Brendan Fraser revealed that his son helped him connect with his morbidly obese character in his newest film, “The Whale.”
Fraser plays a 600-pound English teacher named Charlie who struggles to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter, played by “Stranger Things” star Sadie Sink.
The actor, 53, reflected on living with his eldest son Griffin, 20, as he discussed the role.
“He just turned 20, he’s a big kid, he’s six foot five, he’s got big hands and feet, a big body. I understand intimately what it is to be close to a person who lives with obesity,” Fraser told Interview magazine.
Griffin is the eldest of Fraser’s three sons (including Holand, 18, and Leland, 16) with his ex-wife Afton Smith.
Fraser explained that his son Griffin, who has autism, is also the happiest person he knows. “Because of the beauty of his spectrum — call it a disorder if you will, I disagree with you — he knows nothing of irony,” Fraser said.
“He doesn’t know what cynicism is. You can’t insult him. He can’t insult you. He’s the happiest person and is, in my life and many others’, also the manifestation of love.”
The actor explained that his relationship with Griffin and his family helped him to relate to his character, for which he has been highly praised.
“Being with my kids and their mom and our family has given me such love that if ever I needed to hold something of value up to try and translate that to what was important to Charlie [character in The Whale], I didn’t have to look far,” Fraser said.
A24 released the first official trailer for Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale” earlier this month after the film received long standing ovations at several film festivals.
The film premiered at Venice International Film Festival, where Fraser broke down in tears during a six-minute standing ovation for his role. “The Whale” hits theaters on December 9.
The movie marks Fraser’s career comeback to Hollywood after stepping away due to depression. In 2018, he revealed that a former Hollywood Foreign Press Association president allegedly sexually assaulted him in 2003.
He has since refused to attend the Golden Globes, even if he is nominated for his role.
