Who is Brendan Fraser? A look at the first-time Oscar winner

Brendan Fraser has made a triumphant comeback to Hollywood after a six-year hiatus, with the actor winning an Oscar on Sunday for the film ‘The Whale’ at this year’s show, marking his first-ever win at the awards show.

He is perhaps most well-known for his roles in a number of movies in the 90s, especially ‘The Mummy’ franchise. But after a number of setbacks, the actor had to step back from acting. Here’s a look at the actor’s life leading up to his Oscar win.

Becoming a well-known 90s actor

Fraser was born in 1968 in Indianapolis to Canadian parents. Fraser began focusing on acting during his time as a student at Seattle’s Cornish College of the Arts. He later attended an acting college in New York City, before making the move to Hollywood to pursue acting more seriously.

His first role was in ‘Dogfight’ in 1991, followed by his first leading role in the 1992 comedy ‘Encino Man’, where he played a caveman who gets thawed out. He later starred in ‘School Ties’ with Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Chris O’Donnell.

But it wasn’t until 1997′s ‘George of the Jungle’ that Fraser experienced his first major breakthrough, with the film becoming a major box office hit. He played the eponymous George opposite Leslie Mann as his love interest, Ursula.

The film may have been a success, but it was also the first time the actor experienced health complications because of a role, which would be repeated later on. The actor recalled that his strict diet caused him to have severe brain fog while filming.

He then starred in ‘Gods and Monsters’ in 1998, the first Oscar-nominated film he was in, winning Best Screenplay at the awards show that year.

His biggest role also contributed to his health issues

In 1999, Fraser made a name for himself when he starred in ‘The Mummy’, playing adventurer Rick O’Connell. The film was Fraser’s biggest commercial success, with the film going on to get two sequels, ‘The Mummy Returns’ in 2001 and ‘The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor’ in 2008.

Fraser’s success in ‘The Mummy’ franchise found the actor performing his own stunts, and each film took its toll on his body, leading to an increasing number of health concerns.

“By the time I did the third Mummy picture in China [in 2008], I was put together with tape and ice—just, like, really nerdy and fetishy about ice packs,” the actor told GQ in a 2018 interview.

“I was building an exoskeleton for myself daily,” he admitted. The actor has since had a number of surgeries, including a laminectomy on his spine, a knee replacement, and vocal cord surgery.

The surgeries, the financial costs of his divorce from ex-wife Afton Smith, and being physically unable to work caused Fraser to step away from the limelight for six years, taking on smaller roles including a recurring role on the television show ‘Doom Patrol’.

His return to Hollywood in ‘The Whale’ and Oscar win

“I’ve never been that far away, is the short answer. Was I away, or was everyone away from me? I’ll give you the answer: It doesn’t matter,” Fraser told Entertainment Weekly.

“What’s important is that, either by design or accident, the amount of time it took for me to arrive at the place where I could faithfully play Charlie with the dignity, authenticity, and honesty that it demands, may not have been at my disposal had I not gone on that journey.”

During his acceptance speech for Best Actor for the role, he said: “I started in this business 30 years ago, and things, they didn’t come easily to me, but there was a facility that I didn’t appreciate at the time, until it stopped. And I just want to say thank you for this acknowledgment. Because it couldn’t be done without my cast.

“It’s been like I’ve been on a diving expedition to the bottom of the ocean,” he continued, “and the air on the line [has come from] some people in my life like my sons Holden and Leland and Griffin — I love you Griffey, my manager JoAnne Colonna, [my publicist] Jennifer Plante and my best first mate Jeanne [Moore].”