Hollywood forgave Brendan Fraser for his bravery. Tinseltown rarely does

There is no question that Brendan Fraser dominated the screen throughout the 90s and 2000s. I have fond childhood memories of watching Fraser in films like George of the Jungle, The Mummy, and so much more. However, by the 2010s, the actor was making fewer appearances; people suspected he had been blacklisted, and it seemed like his career was over. 

Since then, the actor has made quite the comeback, and it seems Hollywood has “forgiven” Fraser for his bravery, though this seems more like an exception than the norm.

The sexual assault allegation and a career break

Fraser started fading from our screens around the turn of the last decade. His last memorable roles, at least for me, were Journey to the Center of the Earth and Inkheart, although a box-office flop in the form of Furry Vengeance (2010) may have been the final nail in the coffin. 

However, in 2018, Fraser disclosed a sexual assault allegation against Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Philip Berk. He claimed that Berk assaulted him by groping his groin and genitals during a luncheon in 2003. While Berk had dismissed those allegations, he acknowledged them in a 2014 memoir in which he claimed to have groped the actor “in jest.”

The revelation led many to speculate that Brendan Fraser had been blacklisted by Hollywood for speaking out. Even Fraser suspected as much, admitting in a GQ interview from 2018 that he had stopped getting calls for parts: “The phone does stop ringing in your career, and you start asking yourself why. There’s many reasons, but was [my allegation] one of them? I think it was.”

After years of being left outside in the cold, something unexpected happened: Hollywood welcomed Brendan Fraser back. The 2020s saw a big resurgence in the actor’s popularity, so much so that it was labeled the “Brenaissance” by the actor’s fans. After The Whale, he became a household name once again. If he really was blacklisted, it seems Hollywood took him off that list about five years ago.

Brendan Fraser was “forgiven,” but others in Hollywood still struggle

Whether his talent was recognized once more or he got lucky, it seems the industry that once shunned him has given him a second chance. But there are so many stars who are still struggling to make that comeback after seemingly being blacklisted from Hollywood.

Actors who are in the same shoes Fraser was in, who spoke up and subsequently got silenced. Anyone remember Rose McGowan? For a while, she was a household name, and she even starred alongside Brendan Fraser in a handful of films together. But she claimed to have been blacklisted after she accused Harvey Weinstein of raping her.

McGowan isn’t the only one; numerous actresses such as Ashley Judd, Mira Sorvino, and more have seemingly had irreparable damage done to their careers after speaking their truth. And it’s not just women either; male actors have also been shut out after setting boundaries, such as Neal McDonough, who was reportedly fired from a project and “blackballed” for two years for refusing to shoot a love scene.

Men and women in the industry are paying the price for speaking up. While it’s great that Brendan Fraser was allowed back into Tinseltown, so many have been left to struggle. Can Hollywood turn over a new leaf and make Fraser’s comeback a more common occurrence? I sure hope so.