Brendan Fraser, whose career has been both meteoric success and semi-obscurity, celebrated perhaps his finest hour Sunday, winning the Oscar for best actor for his role in “The Whale.”
“So this is what the multiverse is like!” In her acceptance speech, Fraser thanked her director, Darren Aronofsky, for “throwing me a creative lifeline.”
Fraser’s Oscar path began with a six-minute standing ovation for his transformative performance at the premiere of Darren Aronofsky’s film at the Venice International Film Festival last September.
Although Some controversies on top of him casting Fraser has won more than 20 leading actor awards from critics’ groups, including the Critics’ Choice Assn. And collected the most reliable Oscar precursor: the Screen Actors Guild Award.
Although Fraser has worked steadily in television and small films in recent years, he hasn’t ventured into a major theatrical release since 2010’s “Paranormal Activity” with Harrison Ford. Before that, of course, he starred in the “Mummy” franchise, “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” Best Picture winner “Crash,” “Gods and Monsters,” “George of the Jungle” and more.
Fraser’s absence from the marquee was due in part to injuries sustained while filming his many action movies; He also accused Eight-time HFPA president Philip Berg sexually assaulted her. (There is Berg He denied the allegation, as well as the actor’s apparent questioning of whether the Golden Globes blacklisted him. (He also called on Globes to fire broadcaster NBC for sending an email calling Black Lives Matter a “racist hate movement.”)
Fraser, meanwhile, won all the American televised film acting awards this season — except at the Globes, picking up his highly praised turn as rock ‘n’ roll’s King Austin Butler in “Elvis.” Fraser had previously said he would “not attend” the Globes.
“Friend of animals everywhere. Devoted analyst. Total alcohol scholar. Infuriatingly humble food trailblazer.”