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

“Brendan Fraser is a righteous dude.”

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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.

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Hollywood icons Brendan Fraser and Adam Sandler sat down for an epic chat with each other

Best. Interview. Ever.

Variety/YouTube

Adam Sandler and Brendan Fraser for Variety's "Actors on Actors."

There are few actors in this world as universally loved as Brendan Fraser and Adam Sandler. So when the two sign on to interview one another, you can bet that people are going to be thrilled.

During one of Variety's “Actors on Actors” segments, the two swapped stories of being in the entertainment business—from the movie “Airheads," which they both starred in, to more recent projects like Sandler’s “Hustle” and Fraser’s “The Whale.”

It’s clear that these two respect and admire each other’s work. Sandler applauded Fraser’s career-long stride of making bold and interesting choices, and especially commended him for his starring role in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale,” which has been hailed as a major comeback for the “Mummy” franchise star.

Similarly Fraser—which he lightheartedly confirmed is pronounced “Fray-zur,’ like a razor—praised an often ignored layer of nuance in Sandler’s roles, saying, “He doesn’t play underdogs, he plays champions that are overlooked.”

But what’s even better than any of that is seeing a couple of really good guys enjoying each other’s company. From bonding over surgeries to making playful jabs about Sandler’s beard, the wholesome dad vibes were at an 11.

“Finally an interview using a language we can all fully appreciate and understand, the language of true friendship,” commented one person.

One person wrote, “This is the first ‘Actors on Actors’ that I watched in full and lost track of the time. Their chemistry as friends is so genuine.”

Another added, “OMG!!! This video could have been 12+ hours and I would still be sitting here enjoying every second with these two sharing stories and experiences through the entertainment business and you can tell they have a great history together as friends throughout their careers and that is such an amazing thing to witness.”

Fraser and Sandler likely gave us some of the best sources of delight and laughter throughout our childhoods. It’s great to see that some things never change.

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‘My mother didn’t raise a hypocrite’: Why Brendan Fraser won’t be at the Golden Globes if nominated

He’s an Academy Award frontrunner for his performance in ‘The Whale.’

via Montclair Film/Flickr

Brendan Fraser at the Montclair Film Festival, 2022.

Actor Brendan Fraser is being hailed as the comeback kid after his performance in Darren Aronofsky's “The Whale” has made him an Oscar frontrunner. 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 reconnect with his daughter. “With ‘The Whale,’ Aronofsky and Fraser have taken substantive risks, in the name of an insistent empathy. I think, and my tear ducts agree, that those risks paid off,” Glenn Kenny writes for Roger Ebert.com.

Usually, when people are frontrunners for the Academy Award they are also likely to receive a nod from the Golden Globes. However, if Fraser is nominated, he won’t be attending.

“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 that I have with them,” Fraser continued. “And my mother didn’t raise a hypocrite. You can call me a lot of things, but not that.”

Fraser claims that in 2003, Philip Berk, the former president and member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), groped and sexually assaulted Fraser at a luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel. "I felt ill. 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 allegation public in 2018, it resulted in an outpouring of support for the actor at a time when health problems and trauma from the assault forced him to retreat from the limelight. Berk disputes Fraser's claim and reached out to him but he admitted no wrongdoing.

Berk denied the allegation in a statement: “Mr. Fraser’s version is a total fabrication.”

via Montclair Film

The HFPA wrote a joint statement to be signed by Fraser but he refused because he felt it downplayed Berk’s behavior. Berk was expelled from the HFPA last year but not for his behavior toward Fraser. He was thrown out after writing an email to HFPA members that called Black Lives Matter a "racist hate group.”

Fraser’s critical acclaim for his performance in “The Whale” is a welcome comeback for the actor and his fans who see him as part of their childhood. He delighted a lot of 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’s excited to do the press rounds to campaign for an Oscar nod this awards season. But he won’t put his own dignity ahead of his career by attending an awards ceremony held by a group that he believes neglected his humanity.

In a town where there is no higher honor than a nod during award season, Fraser shows that he has even higher standards to uphold.

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Brendan Fraser issues an 'almost apology' for stunt gone wrong on 'George of the Jungle'

'My bad. It won't happen again'

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“My bad. It won't happen again”

Ladies and gentlemen of San Francisco, our beloved Brendan Fraser would like to clear the air.

While at a screening for “The Whale” at the Mill Valley Film Festival in Northern California on Oct. 13, the actor half-jokingly issued an apology to the nearby Bay Area for a stunt performed during the filming of one of his most iconic movies, “George of the Jungle.”

In his red carpet interview with SFGATE, Fraser recalled that the 1997 comedy featured a scene showing the effortlessly charming (and always shirtless) vine-swinging himbo rescuing a wayward parachutist who became tangled up in the Oakland Bay Bridge. As the heroic George is wont to do.

"I have almost an apology to make," Fraser said.

As Fraser explained, the stunt meant that a mannequin was hanging “from the uprights.” Unfortunately (and hilariously) no one got the memo that this mysterious person hanging on for dear life wasn’t actually a person at all.

“It brought traffic to a standstill on either side of the bridge,” Fraser said. And apparently, news traveled fast that day.

He continued, “My trailer was on the other side in a parking lot…I had the TV on, and ‘Oprah’ got interrupted because there was a special news report with helicopters saying a parachute is dangling on the bridge. And I’m going — wait a minute, I’m looking at the helicopters and TV — somebody didn’t pull a permit, somebody’s going to get in trouble with the mayor’s office. So I can only apologize for that.”

Here is the scene, to jog your memory and trigger your nostalgia:

To add insult to injury, Fraser kept referencing the Golden Gate Bridge instead of the Oakland Bay Bridge, but as SFGATE said, “It's been 25 years, so we'll give him a break.”

After receiving a lifetime achievement award at the festival, Fraser remarked, “My bad. It won't happen again” of the movie stunt gone wrong. He did not, however, mention whether or not he would look out for that tree, moving forward.

It’s nice to see Fraser soaking up the spotlight in such a lighthearted, positive way these days. The actor with lovable goofiness might have endured a Hollywood hiatus due to truly tragic circumstances, but his emotional resilience to all of life’s challenges is nothing short of inspiring. The fact that he’s made not only a career comeback—reuniting with former co-stars on the red carpet, receiving accolades for his current works, even being in talks to return to former franchises—but also held onto a sense of humor through it all, is evidence of his character.

Another attribute worth mentioning: Fraser’s compassion, which has seemingly been the leading major influence behind his work in “The Whale.” Though there has been some controversy surrounding Fraser donning a fat suit to portray the role of Charlie, who is obese, Fraser recently addressed the criticism. In an interview with Newsweek, the actor shared his hope that, regardless of people’s initial judgments, the movie "can change some hearts and minds at least in terms of how we think and feel about those who live with obesity.”

He added, "So often, those people are dismissed in our society, or the object of scorn and derision, and it's unfair to them. I believe that shaming people for that reason is almost the last domain of prejudice that we overlook, and I think we can do better to change that. So I hope that this film might change some hearts and minds."

Just Brendan Fraser having a huge heart. No big.

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