From serious to seriously silly, we sure do love some Brendan Fraser.
As essentially everyone applauds and cheers (literally) the comeback of the iconic actor, and as we eagerly await Fraser’s new highly-touted film — The Whale — to hit theaters, it feels like a fitting time to have a little look back at all the roles Fraser has played.
We’ll wait a moment in case you were tearing up right along with Fraser as he received a six-minute ovation for his performance in The Whale, and consider that after all this time, just how beloved Fraser still is.
Are you more into his serious, dramatic takes such as School Ties, Crash, or No Sudden Move? Or, is Fraser at his best when he’s not taking himself too seriously at all and letting the fun fly, as in Monkeybone, Airheads, and Encino Man? Could be you even like a little mix of all three, and The Mummy stands as the specter above them all?
With that said, let’s highlight the roles and performances Fraser has brought us, rather than trying to bring too much gravity to how good the actual flicks were.
From one end of the spectrum to the other, tears and tears of joy, here are our 10 favorite Fraser film performances from the 53-year-old Canadian actor.
10. George of the Jungle (1997)
Yeah, yeah, we get it, the movie wasn’t the best. But this is some peak Fraser, flying around, pretending to be basically a cartoon caricature of a human being. And he pulls it off. If you wanna have some fun, I mean really just sit back and let your brain go all the way to zero while feeling some warm and fuzzy, then Fraser as the titular George is not a bad way to go on a Saturday night.
The character itself is a spoof of Tarzan, and Fraser goes full spoof. You might think you never go full spoof, but for Fraser, we’re all in with him.
9. Monkeybone (2001)
We’ll forgive you if you never saw this one. But we get to see Fraser being his best and most cartoonish self as he lives inside his own comic creation with a cartoon monkey, and attempts to save his love interest, played by Bridget Fonda. The film is also a smorgasbord for the eyeballs, as it’s stuffed full of color and wonder and pizzaz.
We’re suckers for seeing some great actors in something we wouldn’t expect. Just check out this all-star cast — Giancarlo Esposito, Megan Mullally, Dave Foley, Whoopi Goldberg, Rose McGowan, Bob Odenkirk, Thomas Haden Church, and Chris Kattan.
8. Crash (2004)
I’ve gotta admit right away that I did not like this movie and actually, hated it quite a bit. Not sure what all the fuss (or awards) were about, but Fraser is a marvel in his smallish role playing a district attorney running for reelection. Fraser brings nuance to his Rick Cabot, and he plays him with a soft yet somehow seething undertone for the audience to wonder about.
7. The Quiet American (2002)
We get Fraser’s understated side here, as he plays a character of multitudes and many secrets, who is somehow in a love story/triangle opposite Michael Caine. Fraser has to play up his naïveté in this role, even though he is actually the mastermind behind some devious ongoings in Vietnam. The movie originally aired as a rough cut on Sept. 10, 2001, and didn’t wind up with a real release until 2003. It did win the American Film Institute Awards’ Movie of the Year in 2002, with Caine also getting an Academy Award nom for Best Actor. If you never saw it, and you’re into the serious side of Fraser, the movie is a must-see as it still stands with an 87 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
6. Encino Man (1992)
Three words: Unfrozen caveman Fraser. Encino Man was a spectacular role for Fraser and features the actor at his charmingly goofiest. Encino Man still rates high on rewatchability, especially if you want to see a young Sean Astin and recall a time when Pauly Shore made movies (a lot of them, actually). It’s an eventual love story (I won’t spoil the ending just in case, er, maybe I just did…) that allows Fraser to fully deploy his talents — from buffoon to somber, stoner to intelligent, and all with a heart underneath it all.
5. No Sudden Move (2021)
Fraser is back! Sure, he made a few movies prior to this following his acting hiatus from 2014-2019, but this is the one that brings us the full Fraser again, and in a gangster movie to boot. His character operates behind the scenes, instructing all sorts of manners of crimes and controlling every scene he’s in. The Steven Soderbergh film sports a huge ensemble cast here with Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Amy Seimetz, David Harbour, Jon Hamm, Matt Damon, Ray Liotta, Kieran Culkin, Julia Fox, and loads more, but still, we think the movie could have used a tad more Fraser. It stands as Fraser’s second-highest rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes at 92 percent.
4. Gods and Monsters (1998)
The quasi-biographical film centered on the author James Whale, who wrote Frankenstein, and played by Ian McKellen, is hauntingly gorgeous. And we can say the same for Fraser’s portrayal of a gardener, Clayton Boone, who is made to resemble Frankenstein’s monster a bit. The movie features great interaction and dialogue from the two brilliant actors, and a passionately boiling tension (and sexual tension) that builds between them throughout the film — though only one of them is romantically interested in the other. The movie didn’t garner a lot of success in theaters, but it remains the highest-rated movie of Fraser’s career on Rotten Tomatoes at 96 percent. If you’re into knowing the full breadth and depth of what Fraser can bring to any role, you can’t miss Gods and Monsters.
3. School Ties (1992)
Fraser’s breakout role, which came out the same calendar year as Encino Man, is a deeply emotional film on many levels. Fraser is heartbreakingly relatable in his role as a Jewish student-athlete attending a Catholic boarding school.
The film’s takes on morality, ethnicity and the demons of America in the 1950s are all enthralling thanks to strong performances from a young Fraser and Matt Damon as well as Chris O’Donnell, Ben Affleck, and others. It stands the test of time, even though it’s been 30 years since its release.
2. Airheads (1994)
Depending on your age, you may have seen an edited version of this playing constantly on cable television. The real version is much better, and it’s also incredibly rewatchable. The trio of Fraser, Adam Sandler, and Steve Buscemi — playing characters named Chazz, Pip, and Rex, respectively (now those are some names!) — literally make music together, and are harmonious in their synergy together.
The premise is ridiculous, but the comedic effect throughout the film of the other characters pointing out the absurdity of their plot to become famous — and of their band name, The Lone Rangers. Joe Mantegna is phenomenal in the movie as a DJ named The Shark, and his line of, “How can you pluralize ‘Lone Ranger?’” still makes me laugh to this day. That’s nothing to say of the performances from Michael McKean, Ernie Hudson, Chris Farley, and Judd Nelson. Epic movie, epic Fraser performance.
Also: “Who’d win in a wrestling match, Lemmy or God?” Classic to the core.
1. The Mummy (1999)
Come on, you saw this coming, right? The highest-grossing film of Fraser’s career and also probably the biggest production he was involved in. Look at the roles listed above, and before The Mummy came out, did many really consider that Fraser would be an action and comedic star on the level of Indiana Jones? Because trust me, back in 1999, this movie was big and led to a successful sequel (and a not-so-successful one as well).
There is genuine chemistry between Fraser and Rachel Weisz, who is outstanding in her own right, with great special effects, awesome action scenes, and Fraser playing the straight man with a sense of humor à la Harrison Ford’s Indy. Sure, it can be hokey, but it’s what we wanted out of action movies in 1999, and Fraser delivered. It says something that Tom Cruise tried to reboot the series as well and couldn’t come close to the heart that Fraser brings to this role. Actually, now that I think of it, there are numerous Cruise roles I think Fraser could have played and perhaps even played better, but I digress.
We haven’t seen The Whale yet, but we’ll check back in later this fall to see where it fits on the list. Based on reviews so far, we might have to expand the ranking to top 11 movies…
