While Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is now synonymous with being a global film phenomenon, way back in 2001, he had only acted in two films. The second of those films, The Mummy Returns, featured a villainous turn as the Scorpion King opposite Brendan Fraser. Now, Johnson has reached out and shared a heartfelt congratulations to his co-star following his critically acclaimed turn in this year’s film, The Whale.Fraser spent a few years away from the limelight. Following a costly divorce and an injury that left him unable to act within the action genre (which is where he was best known), he disappeared from the public sphere for a while. Recently, he has begun to appear on-screen once again, playing such characters as Robotman in DC’s Doom Patrol. More recently, he took on a main role in The Whale, where he portrays a 600-pound man who attempts to reconnect with his teenage daughter (Sadie Sink).His work on the film was received with acclaim. Amidst a six-minute standing ovation for his portrayal of the character, Fraser was reduced to tears. Johnson took to Twitter to congratulate Fraser, where he referred to him as “brother” and expressed his happiness at Fraser’s renewed success as he retweeted a clip of the standing ovation.
Johnson credited Fraser for supporting him during the early days of his acting career, specifically calling out the Mummy franchise in his post. He also wished for Fraser’s continued success following this film, stating that he was “rooting for” Fraser, alongside the film’s director, Darren Aronofsky. Having been shared 14,000 times on Twitter, fans expressed admiration for the move and for Fraser in particular.
Fraser was also set to portray Firefly in the recently canceled Batgirl film. Reports from the film say that his role had been well-received before Batgirl ended up being shelved. There is currently a movement amongst the Batgirl cast to try and have the film released, so hopefully, we may still see another one of Fraser’s roles.
Fraser’s second rise in Hollywood is a heartwarming story. After certain misfortunes befell the actor, such as reports of the actor being sexually assaulted, he mentioned feeling ‘blacklisted’ from an industry that previously hailed him as an A-list actor. He is, however, a beloved actor with millions of adoring fans to this day - fans who all wish to see him succeed. To have Fraser find success following all of these incidents brings some warmth to the heart.
The Whale hits theaters on December 9, 2022.