upworthy

the whale

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

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.

From Your Site Articles
joy
Pop Culture

‘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.

From Your Site Articles
brendan fraser
Pop Culture

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

'My bad. It won't happen again'

www.flickr.com

“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.

From Your Site Articles
joy
Trending Stories