Content Warning: This article touches on the topic of sexual assault and depression, which may be triggering for some readers.
Brendan Fraser has shocked fans with how different he looks after undergoing a massive makeover for his role in The Whale.
Watch Below: 8 Celebrity Transformations That Are Almost Unbelievable.
Transforming into a 600-pound man for the role, fans were shocked by the drastic change, with many remembering the star’s sculpted physique in George of the Jungle and Encino Man.
An adaption of the 2012 play of the same name by Samuel D.Hunter, The Whale sees Brendan play a morbidly obese English teacher attempting to form a relationship with his estranged teenage daughter, played by Stranger Things star Sadie Sink.
Brendan Fraser spoke to Newsweek in June 2021 about the role explaining that “the wardrobe and costume was extensive, seamless, cumbersome.”
“This is certainly far removed from anything I’ve ever done but not to be coy, I haven’t seen any of it yet but I do know it’s going to make a lasting impression,” he said.
The R-rated drama debuted at the Venice Film Festival in 2021 and was Brendan’s first leading role in nearly 10 years. It received a six minute standing ovation which prompted the actor to tear up.
The actor shot to fame in the nineties following a number of popular films including The Mummy trilogy, Encino Man, George of the Jungle and Inkheart.
Despite his performance in The Whale earning him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama, the actor boycotted the event after claiming in 2018 that he was sexually assaulted by the then-president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 2003.
“I was blaming myself and I was miserable – because I was saying: ‘this is nothing; this guy reached around and he copped a feel.’ That summer wore on – and I can’t remember what I went on to work on next,” he told GQ in 2018.
In the same interview, the star spoke candidly about his struggles with depression, explaining how the culmination of backlash he received within the industry for speaking out, the death of his mother, his divorce and health issues all played integral roles in the decline of his career.
The actor has also been vocal on the physical toll action films had on his body, claiming that “by the time I did the third Mummy picture in China [in 2008], I was put together with tape and ice… ’cause they’re small and light and they can fit under your clothes. I was building an exoskeleton for myself daily.”
The actor’s injuries required multiple surgeries, with Brendan estimating that he was in and out of hospital for almost seven years.
If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit their website.
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