Hollywood star Brendan Fraser relished the limelight at the Venice Film Festival once again and received plaudits for his performance in the upcoming Darren Aronofsky film, 'The Whale.'
According to Variety, the 53-year-old actor maintained his calm while strolling the red carpet of the prestigious festival before sobbing in the auditorium when audiences applauded the star for his performance for six minutes.
Fraser was then troubled by the psychological effects of an alleged sexual assault incident that occurred in 2003. Fraser, who has mainly avoided the spotlight after treating physical infirmities as a result of executing many of his own stunts on screen, was also plagued by these effects, according to Fox News.
He's coming back to the big screen as Charlie, a 600-pound gay man who feels like his life is about to end, in what many think might be an Oscar contender.
In a video taken inside the festival, Fraser is seen visibly upset by the reception to the film and struggling to stand up as the audience applauds after the titles have finished. "Brendan Fraser is back -- and he sobbed during the #Venezia79 six-minute standing ovation for #TheWhale," Ramin Setoodeh tweeted. He then added, "The standing ovation for #TheWhale was so enthusiastic, Brendan Fraser tried to leave the theater but the crowd's applause made him stay."
During a pre-show interview with the press, Fraser showed gratitude for "the warm reception" he's received since discussing his latest work. "I'm looking forward to how this film makes a deep impression on everyone as much as it has on me," he said, via The New York Times.
Fraser described having to wear numerous prosthetics, some of which may weigh up to 300 pounds, in order to portray Charlie, a reclusive character based on Samuel D. Hunter's 2012 Off-Broadway production. "I needed to learn to move in a new way," Fraser said. "I developed muscles that I did not know that I had. I even felt a sense of vertigo at the end of the day when all the appliances were removed, just as you would feel stepping off the boat onto the dock here in Venice."
But still, walking in Charlie's footsteps gave Fraser "an appreciation for those whose bodies are similar because I learned that you need to be an incredibly strong person physically, mentally, to inhabit that physical being. And I think that is Charlie."
Fraser's career is making a significant comeback with this part as it is his first major leading role in almost ten years. This year, "The Mummy" star has roles in "Behind the Curtain of Night," which also stars Dawn Olivieri and Marcia Cross, and Mart Scorsese's most recent western, "Killers of the Flower Moon."
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