Brendan Fraser facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brendan Fraser
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Brendan Fraser at the 2022 Montclair Film Festival
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| Born |
Brendan James Fraser
December 3, 1968 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Cornish College of the Arts (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1990–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Afton Smith
(m. 1998; div. 2009) |
| Partner(s) | Jeanne Moore (2022–present) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | George Genereux (uncle) |
| Awards | Full list |
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Brendan James Fraser (born December 3, 1968) is a famous American-Canadian actor. He became well-known in 1992 with the comedy Encino Man and the drama School Ties. He became even more popular for his main roles in With Honors (1994) and George of the Jungle (1997). He became a big star playing Rick O'Connell in The Mummy trilogy (1999–2008).
Brendan Fraser also took on serious roles in films like Gods and Monsters (1998), The Quiet American (2002), and Crash (2004). He also starred in fantasy movies such as Bedazzled (2000) and Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008).
His movie career slowed down from the late 2000s to mid-2010s. This was due to some movies not doing well and personal challenges. Besides movies, Fraser also acted in TV shows. These include the Showtime drama The Affair (2016–2017), the FX series Trust (2018), and the Max series Doom Patrol (2019–2023).
His film career got a big boost with roles in Steven Soderbergh's No Sudden Move (2021) and Darren Aronofsky's The Whale (2022). Fraser's main role in The Whale earned him great praise and many awards. He even won the Academy Award for Best Actor, becoming the first Canadian to do so.
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Brendan Fraser's Early Life and Education
Brendan Fraser was born on December 3, 1968, in Indianapolis, Indiana. His parents, Carol Mary and Peter Fraser, were Canadian. He is the youngest of four sons. His mother worked as a sales counselor. His father was a former journalist who worked for the Canadian government. Fraser's uncle, George Genereux, won a gold medal for Canada in shooting at the 1952 Summer Olympics.
Fraser's family moved often when he was a child. They lived in places like Eureka, California; Seattle; Ottawa; the Netherlands; and Switzerland. He went to Upper Canada College, a private boarding school in Toronto. When he was on vacation in London, England, in the 1970s, he saw his first professional play, Oliver!. This show made him interested in acting.
Fraser finished his studies at Seattle's Cornish College of the Arts in 1990. He started acting at a small college in New York City. He had planned to study for a higher degree in acting. However, he stopped in Hollywood on his way and decided to stay there to work in movies.
Brendan Fraser's Acting Career Highlights
Rising to Fame in the 1990s
In 1991, Fraser first appeared in a movie called Dogfight. He got his first main movie role in the 1992 comedy Encino Man. In this film, he played a caveman from long ago who wakes up in the present day. The movie was quite successful and became a favorite for many. That same year, he starred in School Ties with other young actors like Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. In this movie, he played a Jewish quarterback dealing with unfair treatment at a private school.
Between 1994 and 1996, he acted in several movies that did not do well at the box office. These included With Honors (1994) and Airheads (1994). He also had a small part in the 1995 film Now and Then. He made short appearances in other films, playing his Encino Man character again.
Fraser performed in his first play in 1995 at the Geffen Playhouse. He played the role of Victor in Four Dogs and a Bone.
Global Success with The Mummy and Other Films
Brendan Fraser had his first big box office hit with the 1997 comedy film George of the Jungle. This movie was based on the cartoon series of the same name. He received good reviews for his serious role in 1998's Gods and Monsters. This film was about the life of James Whale, who directed Frankenstein.
He achieved his biggest success when he played the main adventurer Rick O'Connell in the fantasy adventure film The Mummy (1999) and its sequel The Mummy Returns (2001). The Mummy made him one of the biggest movie stars of the 1990s. He also had moderate success with the romantic comedy Blast from the Past (1999) and the fantasy comedy Bedazzled (2000). He also lent his voice for the animated film Big Bug Man.
