Having a Whale of a time
Brendan Fraser accepted his TIFF Tribute Award over the weekend with an emotional and joke-fuelled speech.
The 53-year-old, who stars in 'The Whale', was tearful throughout his speech. He began by joking, "This is new for me. Normally I'm the guy who hands these things out, and I got really good at it. The trick is: Left hand, hold; right hand, shake."
"Apart from being a part of some impressive and talented ensemble casts, I think the last time that I waited to hear my name called aloud to receive an award was in grade 4, and it was from the peewee bowling league," he continued.
"My mom said it was a major award. Also, engraved on the plaque was the name 'Brian Fusher,' so, Brian, if you're in the house, you can pick up your trophy after the show. This one's mine."
In attendance for the emotional speech was Michelle Yeoh, who co-starred alongside Fraser in 'Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor'. The two also sat beside each other at the ceremony and shared some touching moments.
Earlier this week, at 'The Whale's North American Premiere in Toronto, Fraser was once again brought to tears as the film received a 6-minute-long standing ovation.
'The Whale' is directed by Darren Aronofsky and stars Fraser as a gay, 600-pound English teacher who tries to reconnect with his daughter. It's expected that Fraser will get an Oscars nod for his moving performance.
'The Whale' also stars 'Stranger Things' star Sadie Sink as Fraser's on-screen daughter. Hong Chau, Samantha Morton and Ty Simpkins also feature. The movie is based on the play of the same name by Samuel D. Hunter, who adapted the stage script into Aronofsky’s feature.
You can watch Fraser's full speech below.
'The Whale' is set for a December release in cinemas.