Though he has been taken for granted and misused by Hollywood for years, Brendan Fraser is still a damn treasure.
When you hear the name Brendan Fraser, what's the first thing you think of? Is it the rubber-faced, tenderhearted comedian featured in films like Bedazzled or Blast From the Past? Or maybe you think of the brooding intellectual seen in movies like With Honors and School Ties? Or perhaps you fondly remember him as the loveable goofball in comedies like George of the Jungle and yes even, Dudley Do-Right? No, most likely you think of him in the present day: a middle-aged actor, fighting a paunch and hair loss, bouncing back and forth between different kid movies and dad roles, no longer fit for the role of action hero.
And that's a shame. Whatever your opinion of Brendan Fraser might be, there is one fact that is undeniable: he used to be a movie star. That's right, a bondafide, and totally legit movie star. One reason that he attained this status was his incredible aptitude for sincerity that has endeared him to audiences throughout his eclectic career. In his hey day, he played roles as varied as caveman, student (twice), rocker, athlete, war veteran (twice), millionaire set of twins, and a Canadian Mountie.
Sure, some films were more successful than others, but Fraser's unquestionable screen presence made them all watchable. Because of his adaptability, it is difficult to categorize Fraser in any one type of role he looks at ease whether he's playing a Neanderthal or a Harvard man. Ironic that this versatility has proved to be a hindrance instead of an asset in his later years.
Perhaps Fraser would have been better suited to a different era of filmmaking. What if he had be alive during the height of screwball comedies? With his lanky frame, earnest demeanor, remarkable physicality and comedic skills, he would have been the perfect foil for actresses like Barbara Stanwyck and Kathryn Hepburn. Plus, he would have looked great in black and white. After the time for being a matinee idol had passed, he could have easily slipped into character work. But alas, he came of age in Hollywood during the 90s and a creature of the 90s he remains.
During that decade, Brendan Fraser ruled, appearing in films opposite other 90s icons like Pauly Shore, Adam Sandler, Ricki Lake, Joe Pesci and Alicia Silverstone. His first major movie role was in Encino Man in which he played Link, a frozen caveman who gets de-thawed by Shore (playing a character named Stoney ) and Sean Astin. The film could have been a disaster; instead, it was a triumph. Fraser's child-like Link became universally beloved, so much so that he reprised this role briefly in two more movies.
Encino Man is worth a rewatch if only for Fraser's performance. Just watch the scene in which Link mourns for the loss of his people as he looks at remnants of his culture in the History Museum. Being completely non-verbal, Fraser must speak volumes with his eyes, and he manages to convey frustration, confusion and grief in a single glance. The moment, filled with genuine pathos, seems out of place in such an extreme comedy, but it works.
Perhaps Fraser would have been better suited to a different era of filmmaking. What if he had be alive during the height of screwball comedies?
Fraser's next major project that year was School Ties in which he plays David, a Jewish student on a football scholarship to an elite prep school. Fraser's co-stars include Chris O'Donnell, Anthony Rapp, Ben Affleck and, perhaps in the most villainous role of his career, Matt Damon as Charlie Dillon, a jealous anti-Semite who tries to rally classmates against David. In a field of Hollywood's most promising stars, Fraser held his own, commanding the screen as David struggles with difficult choices should he sacrifice his identity to gain intellectual and economic advantages. It's hard to believe that this character is played by same actor who guzzled Slurpee's straight from the nozzle in Encino Man.
The mid-90s proved to be fruitful years for the Fraser as well. He starred in movies like With Honors, Airheads and The Scout, playing a variety of different and difficult roles. In The Scout, co-starring Albert Brooks and Dianne Wiest. Fraser plays Steve Nebraska, an unstable baseball prodigy who has to face his demons in order to be signed by the Yankees. Fraser's natural athleticism, charisma and dramatic range allow him to turn in a remarkable performance.
Other stand out roles included a small part as a nameless Vietnam veteran in in the coming-of-age drama, Now and Then. Fraser seized his moment in a memorable scene in which he briefly encounters the band of precocious young women on the road and evokes hints of dangerous sexuality and deep-seated wounds while harmlessly sharing some orange soda with the troop. In Mrs. Winterbourne, he proved himself to be a capable romantic comedies lead, playing a wealthy man who falls in love with the woman successfully posing as his twin brother's widow. Now, how's that for a screwball comedy plot?
Ironic that Frasers versatility has proved to be a hindrance instead of an asset in his later years.
In 1997, Fraser lost all his baby fat and grew out his hair to play the title role in George of the Jungle, once again playing a man of few words. Perhaps Fraser's facility with at playing wise innocents would later make it difficult for him to be taken seriously in other roles even though his performance in a movie like Gods & Monsters (as an angry ex-veteran) demonstrates that he is capable of much more.
In 1999, Fraser finally entered the action/adventure realm with The Mummy as Rick O'Connell, an American serving in the French Foreign Legion who gets mixed up with a comely librarian and her brother in a quest to find the lost city of Hamunaptra
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
06/05/2024
By Ilyse McKimmie
Now, more than ever
That's a phrase so often used in the last few years that I've come to dread seeing it in notes like this one. A...
06/05/2024
alt= class=wp-image-12099 data-lazy-src=/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Blog-Exabyte-Storage-Demand-960x540-1.jpg/> Demand for storage solutions has reached unprece...
06/05/2024
Around the world, Asian and Pacific Islander (API) artists continue to impact mu...
06/05/2024
Spotify is making it easier for booklovers to count down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until a new audiobook releases. With Countdown Pages for audioboo...
