Brendan Fraser has been making an acting comeback in a big way in the last few years. After years out of the limelight and detailing the sexual harassment he endured as a younger actor, the beloved actor has been slowly taking on more roles. One highly anticipated performance is the recent film The Whale, where he plays a 600lb man struggling to reconnect with his estranged daughter. The film has already garnered critical praise for the actor, even receiving a 6-minute standing ovation at The Venice Film Festival.
While this new role is already creating Oscar buzz for the actor, Fraser's past filmography is full of gems and times when the actor has demonstrated his ability to nail the assignment. This article looks at just a few of Fraser's best roles.
Encino Man
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
The 1992 comedy movie Encino Man (known as California Man outside the US) is the role that shot Brendan Fraser into the public eye. Starring Pauly Shore as Stoney Brown, Sean Astin as Dave Morgan, and Fraser as "Link," the film follows Stoney and Dave, perennial losers at high school, who find a caveman frozen in Dave's backyard whilst trying to dig a pool. They thaw out the cro-magnon specimen and immediately decide to assimilate him into their world.
Fraser shows off his great comedic timing, something he is often not given enough credit for. He portrays a scared, confused, and wonder-filled anachronistic man perfectly, bringing a surprising amount of warmth and vulnerability to a character who doesn't say much apart from "nuggs." Is Encino Man a good movie? No, but it is a fun one and has become a cult favorite.
Airheads
Airheads was much maligned in its time, but has found an appreciative audience in the ensuing years. The film boasts a stellar cast with Fraser, Steve Buscemi, and Adam Sandler taking up the lead roles of the band 'The Lone Rangers.' Alongside the main trio are Chris Farley, Judd Nelson, Ernie Hudson, Joe Montegna, and David Arquette. It even features cameos from Rob Zombie and Lemmy Kilmister. The Lone Rangers are sick of being a nothing band and getting no attention, so they do what anyone would do. They take a radio station hostage to make them play their demo on the air.
Fraser shines as the deadpan and desperate band leader Chazz, with Buscemi offering another star turn as vaguely nihilistic bassist Rex. As time wears on inside the radio station, the band forges friendships with the staff, including cynical and laid-back DJ "The Shark" (Montegna). Sharing similarities with Empire Records, they discover the station is being turned into an easy listening one, leading to rebellion from everyone and seeing employees join The Lone Rangers in an act of mutiny.
The Passion Of Darkly Noon
In The Passion of Darkly Noon, Fraser plays the eponymous Darkly Noon, a man that has grown up in an extreme Christian cult. He is now left alone and wandering in the woods after violence descends on the cult and his parents are killed. On the verge of exhaustion, he is rescued by coffin seller Jude (Loren Dean) and his friend Callie (Ashley Judd). Callie takes it upon herself to nurse Darkly back to health, a confused Darkly, not used to women, begins to develop an attraction to Callie that he cannot understand or handle.
The situation is exacerbated when Callie's mute boyfriend, Clay (Viggo Mortensen) returns home. Clay's mother Roxy doesn't help matters by expressing her displeasure at Clay and Callie's relationship. Despite becoming good friends with Jude and agreeing to move away with him, after Roxy commits suicide, Darkly begins to believe his parents are telling him to kill Callie from beyond the grave. This leads to a final act that sees Fraser play a man with a completely broken psyche overcome by his past.
Scrubs
The incredibly popular long-running sitcom Scrubs featured many notable cameos, but one that most remember is Brendan Fraser's appearance as Ben. Brother of Jordan and the ex-brother-in-law of Dr. Cox, Ben is a fun-loving if irresponsible man, who is one of Dr. Cox's close friends. Ben was introduced when he arrived at Sacred Heart with his hand nailed to a board. During routine tests, J.D discovered Ben had leukemia, something neither Ben nor Dr. Cox would accept initially.
Though he only appeared in three episodes, Ben left an indelible mark on the show and audiences. He was a funny and oddball character, delighting in causing mischief and annoying Jordan. Despite his diagnosis, he remained upbeat and continued his nonchalance. However, this refusal to accept his diagnosis ultimately led to his death and the shaking of Dr. Cox's world.
Doom Patrol
DC television series Doom Patrol marked the true return of Fraser to screens. While he had taken a few roles here and there before the 2019 series, it was his role as Cliff Steele that truly put him back on the radar. While Fraser doesn't portray the physical version of Cliff for most of the series, his voice acting is an incredible testament to his skills. Cliff Steele is a troubled NASCAR driver, who after experiencing a terrible car crash, has his brain implanted into a robot body by The Chief (Timothy Dalton).
It turns out Chief has a house full of 'special' patients. These include Rita (April Bowlby), a former Hollywood actress whose body becomes a gelatinous pile of flesh; Jane (Diane Gurrero), the main personality of a woman with many, many personalities with different abilities; and Larry Trainor (Matt Bomer), a former Air Force pilot who is disfigured and has a negative energy being living inside him. Fraser's turn as Cliff Steele is frequently funny and often heartbreaking as he struggles with his humanity, the existence of his daughter, and his longing for his old life.
The Mummy
Brendan Fraser's career can't be discussed without mentioning his most famous and beloved role to date as Rick O'Connell in the 1999 adventure movie The Mummy. The film is often hailed as one of the best action adventure movies ever made, and continues to stand the test of time. Fraser stars alongside Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Kevin J. O'Connor, and Arnold Vosloo. Librarian and Egypt enthusiast Evelyn (Weisz) is presented with a map to the fabled city of the dead, Hamunaptra. After convincing surly adventurer Rick to guide them they find the site, and in true Evil Dead style, Evie finds the Book of The Dead and reads from it, awakening the titular Mummy, Imhotep (Vosloo).
From there, it becomes a frantic race to save the world from the vengeful Mummy as Rick finds himself in charge of protecting Evie and her brother, all while trying to stay one step ahead of the undead terror. Fraser is charming, funny, and a true old-time action hero in the role, lovable and believable with earnest courage that could easily be lost with a different lead.