How Brendan Fraser Prepared for The Whale

How Brendan Fraser Prepared for The Whale

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re discussing how Brendan Fraser prepared for “The Whale.”

For this list, we’ll be looking at how Fraser transformed for what’s being hailed as the finest performance of his career and perhaps one of the all-time greatest.

Did you see “The Whale?” Let us know in the comments.

For much of his career, Fraser has been known for action adventures like “The Mummy” and comedies like “George of the Jungle.” However, he proved his dramatic chops in films like “School Ties,” “Gods and Monsters,” and “The Quiet American.” For director Darren Aronofsky, it was a trailer for the 2006 indie thriller “Journey to the End of the Night” that drew him to Fraser. In that lesser-known film, Fraser played a man with gambling and cocaine addictions. “The Whale” also deals with addiction, centering on a 600 pound man who can’t stop binge eating. Having explored drug and diet addictions in “Requiem for a Dream,” as well as addiction to perfection in “Black Swan,” Aronofsky was tailored to bring “The Whale” to the screen.

Aronofsky wanted to adapt Samuel D. Hunter’s 2012 play for nearly a decade, but he couldn’t find the right actor to play the lead until he realized Fraser’s potential. After meeting Fraser, Aronofsky knew that he was right for the role. Aronofsky sensed that Fraser could create a character who we’d empathize with in the first five minutes and grow to love by the 20-minute mark. Aronofsky has a reputation for rejuvenating stumbling careers, Mickey Rourke’s Oscar-nominated turn in “The Wrestler” being one example. After a series of unfortunate setbacks, Fraser was thirsty for a comeback role that would challenge his body and mind. Fraser fully committed to playing protagonist Charlie, telling Variety, “everything I had to offer is everything that you see on the screen.”

With little CGI used, Fraser had to be the makeup chair for 4-6 hours per day. Sometimes the prosthetics added 50 pounds. Other times, it was closer to 300. “The Whale” is a claustrophobic experience with Charlie mostly restricted to a couch, using a walker and wheelchair to get around his tiny apartment. Even with this limited setting, maneuvering would be a Herculian effort. Leading to the shoot, Fraser spent months training with a dance instructor to figure out how Charlie should move. Fraser also met with members of the Obesity Action Coalition, learning about their diets and struggles. Not just their physical struggles, but how obesity changed their personal relationships, the harassment that others inflicted upon them, and the link between weight and depression.

Fraser watched various movies, documentaries, and reality shows about the subject, but only so much research could prepare him for the uncomfortable shoot. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Fraser compared his torso prosthetic to a straight jacket “with sleeves that went on, airbrushed by hand, to look identical as human skin, right down to the hand-punched hair.” While the set was small, there were about 70 steps to the makeup room. A few assistants were always close by to help Fraser get around. Even standing up and sitting down required extra hands. When the makeup came off, Fraser had trouble finding his bearings, suffering from vertigo. Fraser reflected, “I learned quickly that it takes an incredibly strong person inside that body to be that person.”

While makeup artist Adrien Morot has received praise, the prosthetics have also been a subject of controversy. Sarah Paulson received criticism for dawning a “fat suit” as Linda Tripp in “Impeachment: American Crime Story.” Whenever there’s a list about “Friends” moments that didn’t age well, “Fat Monica” is often the thumbnail. “The Whale” has sparked similar discussions, some arguing it contributes to “fatphobia.” However, there are several differences between Fraser’s portrayal and the aforementioned examples. It’d be one thing if Fraser had to gain ten or twenty pounds for this role, but Charlie weighs 600 pounds. There isn’t a safe or healthy way any actor could gain and then lose that amount of weight. Method acting is one thing, but that’d be going too far.

Some asked Aronofsky why he didn’t just cast an actor who already matches Charlie’s weight. Aronofsky replied, “Outside of not being able to find an actor who could pull off the emotions of the role, it just becomes a crazy chase. Like, if you can’t find a 600-pound actor, is a 300-pound actor or 400-pound actor enough?” Casting someone with a serious health problem would also invite numerous risks throughout the shoot. Plus, an arthouse drama like “The Whale” rarely gets made without an established actor like Fraser in the lead. Aronofsky concluded, “There’s no way you can cast someone to play this job, so we had to use makeup to get there.” Fraser himself could also relate to Charlie on a level.

One user shamed Fraser on social media, comparing a shirtless photo of him in “George of the Jungle” to a more recent paparazzi pic. Many of Fraser’s fans were quick to defend him, but the before-and-after pic was still cruel. Various websites and tabloids have made similar mean-spirited comparisons. Discussing “The Whale,” Fraser told Newsweek, “I’m not a small man. And I don’t know what the metric is to qualify to play the role. I only know that I had to give as honest a performance as I can.” Watching the film, it’s clear that Fraser did everything in his power to portray Charlie as authentically as possible, learning from people who suffer from obesity while going on a personal journey.

Although Fraser isn’t obese or gay like Charlie, he shares a fair deal in common with him. Both went through a devastating divorce. Where Charlie sinks into depression after his boyfriend dies, Fraser was overcome with grief when his mother passed away from cancer. Fraser is no stranger to medical problems either, enduring surgeries on his knees, back, and vocal cords. Charlie might not be an exact reflection of Fraser’s real-life tragedy, but there is a coloration between the actor and character that shines through in emotional ways. Fraser doesn’t make “The Whale” about himself, however. He makes it about the people who have been mocked, dehumanized, and outcasted due to their weight, reminding everyone that these are human beings deserving of love and support.

As the shoot neared its conclusion, Fraser got somewhat used to being under all those prosthetics (or at least as comfortable as one can be). At the same time, Fraser reportedly felt “depleted” by the end. Aronofsky could sense that Fraser needed a break, telling him, “We’re going to come back and do this tomorrow. You peaked… It happens - you peaked.” Fraser ultimately got through the rest of the shoot, but it took every ounce of energy. One of the reasons Fraser accepted this role was to see “what [he] was capable of.” Fraser isn’t sure if he could give a performance like this again. Whatever future roles await Fraser, his performance in “The Whale” is already going down as one for the ages.

At the Venice International Film Festival, “The Whale” garnered a six-minute standing ovation with much of the applause directed at a teary-eyed Fraser. He received another standing ovation at the Toronto International Film Festival, along with the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance. Fraser has been nominated for a Gotham Award. At this point, it’d be shocking if Fraser wasn’t at least nominated for an Oscar, especially with endorsements from stars like Dwayne Johnson. Fraser faces stiff competition from Austin Butler in “Elvis” and Colin Farrell in “The Banshees of Inisherin.” Win or lose, though, Fraser has given the performance of a lifetime.