Brendan Fraser praised for ‘powerful speech’ after breaking down at Critics’ Choice Awards | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV
Brendan Fraser, 54, took home the Best Actor award for his performance in The Whale, which he tearfully said, was about “finding the light in a dark place”. The actor has been hotly tipped for several major awards for his role in the film, but the Critics Choice Award win is his first.
Becoming visibly emotional onstage as he collected the award, he praised his castmates Hong Chau and Sadie Sink, while also singling out The Whale’s director Darren Aronofsky.
He said: “This movie, The Whale, is about love, it’s about redemption, it’s about finding the light in a dark place.
“And I’m so lucky to have worked with an ensemble that is incredible.”
“But you found me, and like all the best directors you merely just showed me where I needed to be.”
The Whale follows the story of a morbidly obese English teacher Charlie (played by Fraser) as he tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter, played by Stranger Things star Sadie Sink.
The actor added: “To those like Charlie, who I played in this, if you in anyway struggle with obesity, if you find yourself in a very dark sea…
“I want you to know that it’s good to have the strength to just go to the light, Good things will happen.”
Luke Hearfield said: “People were saying critics don’t like The Whale (which might be true) but even they still loved and appreciated Brendan Fraser’s heart-wrenching performance.
“So nice to see him get the recognition for what is debatably THE performance of the year. And that speech [holding back tears emoji].”
And Jeremy shared a clip of the speech and penned: “Powerful stuff. And so happy for the revitalization of Brendan Fraser’s career.”
Brendan first rose to fame in the 1990s with notable roles in movies such as Gods and Monsters (1998) and The Mummy (1999).
He continued to star in several popular films but took a step back from the spotlight in the late 2000s due to personal struggles.
He underwent numerous surgeries to correct damage caused by doing his own stunts for years.
In 2007, he also split from his wife of nine years, with whom he shares three children. He also struggled with the death of his mother, Carol, in 2016.
