Oscars 2023: Brendan Fraser bags Best Actor, becomes first-time Academy Award winner

Brendan Fraser clinched the Oscar in the Best Actor category at 95th Academy Awards for his portrayal of Charlie in the film The Whale. The actor was up against Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Austin Butler (Elvis), Bill Nighy (Living) and Paul Mescal (Aftersun). Fraser is a first-time Acadmey Award winner.

Accepting the golden statuette, Fraser said, “so this is what the multiverse looks like! I’m grateful to Darren Aronofsky for throwing me a creative lifeline and hauling me aboard the good ship The Whale, That was written by Samuel D. Hunter, who is our lighthouse. Gentleman, you laid your whale-sized hearts bare so that we could see into your souls like no one else could do. It is my honor to be named alongside you in this category. I want to tell you that only whale’s can swim at the depth of talent of Hong Chau.”

“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,” he added. 

More about The Whale 

Directed by Darren Aronofsky, Brendan Fraser played a morbidly obese English teacher in The Whale, who is eating his way to death and is also attempting to mend fences with his estranged daughter, played by Sadie Sink. 

The movie marked Fraser's return to the Hollywood. His performance in The Whale got standing ovation at multiple film festivals including Venice, London, and Toronto. The Whale's other win at Oscars was in the Hairstyling and Makeup category.