Actor Brendan Fraser is being hailed as a comeback kid after his performance in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale.” Variety, Andy Wire and Awards Daily all have Fraser at the top of their list for best actor along with Austin Butler for his performance as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll in “Elvis” and Colin Farrell for “Insane Banshees.” for his role in “
“The Wheel” is a film about a 600-pound teacher in failing health who desperately wants to bond with his daughter. “With ‘Whale,’ Aronofsky and Fraser have taken significant risks in the name of emphatic empathy. I think, and my tear ducts agree, that those risks paid off,” Glenn Kenney writes for Roger Ebert.com. .
Usually, when people are front-runners for an Academy Award they are likely to get a nod from the Golden Globes as well. However, if Fraser is nominated, he will not participate.
“I have so much history with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association that I respect the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” Fraser told GQ in an interview. “No, I will not participate.”
“It’s because of the history I have with it,” Fraser continued. “And my mother didn’t raise a hypocrite. You can tell me a lot, but not this.”
Fraser alleges that in 2003, Philip Burke, former president and member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), sexually assaulted Fraser over lunch at a Beverly Hills hotel. “I felt sick. I felt like a little kid,” he told GQ. “I felt like there was a lump in my throat. I thought I was going to cry.”
When Fraser went public with the claim in 2018, it was a show of support for the actor at a time when health problems and the trauma of the attack forced him to step aside. Burke disputed Fraser’s claim and reached out to him but he admitted no wrongdoing.
Burke denied the accusation in a statement: “Mr. Fraser’s version is a complete forgery.
Via Montclair Film
The HFPA wrote a joint statement to be signed by Fraser but he refused because he felt it belittled Burke’s behavior. Burke was kicked out of the HFPA last year but not for his behavior toward Fraser. He was expelled after writing an email to HFPA members calling Black Lives Matter a “racist hate group”.
Fraser’s critical acclaim for his performance in “Whale” is welcome for the actor and his fans who see him as a part of their childhood. He delighted many young Gen Xers and millennials with his performances in the 1990s and 2000s, including “School Ties,” “Encino Man,” “The Mummy” franchise and “Looney Tunes: Back in Action.” ”
Fraser told GQ that he is excited to do the press rounds to campaign for an Oscar announcement this awards season. But he won’t put his dignity ahead of his career by attending an awards ceremony by a group that he believes ignores his humanity.
In a city where there’s no over-the-top honor during awards season, Fraser shows he has even higher standards to uphold.
