Brendan Fraser says The Whale prosthetics gave him 'sense of respect' for people with larger body types
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Brendan Fraser says playing a man affected by obesity in The Whale gave him both "vertigo" and a "deepening sense of respect" for people with higher body weight.
"I became accustomed to wearing Charlie's body pretty quickly," Fraser told the PEOPLE and EW video studio of his character in the Darren Aronofsky-directed film during an interview at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. "I discovered that, once I took it off, I could still feel the sensation of wearing it, almost like an undulation. At the same time, once I took all the applications off at the end of the day, I felt a deepening sense of respect for people who live in that corporal being, because I could remove it like clothing and wardrobe and makeup, and their challenge to do that with their own body is not as sudden."
In the film, Fraser plays a gay online professor struggling to reconnect with his estranged, rebellious daughter (Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink) while in the care of his friend and longtime nurse (Hong Chau) following a decline in health after the death of his former lover.
Fraser called the movie a hopeful story, in which Charlie is able to see the good in those who can't see it in themselves. He reportedly worked with the Obesity Action Coalition to research both the mental and physical elements of the character.
"It gave me an appreciation for the incredible courage they have to possess themself with for their very survival, and it takes an incredibly strong-willed and physically strong person to live inside a body that is, in Charlie's case, hundreds and hundreds of pounds," Fraser continued, describing the process of creating digital scans of his body that were then used to create a mold that he wore during production. "In my mind, it looked like it belonged in the Tate Modern gallery. It was that striking to behold. I say this because it's important to have respect for those who do have that corporal being. I learned almost in a way, poetically, that you need to have incredibly strong will of spirit and body to inhabit a body the size of Charlie's, and that's an appreciation that I grew to respect more and more each day."
A24 Brendan Fraser in 'The Whale.'
The Whale held its North American premiere Sunday evening at TIFF, where Fraser received a lengthy standing ovation and cried on stage after the audience leapt to its feet to cheer his performance. He joined Aronofsky and fellow cast members Ty Simpkins and Sink for a post-screening Q&A, where he gave the moderator a tissue to wipe away tears before chatting with the filmmakers.
Elsewhere at the festival, Fraser made an emotional acceptance speech as he received the TIFF Tribute Award for his performance in The Whale.
"This is new for me," the actor joked at Sunday's gala. "Normally I'm the guy who hands these things out, and I got really good at it. The trick is: Left hand, hold; right hand, shake." Also at the gala, there was a mini Mummy franchise reunion with Fraser's fellow TIFF Tribute honoree, Michelle Yeoh, his Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor co-star.
A24 will release The Whale in theaters on Dec. 9. Watch Fraser discuss the film above.
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