Monday Motivation: Announcement is made from the stage-,And The Oscar goes to Brendan Fraser……The Whale…’ After this, amidst thunderous applause, an actor comes to receive the award. Her voice is trembling and her eyes are filled with tears. He was crying even though he was happy. He gave his speech while saying thank you. He was crying even while leaving the stage. He was not crying because he was feeling any pain at that time, but he was crying seeing his efforts to overcome the battle he was fighting coming true. He was crying also because he was Brendan Fraser. Who had seen and suffered a lot.
We are not telling Brendan’s story just because he won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for ‘The Whale’ in 2023. We are telling his story because it took him more than 30 years to reach this award. Years before this time he had been declared a failed and lost actor. But a few years before this, this is the same actor of whom almost all the children of the 90s were fans.
Brendan Fraser first appeared in the Hollywood film ‘Dogfight’ in 1991. After this, he got proper recognition among the Indian audience with the 1997 film ‘George of the Jungle’ and 1999’s ‘The Mummy’. Brendan Fraser emerged at the same time when cable TV came to India. Children who watched dubbed ‘The Mummy’ on English channels or local cable TV channels were crazy about him. Now those children have grown up and are entangled in their everyday life.
In such a situation, it is appropriate for them to talk about Brendan Fraser because it will not only refresh their memories, but also glimpses of their beautiful childhood will come before their eyes and maybe amidst these beautiful moments, they can also get relief from their tension. Because this motivational story is about his favorite Hollywood actor.
Tales of Fraser single-handedly dealing with a horde of thousands of mummy devils
Fraser played a spoof of Tarzan in the 1997 film ‘George of the Jungle’. His comedy timing was liked so much by the audience that the film earned 180 million dollars. After this, critics praised his acting in the 1998 film ‘Gods of Monsters’. The film earned only around Rs 6.5 million but filled its bag with awards.
After this, Fraser’s era began which was golden, so golden that people started talking about him while standing on the street corners. This era started with ‘The Mummy’ which came in 1999. This film was seen all over the world. The result was that the film earned $416.5 million. After this, ‘The Mummy Returns’ of the same franchise also came in 2001 and ‘The Mummy of the Dragon Emperor’ in 2008. In which Fraser was seen interacting with a group of mummies in his familiar style.
Fraser dominated from 2000 to 2008
Fraser did films like Looney Toons: Back in Action and Crash after 2000. During this time, he also appeared in TV shows like Scrubs and King of the Hill. In 2006, he was also included in Canada’s Walk of Fame and with this he became the first actor of American origin to be given this honour.
But when everything started going wrong
Fraser suffered several injuries while performing his own stunts in the third film of the Mummy series in 2008. Fraser is quoted as saying in GQ, “I had to undergo several surgeries for the next 7 years after these injuries. During this time, my knees were partially replaced and a pad was placed on my spine and efforts were also made to heal it.
During this time, a mountain of difficulties fell upon Fraser. While undergoing surgery, he was also facing personal life problems. His wife Afton Smith divorced him after 9 years of marriage. He told about this in an interview given to GQ, “I was going through such things which you are not prepared for, but you have to face them. In such a situation, you adapt in a different way.
Brendan suddenly went out of the limelight. Now no one even talked about him. Years later, in 2016, Fraser’s first interview came. During that time his mother had left him. Years later, when people saw him, they found that he neither had that hunk of a body nor that beauty in his face. He was looking sad. He came into limelight but the headlines were about his obesity and shapeless body and presenting him as a defeated actor.
When Brendan himself told the story of sexual abuse to the world
Regarding Philip Burke, former president of HFPA, the organization that organizes the Golden Globe Awards, Brandon told in an interview to GQ website in 2018 that he had sexually assaulted her in 2003. He told – When I extended my hand towards Burke to shake hands, his hand moved towards my pants. After this incident, I started feeling sad and went into depression. Then I did not say anything out of fear that my career might be harmed. He also told that I was feeling very upset and lonely due to all this.
Brendan got cut off from the world
Brendan had also told that after this incident he stopped meeting people. His confidence kept decreasing and the effect was that he also stopped getting work. Even before the surgery started after 2007, Brandon was struggling alone with many problems. He was to be signed in the film ‘Superman’ in the year 2003. Director Brett Ratner also called him to meet, but times changed in such a way that the director of the film was changed and Brandon kept on becoming Superman. Brandon, who was struggling with several surgeries and divorce, also sold his California house in 2007. During this time, he was also given an order from the court that he will also give alimony of 6 lakh dollars to his wife every year.
Brendan had geared up for a comeback
Brendan also worked with Abhay Deol in the Bollywood film ‘Line of Descent’. This film came in the year 2019. The desire to show the weight of his work was not allowing Fraser to sit down. He decided to make a comeback and also appeared in DC’s projects ‘Titans’ and Dooms Day. After this he worked in the 2021 period drama film ‘No Sudden Move’ and then in 2022 ‘The Whale’. For this film, he received the Oscar for Best Actor in Lead Role at the 95th Academy Awards. Now call it a coincidence or his hard work, even in the 2024 Oscars, his last year’s film ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ has once again received 10 nominations in different categories.
If you have seen films like Shutter Island, The Irish Man, The Wolf of the Wall Street, then you would know about its director Martin Scorsese and what amazing films he makes. And the presence of Brendan Fraser in his film shows that he has not lost courage yet. He has emerged victorious after fighting every storm in front of which it is difficult to even stand. Struggling with physical, family and mental problems, he is back again today. Will Smithhas been included in the list of actors like Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio.
