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Brendan Fraser delivered an emotional acceptance speech in response to his Oscar win for his performance in The Whale. Based on the stage play of the same name, the critically acclaimed indie features Fraser in the role of a morbidly obese English professor who seeks to reconnect with his estranged daughter (played by Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink). Directed by Darren Aronofsky, The Whale debuted at last year’s Venice Film Festival, where it received a six-minute-long standing ovation.
Following an impressive performance during the recent awards season, Fraser walked away with the Oscar for Best Actor at this year’s 95th Academy Awards (via ABC7).
Beating out fellow nominees Austin Butler, Colin Farrell, Paul Mescal and Bill Nighy, the 54-year-old actor took to the stage to deliver an emotion-filled response to his win. Check out his transcribed comments below (via Variety):
So this is what the multiverse looks like! I’m grateful to Darren Aronofsky for throwing me a creative lifeline and hauling me aboard the good ship ‘The Whale.’ That was written by Samuel D. Hunter who is our lighthouse. Gentleman, you laid your whale-sized hearts bare so that we could see into your souls like no one else could do. It is my honor to be named alongside you in this category. I want to tell you that only whale’s can swim at the depth of talent of Hong Chau [fellow nominee].
I started in this business 30 years ago, things didn’t come easy to me but there was a facility that I didn’t appreciate at the time, until it stopped. I just want to say thank you for this acknowledgement. It couldn’t be done without my cast. It’s been like I’ve been on a diving expedition and the air on the line to the surface is being watched over by some people in my life like my sons.
How Brendan Fraser’s Oscar Win Tops His Career Comeback
Fraser’s Best Actor Oscar win is not only well deserved, but it also serves as a highlight for his recent career resurgence, dubbed by many as the “Brenaissance.” Beginning his career in the early ’90s, Fraser first rose to fame off the back of his appearances in films like Encino Man and Airheads. Toward the end of the decade, he would find his greatest commercial success heading up 1999’s action-adventure film The Mummy and its two subsequent sequels.
During the mid-2000s, however, Fraser’s status as a Hollywood heavyweight would begin to shrink. The actor would later go on to explain that his roles in action-heavy films such as The Mummy took a toll on his body, requiring him to undergo multiple surgeries. Fraser also intimated that for a time he was essentially blacklisted from Hollywood after alleging that he was groped by Philip Berk, former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
While Fraser never abandoned acting and continued to appear in several smaller roles over the years, The Whale represents his first major role in a Hollywood feature for over a decade. Now, with an Academy Award firmly under his belt for his amazing performance in The Whale, the star has reminded everyone of his considerable talent. Hopefully, this recognition will be just the start of a career resurgence for a beloved actor who is once again proving popular with audiences and critics alike.
Source: 95th Academy Awards (via ABC7 & Variety)
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