The Brenaissance: The Trial, Murder and Resurrection of Brendan Fraser

When I think of childhood, I think Brendan Fraser. His face takes me to a time in my life when I was less insecure, less serious, and more hopeful. I remember getting lost in his wacky movies; crying with laughter when he wakes up as a Columbian drug lord in Bedazzled, or when he runs through the Louvre as Bugs and Daffy melt into The Persistence of Memory in Looney Tunes: Back in Action. His fun, silly and epic movies made me fall head over heels for cinema, igniting a passion that has defined my existence ever since.

The Mummy trilogy, George of the Jungle, Airheads, and Encino Man are iconic comedic staples for most millennial/Gen Z youth. Fraser was known for playing the dominant, quick-witted lead, as well as the dishy dummy, and would often have the opportunity to demonstrate both archetypes in the same film. No matter what role he was in, I always felt safe in his hands. Why? Because he never failed to make me laugh, and for that, I love him.

As I grew up and the rocky road of adolescence faded into the background, it suddenly hit me – on a nostalgic evening in my early twenties, I thought: Where did Brendan Fraser go? It felt as if I had made him up – like a childhood imaginary friend. Had he fallen victim to The Mandela Effect? How could someone so well-loved, quietly drift into the shadows right in front of us? What the hell happened to him?

Trial

In 2018, Fraser sat down with GQ’s Zach Baron and told him what happened in the summer of 2003. Prior to this interview, certain details had been made public, but this was the first time Fraser himself had spoken publicly about any of it.

On the way out of a Beverly Hills Hotel luncheon, hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (the organisation that hosts the Golden Globes), Fraser was beckoned over by the former president of the HFPA, Philip Berk. Berk claims he put out his hand and pinched Fraser on the behind as a joke (detailed in his memoir), however, Fraser recounts a different version of events:

“His left-hand reaches around, grabs my ass cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around.” Fraser was in complete shock, overcome with panic and fear before he found the strength to remove his hand. “I felt ill. I felt like a little kid. I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry.” – A feeling victims of sexual assault know all too well.

He rushed out of the room, past a police officer he was too scared to seek help from, and then home, where he told his then wife what had occurred. “I felt like someone had thrown invisible paint on me.” Later, Berk stated in an email that “Mr. Fraser’s version is a total fabrication.” At the time GQ interviewed Fraser about the assault 15 years later, Berk was still a HFPA member. Berk has since been expelled from the organisation, however, not for Fraser’s claims, but instead for a racist email, he shared about the Black Lives Matter movement in 2021.

Berk sent Fraser a letter after his reps asked for a written apology from the HFPA. The letter stated that  “my apology admitted no wrongdoing” and detailed the usual “‘if I’ve done anything that upset Mr. Fraser, it was not intended and I apologize.’ ”

Murder

The assault caused Fraser to become depressed and withdraw from the industry and public life. This wasn’t entirely voluntary as he also felt shunned by the industry. He considered sharing his story at the time, but told GQ he didn’t want it to become “part of [his] narrative“. Allegedly, the HFPA said Fraser would never have to be in a room with Berk again, and from that point on, he was rarely invited to Hollywood events such as the Golden Globes, causing him to believe he was blacklisted for telling the organisation what the former president had done.

The industry is notorious for silencing victims of sexual abuse. The fear of being labelled as ‘problematic’ or ‘difficult’ traps the victim in as they worry windows of opportunity will close on their career if they speak out. The perpetrator’s feedback to the boys club at the top – dictating a victim’s future like puppet masters. This alone keeps a victim quiet, reinforcing the ranks to show they are easily expendable, no matter how high-profile they are.

As time went by, Fraser starred in movies and TV shows that he was less proud of, works that also received less attention before he slipped under the radar completely. His health and marriage subsequently deteriorated, and he couldn’t help but pinpoint where it all went wrong – the summer of 2003. “The phone does stop ringing in your career, and you start asking yourself why. There’s many reasons, but was this one of them? I think it was.”

Weeks before he broke his silence with the interview, Fraser watched the Golden Globes, feeling hopeful for change as the industry came together in solidarity – wearing all black and Time’s Up pins. Actors took to the stage and each spoke about how this is a moment of immense change; men and women will no longer tolerate sexual abuse, and they will no longer be silent. Those powerful speeches were soon shattered for Fraser as the camera panned to Berk seated in the audience. Berk was in the room, applauding their speeches on sexual abuse while Fraser watched at home, forgotten.

Resurrection

Meanwhile, somewhere in America, Darren Aronofsky was at his wit’s end trying to find the right actor for his project The Whale. He spent 10 years searching for Charlie, considering every actor imaginable, until one day, he came across a trailer for Journey to the End of the Night – a 2006 low budget Brazilian movie. Aronofsky had a eureka moment. The Whale hunt was finally over.

The new 2022 movie The Whale (set to be released this winter) focuses on an obese English teacher’s final days as he tries to restore his relationship with his daughter before it’s too late. I was lucky enough to attend the premiere at the London Film Festival where Brendan sat close by. As he took to his seat, he looked at us and clowned around with his glasses Looney Tunes style. (That alone meant so much to me.) Everyone laughed, cried, and ached at Aronofsky‘s most gentle film to date, and it was evident that Fraser was channeling his own pain/experiences into this role. The audience felt part of history in the making as The Whale blew everyone out of the water.

The film is based on the play of the same name by Samuel D. Hunter and is receiving rave reviews across the board, reigniting the world’s obsession with the actor, and entering us into the perfectly defined Brenaissance era. Awards season is also looking very promising for Fraser – he’ll bag that Oscar for sure, however, it was recently announced that he will boycott the Golden Globes if he or the film receives a nomination, and rightly so: “My mother didn’t raise a hypocrite“.

The Whale received a 6-minute standing ovation at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, where a teary Fraser was overwhelmed with gratitude. His next role will be in Killers of the Flower Moon – Martin Scorsese‘s new feature where he stars alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. Brendan’s back baby.

Conclusion:

While the clip of Fraser receiving his well-deserved standing ovation circles the internet, it’s clear to see that underneath the immense joy and honour, there’s a sadness deep within his eyes. This flicker of sorrow is inevitably justified as he’s back at the centre of an industry that kicked him out; Fraser has been built up, worn down and built back up again, and the fatigue from this stressful yoyo career has taken its toll.

Plunging him into the limelight once more is a stark reminder that the puppet strings are still partly attached; he returns to the room of people who looked the other way all those years ago and continues to look away from sexual harassment and assault. It’s like the industry is a creepy uncle with his hand on your lower back in a family photo – letting you know that he’s hidden but present and that he has the power. We are told that the industry is changing, but the actions demonstrating that change is nowhere near as loud as the words.

Although he has been torn apart and pieced back together, the toxic film industry cannot dim the ray of sunshine that is Brendan Fraser, and no matter what, those who owe their childhood to him will always have his back.

Which Brendan Fraser flick is your favourite? Share your thoughts and comments below!