Actor Brendan Fraser is set for a star and potentially Oscar-winning turn in The Whale in December. However, Fraser wears a fat suit to portray his character, an obese man, a much-criticized choice. Now, the film’s director is responding.
Darren Aronofsky speaks about what actors like Daniel Franzese have been conflicted over in a new interview with Variety. In the piece, he says they did consider casting a heavier actor but could not find someone who could emote like Fraser and worried about further criticisms around authenticity if they chose to go with someone who was not in the actual weight range of the character.
“We tried to research obese actors. Outside of not being able to find an actor who could pull off the emotions…it just becomes a crazy chase. Like, if you can’t find a 600-pound actor, is a 300-pound actor or 400-pound actor enough?”
Later in the interview, Aronofsky adds he knew Fraser was right for the role after their first meeting. He also says the key is the right role at the right moment for an actor, and Fraser says he came into the project with the intent of acting like it was his last effort.
“I was all-in. If I’m not approaching each day’s work as if it’s the first and last time I ever act, then I’m not the man for the job. With this movie, everything I had to offer is everything that you see on the screen.”
The Whale premieres Dec. 9 in the United States. It is based on the Samuel D. Hunter play of the same name from 2012 and also stars Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Samantha Morton, and Ty Simpkins as Thomas, a religious missionary who connects to Fraser’s role. Though its Rotten Tomatoes score is average as of this filing with a 71 percent fresh rating based on 63 reviews, the consensus is the film is held together by Fraser’s performance and the piece presents a tale of empathy that will leave viewers in tears at its final moments.
