was the shirtless poster child of the 90s, though he did start taking on more serious roles like "Crash" and "Gods and Monsters." But the film that won him an Oscar and seemed to solidify not only his comeback but his range as an actor is "The Whale."

While he kept the speech focused on the theme, his emotional reaction was echoed on the faces of others in the audience. It's clear he has a lot of cheerleaders, both in Hollywood and out.

Catch his entire acceptance speech below:

From Your Site Articles
brendan fraser
Pop Culture

Brendan Fraser's emotional awards speech about hope left audience in tears

'If you too can have the strength to just get to your feet and go to the light, good things will happen.'

Discussing Film/Twitter

Brendan Fraser took home Best Actor from the Critics Choice Awards.

Like the rest of the world, we at Upworthy have found Brendan Fraser’s glorious return to the Hollywood spotlight to be inspiring. After a multiyear hiatus, his role in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale” has been a career milestone—both catapulting him back onto the big screen and gaining widespread accolades for his incredible performance. Seriously, if you haven’t seen it yet, do. And bring tissues … it’s beautifully heartbreaking.

At long last, it seems this beloved actor and genuinely decent guy is getting the comeback he deserves. Since “The Whale” released to theaters, Fraser has been a frontrunner for the coveted Best Actor title, and scored his first win (of probably many) at the 2023 Critics Choice Awards.


As you can probably imagine, this full-circle moment meant a lot to Fraser. The video below captures his initial reaction to hearing his name being announced and taking his triumphant march to the stage.

And as he delivered a moving acceptance speech, there wasn’t a dry eye left in the house.

Because Brendan Fraser wouldn’t be Brendan Fraser without a charming sense of humor, he began by making the audience laugh. “Where were you for ‘Furry Vengeance’?” he quipped, harkening back to his comedy heyday.

He continued by praising his cast and crew members—including Aronofsky, who essentially plucked the actor out of obscurity. “I was in the wilderness and I probably should have left a trail of breadcrumbs, but you found me. And like all the best directors, you merely just showed me where to go to get to where I needed to be,” he told the director.

Then, with his voice trembling with emotion, Fraser declared, "If you, like a guy like Charlie, who I played in this movie, in any way struggle with obesity or you just feel like you’re in a dark sea, I want you to know that if you too can have the strength to just get to your feet and go to the light, good things will happen."

In “The Whale,” Fraser plays a 600-pound man who uses his final days to reconcile with his estranged daughter (played by Sadie Sink). Whether or not obesity is a mental illness has been a subject of debate, however it has been closely linked with mood disorders like depression—which, let’s face it, can make anyone feel hopeless and inert, overweight or not. Above all, the big theme of the film is about having the strength to hold onto hope, regardless of circumstances. Or as Fraser put it, “finding the light in a dark place.”

Fraser's words touched many who have found themselves in similar situations:

Time will tell if this moment foreshadows an Oscar win, but in our hearts, Fraser is already a winner. Thank you for giving us all a masterclass in emotional resilience and compassion.

From Your Site Articles
movies
Trending Stories