Brendan Fraser was snapped with his partner Jeanne Moore at the Mill Valley Film Festival in San Rafael, California Thursday, for a screening of his comeback film The Whale.
Fraser, 53, donned a stone blue suit with button-down white top and navy blue tie. The Indianapolis, Indiana-born actor rounded out his ensemble with black shoes.
Moore, who made her first public appearance with Brendan at the Venice Film Festival last month, looked lovely in a mint green dress with plunging top and a dark blue clutch. She wore her blonde locks back and donned a light layer of makeup on the evening.
The latest: Brendan Fraser, 53, was snapped with his partner Jeanne Moore at the Mill Valley Film Festival in San Rafael, California Thursday, for a screening of his comeback film The Whale
Fraser, who has also been seen in films such as Encino Man, The Mummy and Crash, appears to be in the midst of a full-fledged career comeback with his performance in the Darren Aronofsky-directed motion picture.
His performance as a morbidly-obese teacher named Charlie in the drama has garnered massive buzz, as he received an extended standing ovation following the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival last month.
Since its premiere last month, The Whale has earned rave reviews from critics, and has kickstarted Brendan’s comeback after he stepped out of the spotlight following struggles with depression.
In footage shared on social media following the film’s screening, Brendan fought back tears as he received a lengthy standing ovation.
Fraser donned a stone blue suit with button-down white top and navy blue tie
Moore, who made her first public appearance with Brendan at the Venice Film Festival last month, looked lovely in a mint green dress with plunging top and a dark blue clutch
She wore her blonde locks back and donned a light layer of makeup on the evening
The movie marks the legendary star’s comeback after grappling with depression following a claim of sexual assault and being in and out of hospital for health issues.
The Whale is a psychological drama which saw Brendan undergo a physical transformation, as he plays a 600-pound man confined to a wheelchair, a role for which he also had to wear prosthetics.
Its official synopsis reads: ‘A reclusive English teacher suffering from severe obesity attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.’
The film is set to hit theaters on December 9, and marks Brendan’s first lead role in a movie since straight-to-DVD thriller Breakout in 2013, leading many fans to believe this is his comeback.
Fraser shot to stardom when he was cast in children’s favorite film franchises George of the Jungle and The Mummy.
His unbelievably chiseled physique earnt him a position as a Hollywood heartthrob as he thrashed around the sets performing stunts in high-action roles.
The Whale is a psychological drama which saw Brendan undergo a physical transformation, as well as wear prosthetics to play a man ‘living with obesity’
Fraser appears to be in the midst of a full-fledged career comeback with his performance in the Darren Aronofsky-directed motion picture
Since its premiere last month, The Whale has earned rave reviews from critics, and has kickstarted Brendan’s comeback after he stepped out of the spotlight following struggles with depression
The actor beamed as he appeared in support of the highly-anticipated drama
But Fraser revealed in a later interview the toll the stunts had taken on his body.
He told GQ in 2018 that when he filmed the third installment in The Mummy franchise, he was being taped up and was icing injuries in between takes.
Speaking from his home in Bedford, New York, he said the physical toll of his roles made him feel like a workhorse from the Orwell novel Animal Farm.
After rising to fame through the action-packed films, Fraser described his buff physique as resembling ‘a walking steak’.
However, in the same interview the actor revealed he believed he had been blacklisted from Hollywood after he claimed he had been sexually assaulted by the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Philip Berk, in 2003.
Fraser claimed he was leaving a luncheon hosted by the HFPA at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Hollywood when Berk shook his hand.
Fraser said: ‘His left hand reaches around, grabs my a** cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around.’
Emotional: In footage shared on social media following the film’s screening in Venice, Brenda fought back tears as he received a lengthy standing ovation
He added: ‘I felt ill. I felt like a little kid. I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry.’
Fraser claimed he was able to remove Berk’s hand before running out of the hotel and going straight home. He told his then wife, Afton Smith, about the incident but never made it public.
Instead, his reps asked Berk for a written apology, which he provided, but did not admit any wrongdoing.
Speaking to GQ about the claims, Berk acknowledged he had written a letter of apology to Fraser but insisted he had not done anything wrong and dismissed Fraser’s account as ‘a total fabrication’.
After Fraser reported the claim to the HFPA he said he believed he may have been ‘blacklisted’ and was rarely invited back to the Golden Globe awards.
Fraser said the incident had caused him to ‘retreat’ as he spiraled into depression.
He described feeling ‘not worthy’ as the decade wore on, leading him to take roles he was less proud of.