06/05/2024
Get Ready to join Dan Hong as he hits the streets in his ultimate culinary journ...
06/05/2024
In this video, cinematographer Simon Rowling welcomes viewers behind the scenes as he lights a daytime-interior scene inside a coffee shop. Shooting on Panavisi...
06/05/2024
L3Harris is well positioned to support the complex and multifaceted nature of special operations forces in all domains through our agile and responsive technolo...
06/05/2024
OAKVILLE, Ontario As part of Emergency Preparedness Week, Alert Ready, Canadas national public alerting system, will be distributing a test alert to Canadians i...
06/05/2024
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. Horowitz Research has released a new study on the viewing and media habits of U.S. Hispanic/Latine audiences that shows a dramatic decline in...
06/05/2024
RE:Vision Effects Autograph 2024.4 released! 50% Off Through May 9th
Brie Clayton May 6, 2024
0 Comments
New game-changing motion graphics & VFX featu...
06/05/2024
NBC has renewed Night Court for a third season. The courtroom comedy was on the network from 1984 to 1992, and NBC rebooted it in early 2023....
06/05/2024
ABC has revealed its summer schedule. The Bachelorette gets going Monday, July 8, with Jenn Tran the star in season 21. Celebrity Family Feud starts up Tuesday,...
06/05/2024
It's almost go-time for the Holly Springs Salamanders! The season opener is ...
06/05/2024
For years, radio stations have used on-premises servers to broadcast content and manage automation, traffic, and billing systems. As technology continues to adv...
06/05/2024
06 May 2024
AI and Big Data Take the Centre Stage in Central Asia at Beetech 20...
06/05/2024
FIRST LOOK AT JIM PARSONS & MAYIM BIALIK REPRISING THEIR ROLES FROM THE BIG BAN...
06/05/2024
NBC Sports and Churchill Downs Extend Historic Partnership, Kentucky Derby to Be...
06/05/2024
Beverly Hills Aerials, LIV Golf Make Australian-Broadcast History by Flying Live...
06/05/2024
Back to All News
Watch the Trailer for A Part of You - Felicia Maxime, Edvin Ry...
06/05/2024
Leadership in 12G-SDI for low impact migration to 4k production...
06/05/2024
Press release - 6 May 2024 07:31
STATEMENT CONCERNING EUTELSAT GROUP'S GROUND NETWORK Facebook
LinkedIn
Twitter
Download as PDF
Paris, 06 May 2024 ...
06/05/2024
Tyngsboro, Mass. - May 6, 2024 - Join us at InfoComm 2024 to experience the latest advancements in live production technology. From June 12-14, 2024, at the Las...
06/05/2024
To champion global movements to protect and advance equality for LGBTQ+ communities, Apple is introducing a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop, ava...
06/05/2024
Actress Matseliso Mohale has joined Muvhango'Talented actress Matseliso Mohale has joined SABC2's soapie Muvhango' as Vhangani's lover and a c...
06/05/2024
Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Leroy refuses to give up fighting to bury MthethoDon't miss Monday, 6 May's riveting episode of South African soapie Smoke...
06/05/2024
Intrinsic, a software and AI robotics company at Alphabet, has integrated NVIDIA AI and Isaac platform technologies to advance the complex field of autonomous r...
06/05/2024
Cybersecurity experts at the RSA Conference this week will be on the hunt for ways to secure their operations in the era of generative AI.
They'll find man...
06/05/2024
1) What is the rationale of the transaction? What is the benefit for SES shareholders?
This combination creates a stronger and more competitive multi-orbit ope...
05/05/2024
A special evening performance by multiplatinum singer Becky G will provide a memorable conclusion to TeievisaUnivision's Casa Cultura upfront event on May 1...
05/05/2024
Giant media buyer Publicis is telling network sales executives that it does not think Nielsen's new panel-plus-big-data currency is ready for this upfront....
05/05/2024
WASHINGTON Glenn Kirschner, legal analyst at NBC News, blasted the media for referring to the New York trial of former President Donald Trump as a hush-money ...
05/05/2024
Catchy Comedy's weekend marathon sees The Beverly Hillbillies on the weekend of May 4-5. The event kicks off Saturday, May 4 at 11 a.m. ET, and runs through...
05/05/2024
NBC Sports has the 150th Kentucky Derby Saturday, May 4. The coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock and the feature race at Churchill Downs in Louis...
05/05/2024
Back to All News
Netflix Announces New Comedy Series Roosters, Starring Jeroen ...
05/05/2024
Back to All News
Showdown Alert: Baki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura' Drops Electr...
04/05/2024
NEW YORK As the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicks off in May, Nielsen has released an extensive new report diving into their media habits with data sh...
04/05/2024
PHILADELPHIA As National Military Appreciation Month gets underway, Comcast has announced several new initiatives to help veterans, service members, and their f...
04/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled...
04/05/2024
The Broadband Forum has announced major enhancements to key 5G convergence standards that the group said will help advance next-generation applications, improve...
04/05/2024
Spotify Wrapped Campaign Spot Graded With DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design today announced that Colorist M...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
04/05/2024
New faces and new storylines': What to expect on Izingane ZeS'thembu...
03/05/2024
An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...
03/05/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Actors K stutis Cic nas and Greta Grinevi i t , Director Marija Kavtaradze and Producer Marija Razgute attend the 2023 Sunda...
03/05/2024
If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...
03/05/2024
Spotify has an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists across all genres, to helping them launch and thrive in their careers, and to connecting the...
03/05/2024
Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...
Though he has been taken for granted and misused by Hollywood for years, Brendan Fraser is still a damn treasure. 
