Will Brendan Fraser win an Oscar? George of The Jungle star undergoes major transformation for new film The Whale

Brendan Fraser is set to make a Hollywood comeback with his role as an obese dad in upcoming film The Whale.

The first image of Brendan as Charlie in the psychological drama film has been released.

Directed by Darren Aronofsky, the film is an adaptation of Samuel D Hunter’s 2012 play with the same name.

In The Whale, the 53-year-old plays Charlie, man who “lives with obesity”.

Brendan had to undergo a significant physical transformation, including the use of prosthetics, to take on the role.

He is joined by Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Samantha Morton and Iron Man’s Ty Simpkins.

The film’s synopsis on IMDb reads: “A reclusive English teacher suffering from severe obesity attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.”

The Whale does not yet have a release date, but is expected to be released in September 202 following its premier at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, which runs from August 31 to September 10.

As well as this highly anticipated role, Brendan is expected to feature in Martin Scorsese’s upcoming drama The Killers of Flower Moon. He will also play DC villain Firefly in the upcoming superhero film Batgirl.

• Brendan is 53-years-old and lives in New York
• Before acting, he attended a boarding school in Toronto
• His first film role was a sailor in the 1991 movie Dogfight
• Actor has never won an Oscar despite his impressive filmography
• He is divorced from ex-wife Afton Smith, who he shares three sons with
• His net worth is $20 million (around £17 million) 

Who is Brendan Fraser?

Brendan Fraser was born on 3 December 1968 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

He was the youngest of four boys, Kevin, Regan and Sean - and his parents, Carol and Peter, were Canadian.

Carol was a sales counsellor, and Peter was a journalist.

The family moved around a lot, so Brendan has lived in California, Washington, Ontario, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

He found his interest in acting while watching his first professional theatre show in London’s West End, whilst on holiday.

He attended Upper Canada College, a private boarding school in Toronto.

After that, he went on to graduate from Seattle’s Cornish College of the Arts in 1990 - and then began acting at a small acting college in New York.

His goal was to start his studies for a Master of Fine Arts in Acting degree at Southern Methodist University, but stopped in Hollywood on the way and decided to remain there to work.

His Career: Brendan made his film debut in 1991, when he played a sailor in the film Dogfight.

Just a year later, he got his first lead film role in the 1992 comedy Ecino Man.

The same year, he played David Greene in School Ties alongside Matt Damon, Chris O’Donnell and Ben Affleck.

In 1994 he starred in The Scout, With Honours and Airheads, alongside Adam Sandler and Steve Buscemi.

However, all three films were box office failures - as was his 1997 role in The Twilight of the Golds.

He later starred in films including The Passion of Darkly Noon (1995) and Now and Then (1995).

Brendan had his first major box office success in 1997, after starring in George of the Jungle alongside his then-partner Afton Smith.

He received good reviews for his 1998 role in Gods and Monsters, where he starred alongside Ian McKellen.

Brendan’s biggest commercial success came when he played Rick O’ Connell in The Mummy in 1999 and in its 2001 sequel The Mummy Returns.

In between these successes, he had a further two box office failures; Dudley Do-Right (1999) and Monkeybone (2001).

However, Brandan had moderate success with Blast from the Past and Bedazzled around the same time.

In 2002, he starred in political drama The Quiet American. In 2003, he starred in the live action Looney Tunes: Back in Action as lead D.J. Drake. In 2004, he appeared in the award-winning film Crash.

Brendan returned for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor in 2008, the second sequel to The Mummy.

That same year, he starred in Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Inkheart.

In 2010, he starred in Whole Lotta Sole. In 2013, he played an Elvis Presley impersonator in black comedy Pawn Shop Chronicles. In 2016, he replaced Ray Liotta in the Bollywood thriller Line of Descent.

Brendan joined the cast of The Affair in season three, as he played recurring prison guard, Gunther.

Fraser portrayed Robotman in the Titans TV series, and reprised the role in the spin-off series Doom Patrol, where he voices the character and appears as Steele in flashbacks.

Jake Michaels and Riley Shanahan physically portrayed Robotman.

Last year, he was announced as the lead in upcoming film The Whale, and was cast as Firefly in the upcoming superhero film Batgirl, as well as joining the cast for Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, and Max Barbakow’s Brothers.

Also in 2021, Brendan played gangster Doug Jones in No Sudden Move.

Throughout his film career, he also starred in theatre productions - starting in 2001 when he played Brick in the West End production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and ending in 2010, when he starred in a Broadway production of Elling which only lasted nine shows due to bad reviews.

His Health: Brendan took on many action and comedy roles, which required stunts and manoeuvres.

This led him to eventually need several surgeries including a partial knee replacement, a laminectomy, and vocal cord surgery.

He also badly injured his back in 2012 whilst clearing a fallen tree amid the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. He required surgery and rehabilitation for this.

His Low Points: In 2018, Brendan alleged that he was sexually assaulted by the then-president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Philip Berk.

He claimed that the incident took place during a formal lunch in 2003 - however he received a backlash for speaking out about the assault.

The assault, his divorce and the death of his mother in 2016 led Brendan into depression.

His mental health issues, combined with his physical health and a backlash within the industry caused his career to decline.

His Relationships: Brendan met his now ex-wife Afton Smith in 1993, after meeting at actress Winona Ryder’s barbecue.

The pair married in 1998 and had three sons, Griffin, Holden and Leland, before divorcing in 2009.

Afton now has custody of the three boys, who she lives with in their Connecticut home.

She is also an actress, famous for her roles in the 1990’s movies George of the Jungle, Reality Bites, Less Than Zero, and Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.

His Money: His net worth is $20 million (around £17 million) according to Celebrity Net Worth.

However, last year The Things reported that his net worth had fallen from $45 million (around £37 million).

His Connections: He has acted alongside Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in School Ties, Adam Sandler in Airheads, and Rachel Weisz in The Mummy and its sequels.