Between action movies like The Mummy to dramas like The Whale, Brendan Fraser has done it all when it comes to his movie roles. Since doing the upcoming drama by Darren Aronofsky, the star wants more “meaningful” films in the future, as revealed in an interview with Collider (seen below).
Brendan Fraser and writer Samuel D. Hunter, who wrote the original play of The Whale, talked about the movie and what it meant to them. For The Mummy star, it changed his views on what kind of work he wants to tackle. While comedy and action are on the table, but “meaningful” to “not only everyone creating it, but your audience too.”
“I feel I have changed in the sense that I really want to work on projects that, honestly, I just care more about. I love to make people laugh, I love to have something exciting or interesting or innovative happen when I work on a film, but if there’s something there that can speak to a broader common humanity that we all share, I want to be a part of something like that.”
Brendan Fraser looks for more “meaningful” movie roles after The Whale
Aronofsky’s latest film follows an obese English teacher’s life, with a focus on his relationship with his teenage daughter, played by Stranger Things star Sadie Sink. The film also stars Ty Simpkins (Insidious), Hong Chau (Watchmen), and Samantha Morton (She Said). With some exceptions, it largely follows the same plot as the original play from 2012. Hunter did note that the biggest difference will be Simpkins’ character, who was changed slightly for the film.
The movie has largely gotten recognition for the performance by Brendan Fraser, getting him standing ovations at film festivals and some Oscar buzz. While he has kept working in recent years, most notably in Doom Patrol, he has not been much in the mainstream eye for quite some time. Between Max Barbakow’s (Palm Springs) next comedy, Brothers; Behind the Curtain of Night, and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, it looks like the star’s career is rising back to its former glory from the 90s and early 00s.
The rest of the interview went into the process of the film. Hunter went into detail about what changed between writing the play and film, which was mostly inspired by having a daughter of his own. The two also talked about the weeks of rehearsal, which is uncommon for the film industry to deliver so much time for people to prepare. That preparation led to rehearsing in a room designed to mimic the protagonist’s home.
The Whale will release on December 9.
