Brendan Fraser Used 8 Bags of Ice Daily to Cool Down While Filming ‘The Whale’
Brendan Fraser is firmly back in the spotlight after a lengthy hiatus from making movies. His performance in The Whale is earning the beloved actor significant acclaim, including his first Golden Globe Award nomination.
With The Whale earning so much buzz from fans and critics, Fraser is opening up more than ever about the process he went through to create the character of Charlie. In a recent interview, the 54-year-old and The Whale‘s makeup artist revealed he would overheat due to wearing pounds of prosthetics. Here’s how he cooled down:
Brendan Fraser had to utilize extensive prosthetics for his performance in ‘The Whale’
In Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, Fraser plays Charlie, a morbidly obese English teacher who struggles to connect with his young daughter, played by Sadie Sink. Fraser is unrecognizable in the film, thanks to a lengthy process requiring prosthetics and makeup to make the actor appear much heavier.
Fraser and the film’s makeup and prosthetics director, Adrien Morot, admitted that it was very uncomfortable to play Charlie.
According to Vulture, Morot revealed the inspiration behind Charlie’s look, noting “I want(ed) him to inhabit the body of a man who weighs hundreds and hundreds of pounds. What is important is that the design of the makeup and all the accompanying apparatus that obey laws of gravity and physics.”
Morot joked that it led to “45 days of torturing poor Brendan.” To cool down, Fraser had to use large bags of ice to keep his body temperature cool. “My body melted eight bags [of ice],” Fraser said.
‘The Whale’ is receiving major awards show buzz
All in all, the prosthetics used for the role added about 300 pounds to Fraser’s frame. It took hours for the makeup department to fully fit Fraser into the specially-designed suit and prosthetics. Fraser recently admitted he would suffer from extreme vertigo after he removed the suit at the end of filming days.
The hard work and dedication proved to be worth it for Fraser and the rest of the creative team behind The Whale. The film has received generally positive reviews, with the bulk of the praise directed at Fraser’s empathetic, heartfelt performance.
It has received numerous award nominations, including a Golden Globe nomination and a Critics’ Choice Movie Awards nomination for Fraser. Many fans think Fraser will receive an Academy Award nomination for his work in The Whale.
What’s next for Brendan Fraser?
Fraser is currently riding the wave of his career comeback. The Whale isn’t the only high-profile project of his. The actor can also be seen in the upcoming Martin Scorsese drama Killers of the Flower Moon. This Western crime movie also stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, and Lily Gladstone.
The film is set to premiere sometime in 2023 and is sure to spark even more buzz for Fraser and the rest of the talented cast.
In addition, a vocal fan group has been demanding Fraser return to the franchise that helped to make him a star. Nothing concrete has surfaced regarding a possible new Mummy film. But there’s no doubt many fans would love to see Fraser back in action as Rick O’Connell.
Even Fraser himself said he would be down to tackle the action franchise again – so pop culture fans can hold onto hope!
