Brendan Fraser is displaying his emotional side.
After receiving a 6-minute standing ovation at the Venice International Film Festival, the 53-year-old actor was visibly emotional during the world premiere of his comeback film, The Whale Sunday.
A video of the standing ovation was posted on social media at one point, in which Fraser raised his hands before putting them on his knees.
A larger round of applause greeted him when he tried to exit the auditorium, Variety reported, and he hugged director Darren Aronofsky “multiple times during the ovation.”
The outlet said this caused him to stay still for a bit longer.
Fraser discussed the “undulating emotion” of playing Charlie in the movie before its Sunday debut. Fraser endured a major physical makeover to play the 600-lb. man.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, he commented before the movie’s debut, “I think it’s poetic that the trauma he endures is visible in the physical weight of his body.” “I had to fully learn how to move in a different way. I gained muscles I had no idea I had. When all the equipment was taken out at the end of the day, I experienced vertigo, which is a feeling similar to what you could experience in Venice when you walk off a boat and onto a dock.”
“And I say this because he taught me to appreciate people with similar bodies because I discovered that it takes a physically and mentally incredibly strong person to inhabit that physical being. And I believe that’s Charlie as well “Added Fraser.
After looking for a position that would allow him to discover “what I was capable of,” Fraser told Vanity Fair on Wednesday that he decided to take on the project.
“Why even try if there is no risk?” he said. “At this career stage, I’d like to pick up experience from those I work with. I’ve experienced such a wide range of highs and lows, so in the second half of my time doing this, I want to feel like I’m improving the craft and learning from it.
“This is an excellent chance. I wished I could blend into it. My goal was to lose my identity, Fraser said.
Aronofsky, 53, revealed to Vanity Fair that depending on the details of each scene, Fraser carried an additional 50–300 pounds while filming. According to the site, the entire five-day film is set solely in the home of his character.
A24 debuted the first image of Fraser in July as Charlie, a solitary writing instructor who tries to connect with his teenage daughter, portrayed by Sadie Sink from Stranger Things.
Fraser’s first main role since 2013’s Breakout is in The Whale, according to Variety. He appeared in the film No Sudden Move last year and has recently been on the TV programs Doom Patrol, The Affair, and Trust. Before the news that the HBO Max Batgirl movie had been put on indefinite hold in August, Fraser was scheduled to portray the villain.
The screenplay was written by Samuel D. Hunter based on his play of the same name. The 2012 off-Broadway premiere received positive reviews from The New York Times. The space won a Drama Desk Award, the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play, and a GLAAD Media Award.
Hunter admitted to Deadline last year that turning his play into a screenplay was a labor of love for him. I’m grateful that this story will have the opportunity to reach a wider audience because it is very personal.
The Whale makes its theatrical debut on Dec. 9.
