The Brenaissance is here
Brendan Fraser's return to Hollywood was marked with a 6-minute long standing ovation for his upcoming film 'The Whale'.
The applause came after the film premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Sunday evening.
'The Whale', helmed by 'Mother!' director Darren Aronofsky, stars Fraser as a gay, 600-pound English teacher who tries to reconnect with his daughter.
At the end of the emotional movie, the crowd stood up in applause. Fraser was visibly moved by the reaction, as well as many in the audience. It's largely expected that Fraser will get an Oscars nod for his performance.
Fraser even tried to leave the theatre during the ovation but he stayed and gave a bow to the crowd.
'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.
For the film, Fraser had to wear a huge amount of prosthetics to play the lead character. Make-up took up to 6 hours each day and prosthetics added anywhere between 60 to 300 pounds of weight.
Interviewed before the premiere, Fraser said, "The torso piece was almost like a strait jacket with sleeves that went on, airbrushed by hand, to look identical as would human skin, right down to the hand-punched hair."
"It gave me appreciation for those whose bodies are similar," the 53-year-old added. "You need to be an incredibly strong person, mentally and physically, to inhabit that physical being."
'The Whale' marks a return after an almost 10 year absence for Fraser in leading Hollywood roles. He is set to star in Martin Scorsese's upcoming 'Killers of the Flower Moon'. He also featured in the cancelled 'Batgirl' film.
'The Whale' is set for a December release in cinemas.