Brendan Fraser ruled the 1990s with charm and chops, from George of the Jungle’s vine-swinging goof to The Mummy’s whip-cracking hero. Rick O’Connell smashed box office records, raking in three films and over a billion dollars worldwide.
Then, at a 2003 Golden Globes lunch, former HFPA president Philip Berk allegedly groped him, pinning Fraser with a hand on his backside and finger in a private spot. Fraser froze and felt sick, like a scared kid choking on tears.
He told reps, who fired complaints at the HFPA. Invites to Globes dried up after that, fueling his hunch of a blacklist. Berk called it a joke in his 2014 book, later shrugging off career dips as unrelated.
Fraser sank into depression, retreating from red carpets and roles, his phone going quiet for years. Industry chatter painted him as sidelined, a cautionary tale before #MeToo lit the fuse.
Mummy Stunts Break Body, Stall Career
Action stardom demanded Fraser wreck himself weekly. Mummy sequels left him taped together with ice packs by the third, filming in China.
He tallied seven years of surgeries: partial knee replacement, back fusions, spinal fixes, and even vocal cords from stunt yells. By 40, the jacked physique had faded, no longer fit for hanging fights or jungle flips without doubles.
He eyed dramatic turns, but typecasting clung like tar. George’s shots made him cringe, seeing a slab of meat on display. Hollywood chased fresh faces and franchises, his hits turning stale.
Personal splits piled on, with three boys from two marriages needing a steadier dad away from spotlights. Voice gigs and indies trickled in, but the A-list vanished.
Whale Splash Buries Blacklist Ghosts
Fraser’s 2023 roared back with Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, his raw turn as a suicidal teacher ballooning to 600 pounds, earning Venice raves and Oscar nods. He skipped globes still, loyal to principles, not chasing nods from old foes. The HFPA expelled Berk in 2021 over emails, too late for amends.
Fans packed theaters; memes crowned him the comeback kid. Killers of the Flower Moon paired him with DiCaprio next, proving grit pays off. Reddit threads hail his disappearance as mafia silencing, but Fraser owns his health choices; he plays no victim card.
Batgirl tax write-off chats found him blunt: studios commodify films, torching for insurance bucks. Now 57, he picks meaty roles, wiser from his wilderness years. Hollywood blinked; Fraser roared louder, scars and all, reminding us real stars bend but rarely break clean.
Also read: NCT Dream’s Jisung Marks Birthday with Heartfelt 250 Million KRW Donation for Medical Research
