If there’s one actor who absolutely deserves his comeback tour, it’s Brendan Fraser. If you grew up as a 90s kid, there seemed to be no movie that came out without Fraser in it. He was a staple of our pop culture and I know that almost all of us had to have had a celebrity crush on him. He was Brendan Fraser and was beloved by those young and old. And then he disappeared.
If you haven’t read the GQ piece on Fraser from 2018, you can check it out here. It’s a greatly detailed insight into the actor and why he stepped away from acting for so many years. It’s clear that there were some real and serious reasons as to why Fraser took a break and what’s nice to see, is the internet completely understanding Fraser. Far too often, audiences tend to not realize those in the limelight are real human beings. And life and serious situations get to them just as it does to anyone else.
I want to direct your attention to a recent interview Fraser did with a Tik Toker/Cosplayer (Little Lottie) and see his reaction to hearing the support he has online. It’s just one of the reasons we love him.
Part of our love from Fraser definitely stems from nostalgia. We were so used to seeing Fraser in our films growing up. And he always played (for the most part) these fun and goofy rolls. Fraser is almost like Robin Williams – seeing him on screen just made us smile. We were happy when we saw Fraser and we all knew we’d watch any film he was in. Seeing him is like a blast from the past – a reminder that the 90s were great. I mean, we had The Mummy, George of the Jungle, and other fun classics that are ingrained in any older Millennial’s brain.
I believe our love for Fraser also comes from wanting to see him succeed. When Fraser took a break from Hollywood, we all collectively frowned. No Fraser? Movies just didn’t seem like movies anymore without this familiar face to smile and tell us it was all okay. And Fraser is incredibly human, which I think we all can relate to. It takes a lot for Fraser to come out and reveal why he walked away and we all feel this protectiveness for him.
When I had heard Fraser was cast in DC’s Doom Patrol, I can’t tell you how happy that made me. Not only was Fraser coming back, but he was going to be in this stranger-than-fiction sort of comic book show. And if you haven’t watched Doom Patrol, you’re missing out. Fraser very much feels like the heart of the story. No, he’s no longer the goofy character from George of the Jungle. His character is very adult, curses a lot, and has a lot of learning/growing to do. And it’s the flaws that he has as Cliff Steele that makes him so enjoyable to watch.
Fraser has recently been cast in Martin Scorsese’s film, Killers of the Flower Moon; and I echo Little Lottie when I say, we’re all rooting for him.
What’s your favorite Fraser role?
A girl with too many fandoms to count.
