Brendan Fraser wins best actor Oscar for 'The Whale'
Entertainment
The role marked his return to big screen as a leading man after nine-year absence from big roles.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Brendan Fraser won his first Academy Award on Sunday for his performance as a 600-pound (270-kg) gay man trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter in “The Whale.”
Fraser was already touted as an Oscar contender when Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller premiered at last summer’s Venice Film Festival. The film was adapted from Samuel Hunter's 2012 play of the same name.
The role marked his return to the big screen as a leading man after a nine-year absence from major roles. Once the star of big releases like “George of the Jungle” and the action-packed “Mummy” trilogy, Fraser had largely retreated from the limelight in part due to injuries sustained from doing stunts.
The 54-year-old actor took on a new set of physical challenges for “The Whale.” He wore a heavy bodysuit, prosthetics and makeup, which could take up to six hours to apply, to embody the story's obese hero, Charlie. The result left him barely able to walk in his character's cramped home.
