ACTOR Brendan Fraser has built an accomplished career in the entertainment industry but has also faced health struggles.
The star disappeared in the early 1990s before his Hollywood comeback with the 2022 film, The Whale.
What happened to Brendan Fraser?
Brendan Fraser starred in many films throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
In 2003, the actor said he was taking a brief hiatus from Hollywood.
However, this "short break" would see Fraser disappear from the entertainment industry, with the actor's fans wondering what happened to him.
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In 2018, he spoke with GQ and revealed that he slowed down, and turned down later reboot offers for The Mummy and Journey to the Center of the Earth due to his declining health.
He revealed he had lasting injuries sustained while performing stunts in various films.
"By the time I did the third Mummy picture in China [in 2008], I was put together with tape and ice—just, like, really nerdy and fetishy about ice packs," he said.
"Screw-cap ice packs and downhill-mountain-biking pads, 'cause they're small and light and they can fit under your clothes.
"I was building an exoskeleton for myself daily."
Fraser's injuries led to many surgeries over the years, which included a partial knee replacement and a procedure to repair his vocal cords.
Another reason for him taking time off from the movies was a messy divorce in 2009 and his mother's death in 2016.
Where is Brendan Fraser now?
In August 2021, Fraser returned to the scene when he was shown visibly moved after learning fans on social media were rooting for his major Hollywood comeback.
A TikTok user posted a virtual meet-and-greet with the actor that went viral with more than one million views and counting.
In the video, Brenden revealed he was gearing up for his upcoming project, Killers of the Flower Moon.
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The $200 million crime drama was directed by Martin Scorsese and starred Oscar winners Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio.
It was released in October 2023.
Fraser looked visibly choked up when the fan told him that the "internet was rooting for him" and his big comeback.
The Indiana native was then tasked with undergoing a total body makeover to play the 600-lb lead for the film The Whale.
"The wardrobe and costume was extensive, seamless, cumbersome," he told Unilad in 2021.
"This is certainly far removed from anything I've ever done but not to be coy … I do know it's going to make a lasting impression."
The Darren Aronofsky-directed drama sees Fraser playing a reclusive writing instructor who is struggling to reconnect with his teenage daughter.
The film debuted at the 2022 Venice Film Festival and won critical acclaim.
Fraser narrowly missed out on a Golden Globe but won Best Actor at the 2023 Critic's Choice Awards.
The visibly emotional actor sang the praises of Aronofksy in his acceptance speech.
"I was in the wilderness and I probably should’ve left a trail of breadcrumbs, but you found me... and like all the best directors, you merely just showed me where to go to get to where I needed to be," he said.
He won an Oscar in 2023 for his role in The Whale.
As Deadline reported, Fraser is set to present at the 2024 Oscars on Sunday, March 10, 2024.
What TV shows and movies has Brendan Fraser starred in?
Fraser got his breakout in the 1992 comedy film Encino Man before starring in the 1990s flicks Airheads and George of the Jungle.
He was a household name by the time he starred in the 1999 film, The Mummy.
He is also known for the television shows Scrubs and King of the Hill.
From 2020-2022, he played Peter Swann in Professionals.
Other TV shows include Doom Patrol, The Affair, and Trust.
