Brendan Fraser looks unrecognizable in the first image of The Whale
The first picture of Brendan Fraser at Darren Aronofsky The whale revealed the much-loved actor in one of his toughest roles yet. Having made a name for himself in action and comedy films of the 90s like George of the Jungle and The MummyFraser’s latest film sees him play Charlie, a man who turns into a 600-pound recluse after abandoning his family for his gay lover. As the film was set to premiere at the Venice Film Festival, an early image revealed an almost unrecognizable Fraser character.
The whale is the first of a number of high profile roles for Fraser, who is in the midst of a career comeback and will soon be seen as the villain of the new bat girl film, and was announced to be part of Martin Scorsese The Moonflower Slayers. However, its role in The whale certainly seems like the one that will likely grab attention come awards season and it certainly gives the actor a chance to show off his dramatic range.
The film is an adaptation of Samuel D. Hunter’s play of the same name, which, according to the synopsis, follows “a reclusive English teacher suffering from severe obesity as he attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for a last chance for redemption”. In addition to Fraser, the film also stars Samantha Morton, Ty Simpkins, Hong Chau, Huck Milner, Sathya Sridharan, Ryan Heinke and stranger things star Sadie Sink.
Sadie Sink loved working with Brendan Fraser
Having starred in a huge production like stranger thingsSadie Sink recently explained how intimate a small production The whale has been. However, it seems the young actress loved every minute of filming and had nothing but praise for Fraser and director Aronofsky. She says:
“Yeah sure. I don’t think I’ve ever done a project that had so much character work. Darren Aronofsky is obviously brilliant, and working with him was a really formative experience, and Brendan is so amazing there, and also probably my favorite human on the planet. It was so amazing to have this experience with him. I learned a lot about myself as an actor and tapped into an aspect of things that I didn’t have really explored before.
Fraser himself has previously been reluctant to discuss the film, having noted that the film would be “like something you’ve never seen before”. Darren Aronofsky being previously responsible for films such as Black Swan, the wrestler and Requiem for a dream, the director is known for bringing a lot of atmosphere and unique storytelling to his films. Writer Hunter also spoke about his belief that Aronofsky was the best person to bring the story to the big screen, previously saying, “This story is deeply personal and I’m so grateful that it has the chance to reach a wider audience. I’ve been a fan of Darren since I saw Requiem for a dream when I was a freshman in college, writing my first plays, and I’m so grateful that he brings his unique talent and vision to this film.”
The whale gets its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September and will hit cinemas soon after.
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