Brendan Fraser was the highlight of the Toronto International Film Festival. The Mummy star is set to make a comeback in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, playing a 600 lb man trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter. The Whale has been receiving rave reviews, with Fraser’s performance being hailed as one of the best of the year.


The Whale screened at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival recently, where Fraser was honored with the TIFF Tribute Award for performance, his first acting award in nearly two decades. Fraser is best known for his beloved action and comedy movies like The Mummy series and George of the Jungle, but he has occasionally ventured into more dramatic territory with films like Crash, for which he and the rest of the cast won a Screen Actors Guild award.

Fraser is making a comeback to mainstream films with The Whale, and he’s receiving love from fans and critics alike. His resurgence, aka the Brenaissance, is in full swing and evident from the TIFF audience reception to The Whale. The film got a 5-minute standing ovation before a visibly emotional Fraser took the stage to accept his award.

“This is new for me,” Fraser said (via EW). “Normally I’m the guy who hands these things out, and I got really good at it. The trick is: Left hand, hold; right hand, shake.” Fraser continued:

“Apart from being a part of some pretty impressive and talented ensemble casts, I think the last time that I waited to hear my name called aloud to receive an award was in grade 4, and it was from the peewee bowling league… My mom said it was a major award. Also, engraved on the plaque was the name ‘Brian Fusher,’ so, Brian, if you’re in the house, you can pick up your trophy after the show. This one’s mine.”

Related: Brendan Fraser Already Sparking Oscar Buzz for Acclaimed Performance in The Whale

Brendan Fraser Is Grateful To Be Starring In The Whale

The Whale premiere was emotional not just for Brendan Fraser but for the majority of the attendees as well. The Whale has been described as an emotionally devastating affair, and it’s all due to Fraser’s heartfelt performance. He plays Charlie, a morbidly obese man attempting to mend relations with his daughter after abandoning her years ago for his gay lover, who later died. Riddled with pain and guilt, Charlie developed an eating disorder.

It was a risky role to take on for Fraser, but he has managed to play the character with grace and humility, and is thankful the filmmakers took a chance on him. Here’s what Fraser said at the TIFF Gala.

“Art is about taking a risk, and [Aronofsky and writer Samuel D. Hunter] took a chance on me, and I’m grateful to them. The Whale is a redemption story… he’s gone through significant life changes and has forgotten about who he is and the ones he loves, and he’s running out of time to tell them that — if he can at all. But, he has a superpower: Charlie sees the good in others when they can’t see that in themselves, and he can bring that out in them. I’m a firm believer that we need more of that in this world. It’s the audience that gives cinema life, so I must thank you for keeping me in the job that I love because it’s nice work if you can get it.”

The Whale also stars Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, Sathya Sridharan, and Samantha Morton alongside Fraser and will be released in theaters by A24 on December 9, 2022.