Brendan Fraser is thinking back to the emotional standing ovation he received in September at the Venice Film Festival when The Whale had its world premiere there.
The actor, who is 54 years old, spoke candidly about the movie and the responses of viewers to it during his appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers on Wednesday.
“I’ve just started weeping uncontrollably. That was the solution to every issue, “According to Fraser, the standing ovation lasted for a reported six minutes. In light of the conflicting accounts of the length of time that was spent clapping, Fraser cracked a joke about it by saying, “I believe it depends on who’s holding the stopwatch to tell you the truth.” In October, at the London Film Festival, he was met with a reception quite similar to this.
“I feel like I’m still waiting for someone to come in and tell me that the jig is up, you know,” he continued. “I’m still waiting for someone to walk in and tell me that the jig is up.”
When asked about the movie in further detail, Fraser said that he “thought that there was a true tale to be told about someone who’s confined behind closed doors,” providing an explanation for why he was interested in playing the role of the character.
“I definitely felt, you know,’ sign me up,'” he said of the picture that was directed by Darren Aronofsky, and he went on to emphasize his passion for the prosthetics that allowed him to portray the character: “I really felt, you know,’ sign me up,'” he remarked. “I like the art of filmmaking as well as all of the components that go into it,” said the director.
In the film, Fraser portrays a reclusive professor who tries unsuccessfully to get in touch with his estranged teenage daughter, who is portrayed by Sadie Sink. The movie depicts the life of this character.
At the beginning of the program, presenter Seth Meyers stood up and came over to Fraser, where he greeted him with an embrace and a handshake in the midst of enthusiastic applause from the crowd. Meyers remembered working with Fraser in 2008 on the production of Journey to the Center of the Earth and commended Fraser on his “earned” successes since then. He said that Fraser was “very nice and wonderful.”
During an interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers in September, just after The Whale had its world premiere at the Venice Picture Festival, comedian Nick Kroll raved to Meyers about how fantastic Fraser was in the film. He said that this was a significant step towards his return. After the movie is over, he is given a standing ovation that lasts for eight minutes. He is weeping now. You can sense that he is saying something along the lines of “I’m back, sweetheart. It is time for the Oscars. We are almost there!'”
Fraser was nominated for a Golden Globe as the year’s finest actor in a dramatic role. Later this month, the nominations for the Academy Awards will be released.
Thursday, Fraser shared with Meyers his confidence that he was engaged in work that he enjoyed. “I’m incredibly delighted that I have the opportunity to accomplish it.
The film, The Whale, may now be seen in cinemas.