Brendan Fraser, the ’90s heartthrob who made a career comeback with his Oscar season performance in “The Whale,” won best actor.
“So this is what the multiverse looks like!” exclaimed an emotional Fraser. He then went on to thank his cast, crew, and family in a nautical-themed speech.
“Darren Aronofsky threw me a creative lifeline and hauled me aboard the good ship ‘The Whale,'” Fraser said. “That was written by Samuel D. Hunter, our lighthouse keeper. Gentleman, you bared your whale-sized hearts for us to peer into your souls like no one else could. It is an honour to be included in this category with you. Only whales can swim at the depth of talent that Hong Chau [fellow nominee] possesses.”
“I started in this business 30 years ago, things didn’t come easy to me but there was a facility that I didn’t appreciate at the time, until it stopped. I just want to say thank you for this acknowledgement. It couldn’t be done without my cast. It’s been like I’ve been on a diving expedition and the air on the line to the surface is being watched over by some people in my life like my sons.”
Fraser won the Academy Award for his performance as Charlie, a housebound 600-pound English teacher attempting to repair his relationship with his estranged daughter, Sadie Sink.