Brendan Fraser Wins The Oscar For Best Actor 2023

It finally happened for him and we are all so happy. Comeback king Brendan Fraser has won the best actor Oscar for The Whale at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Fraser stars as a morbidly obese teacher in the film, which was directed by Darren Aronofsky and adapted by Samuel D Hunter from his own play. Fraser defeated a field of contenders including Elvis’s Austin Butler and The Banshees of Inisherin’s Colin Farrell. The role has already won Fraser best actor at the Screen Actors Guild and Critics’ Choice awards, and best actor nominations for the Baftas and Golden Globes (for film drama). Fraser chose not to attend the latter, after alleging in 2018 that the Golden Globes former president Philip Berk sexually assaulted him in 2003. Berk called the allegation “a total fabrication”. An internal investigation concluded that Berk had “inappropriately touched” Fraser, but said Berk’s action “was intended to be taken as a joke and not as a sexual advance”.

The 54-year-old American born Canadian actor broke out in the early 1990s with the comedy “Encino Man” and the drama “School Ties.” He was the face on movie posters for “George of the Jungle” and “The Mummy” trilogy, where he worked with fellow Oscar nominee Michelle Yeoh. He did dramatic turns in “Gods and Monsters,” “The Quiet American, With Honors and 2006 best-picture winner “Crash.” His starring roles in Journey To The Center Of The Earth, Bedazzled & Blast From The Past Also did well. He had his share of projects that bombed, too.

Then Fraser all but disappeared. He battled depression due to the incident and was off the big screen for several years dealing with a series of personal issues involving divorce, his mother’s death, health problems and an alleged assault by the then-president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. He boycotted this year’s Golden Globes as a result. He painstakingly took on a bunch of supporting and small roles and clawed his way back up.

From 1992 when I watched him for the first time in Encino Man, I have been a fan and supporter. Throughout the years he had some really good movies that have resonated with me like With Honours,  Airheads, George Of The Jungle, Blast From The Past, Bedazzled, Journey To The Center Of The Earth & the Mummy Trilogy. Since 2010 he has struggled for major roles and with the issues of his health & depression the man took his time away from the spotlight to recover and spent 7 year in and out of hospital. Roles in tv series like Condor, Trust & as a main cast member of Doom Patrol has brought him back into the limelight and finally with The Whale, he is back where he belongs.

Congratulations Brendan!