Diverse Roles in the 2000s
In 2001, Fraser starred in the play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in London. He received many excellent reviews for his performance. In 2002, he acted alongside Michael Caine in the drama The Quiet American, which critics liked a lot. The next year, he starred in the live-action and animated film Looney Tunes: Back in Action. In 2004, he was part of the cast in the Academy Award-winning film Crash.
He also made guest appearances on TV shows like Scrubs and The Simpsons. In March 2006, he was honored with a spot on Canada's Walk of Fame. After six years, Fraser returned for the third Mummy movie, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, released in 2008. That same year, he starred in the 3D movie based on Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth. He also appeared in the fantasy film Inkheart.
Transition to Television and Comeback
After some less successful films, Fraser started taking on more TV roles. In 2016, he joined the TV drama series The Affair. He also played James Fletcher Chace in the FX series Trust in 2018. Fraser played Clifford "Cliff" Steele / Robotman in the Titans TV series. He continued this role in the spin-off series Doom Patrol, where he voices the character and appears in flashbacks.
His return to acting after a quieter period was called "The Brennaissance" by fans. Fraser has even mentioned this fun nickname himself.
Recent Success and Awards
In September 2020, Fraser was cast in Steven Soderbergh's crime film No Sudden Move, which came out in 2021. In January 2021, Fraser was announced as the main actor in Darren Aronofsky's film The Whale. Aronofsky said he had been looking for the right actor for this role for ten years. He decided to cast Fraser after seeing him in a movie trailer.
The Whale premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in September 2022. Fraser's performance was highly praised. The film received a six-minute standing ovation at the festival. He later won an Oscar for Best Actor for this role. He was the first Canadian to win this award.
In August 2022, Fraser was also announced as part of the cast for Martin Scorsese's film Killers of the Flower Moon. He was also cast in the upcoming comedy film Brothers. In October 2021, Fraser was chosen to play the villain Firefly in the superhero film Batgirl. However, the release of this film was canceled in August 2022.
Fraser lent his voice to an audio story called The Downloaded in 2023. In December 2023, he was a guest narrator at Disney's Candlelight Processional at Walt Disney World. In July 2024, it was announced that Fraser would star as Dwight D. Eisenhower in an upcoming film called Pressure.
Brendan Fraser's Personal Life
On July 4, 1993, Brendan Fraser met actress Afton Smith at a party in Los Angeles. Smith also had a small role in Fraser's George of the Jungle movie. They got married on September 27, 1998. They have three sons:
- Griffin Arthur Fraser (born 2002)
- Holden Fletcher Fraser (born 2004)
- Leland Francis Fraser (born 2006)
Holden and Leland work as fashion models. In an interview, Fraser shared that Griffin is on the autism spectrum.
In December 2007, Fraser's publicist announced that he and Afton Smith had decided to divorce. Both parents have received praise for being very involved in their sons' lives. Afton Smith has since become a book writer and works in real estate.
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Since September 2022, Fraser has been in a relationship with makeup artist Jeanne Moore. They first appeared together at the 2022 Venice Film Festival. Fraser thanked Moore during his Oscar acceptance speech.
As of February 2018, Fraser lives in Bedford, New York.
Fraser speaks French and is on the board of directors for FilmAid International. He is also a skilled amateur photographer. He has used several instant cameras in movies and TV shows. The book Collector's Guide to Instant Cameras even has a special thanks to Fraser. He is also a good amateur archer.
Brendan Fraser's Health and Well-being
In 2018, Brendan Fraser shared that the many physical stunts he did in his action and comedy roles led to several surgeries over seven years. These included knee and vocal cord surgeries.
Brendan Fraser's Charity Work
Since 2018, Brendan Fraser has been a celebrity judge for the Dancing Stars of Greenwich charity event. This event raises money for Abilis, a local charity that helps over 800 people and their families with disabilities. His former wife, Afton Fraser, also takes part in the dance competition. In 2022, Afton and Brendan Fraser received the Heart of Abilis Award for their support and fundraising efforts for the charity.
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