Brendan Fraser, during conversation at the Red Sea Fest, revealed the reason Aronofsky cast him in the Oscar-winning role of Charlie.

My Oscar Book:

“He was looking for an actor who hadn’t been seen in a while, and that was me. He wanted to reintroduce that actor through a performance that would be transformative, and the last person you might expect to do this role,” Fraser recalled.

But Fraser preferred to describe his disappearance from Hollywood as more a mid-career time out than a slump.

“Taking a break is important in any line of work. In my career, it’s been a trajectory that’s been like a roller coaster loop. It’s up, it’s down, it’s sideways. It’s in the dark. It’s thrilling,” he recalls.

That career break followed his rise in Hollywood, starting with his starring in Encino Man in 1992. “To be recognized and noticed that early definitely allowed me to have access to other projects,” Fraser said as agents, directors and producers suddenly noticed his rising star.

George of the Jungle

His first box office hit was George of the Jungle in 1997, which made him a Bonafide Hollywood star. “It was exciting then. I didn’t like the working out part, though. That hurt. I had to do that frequently,” Fraser added.

George of the Jungle brought him overnight fame, which was a surprise to Fraser as every acting gig is a crap shoot. “What you think you’re going to do and what turns out are vastly different things. When that film came out, it had broad international appeal and a lot of monkeys,” he recounts.

He also had dramatic turns in Gods and Monsters, The Quiet American and Journey to the Center of the Earth. “Most excitingly, Journey tested out brand new technology in 3D filmmaking and projection and the use of the dark glasses that have become ubiquitous now,” Fraser said.

But with The Whale – a chamber piece about a reclusive obese man struggling to find redemption — Fraser shot a movie during COVID-19 that may never have become a commercial hit were it not for the pandemic.

“We shot that in the winter just before vaccinations came to prominence. If it was made today, I don’t know if it would be seen,” Fraser said. The pandemic era with its widespread illness and death and concerns over the health of everyone around apparently translated to the screen for filmgoers watching The Whale.  

“The amount of care we had for one another for our health, and we all had a collective experience of wondering if there would be a tomorrow. I know that that intangible showed through with how it was received by audiences,” Fraser said.

“It was my first time to Venice, and I had not seen the film in its entirety. I knew that the message behind it was either going to resonate and get people to reevaluate the thing we think we really know when we judge the people we love, or it could be infinitely forgettable. The stakes are often one or the other,” Frasier said.