Brendan Fraser
ALL ABOUT BRENDAN FRASER
Full Name: Brendan James Fraser
Date of Birth: 3 December 1968
Place of Birth: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Salary:
The Mummy Returns (2001) $12,500,000
Bedazzled (2000) $10,000,000
Dudley Do-Right (1999) $4,000,000
The Mummy (1999) $4,000,000
Bio:
A muscular, darkly handsome actor who defies easy categorization, Brendan Fraser has an enviable versatility that has allowed him to be equally convincing in comedies, dramas, and adventure films alike. The son of a Canadian tourism executive, Fraser was born in Indianapolis on December 3, 1968. Thanks to his father’s job, Fraser and his family led a fairly peripatetic existence, living in locales as varied as Ottawa, London, Rome, and Seattle. During his time in London, Fraser became interested in theater and eventually enrolled in Seattle’s Cornish Institute for training.
After an early appearance in Dogfight (1991), Fraser got his break in 1992’s Encino Man as a Stone-Age man unfrozen in modern-day California. He went on to gain audience prominence in diverse roles such as a Jewish football player in an all-WASP environment in School Ties (1992), a grunged-out musician in Airheads (1994), a Harvard student who loses his thesis in With Honors (1994), and a quirky baseball phenom in The Scout (1994). Fraser has been quoted in one magazine article as saying that he seeks out roles combining “silliness and sexiness”; his work during the second half of the ’90s certainly reflected this. Particular highlights were George of the Jungle (1997), a witty satire of jungle adventure films; Gods and Monsters (1998), the acclaimed rendering of the last days of director James Whale, for which Fraser earned particular praise in his role as Whale’s strapping gardener; the romantic comedy Blast From the Past (1999); and a big-budget remake of The Mummy (1999) that effectively showcased Fraser as a hero well-suited to old-school adventure. So successful were the extravagantly computer generated exploits of the revived Mummy franchise that a sequel soon went into production, resulting in the decidedly Indiana Jones-flavored The Mummy Returns (2001). Pitting Fraser against not only the fearsome Imhotep but the dreaded Scorpion King (wrestling superstar The Rock) as well, The Mummy Returns upped the ante in terms of action and special effects, providing audiences with even more summertime chills and thrills than its predecessor. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for 2001’s ill-received Monkeybone which, despite an energetic performance from Fraser, did not fare in the theaters as well as 20th Century Fox had hoped.
Luckily for him, Fraser’s career remained intact despite Monkeybone and the equally mediocre Bedazzled (2000) with Elizabeth Hurley. In 2002, Fraser starred in the critically acclaimed The Quiet American, which featured the young actor as Alden Pyle, a naïve American who travels to Saigon as part of a medical mission. Fraser would rekindle his penchant for the silly in 2003, during which he made an appearance as himself in the David Spade vehicle Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, and again in Looney Tunes: Back in Action with Steve Martin and Jenna Elfman.
Trivia:
Raised in Holland, Switzerland, and Canada. Educated at Upper Canada College in Toronto, the Actors’ Conservatory, Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.
Engaged to Afton Smith, his girlfriend of four years. [October 1997]
Chosen by People Magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. [1998]
Whenever appearing in a Pauly Shore movie, he uses the character name “Link”.
Born on the same day (December 3rd) as his wife Afton Smith.
Has dual citizenship: American and Canadian.
Speaks French fluently.
His and Afton’s wedding was held in the garden at the Bel Air Hotel in Los Angeles.
He welcomed first child son Griffin Arthur on September 17, 2002.
While filming Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), was terrified at having to hit Bill Goldberg. Goldberg constantly told him to go ahead and do it, telling him, “It’s what I do for a living.”
Attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington.
Second child, son Holden Fletcher, b. 16 August 2004
Is an aspiring photographer.
Has recorded more than a few plays for broadcast on the radio, including works by Tennessee Williams and Eugene O’Neill.
He has three older brothers: Kevin Fraser, Sean Fraser and Regan Fraser.
Has developed a reputation for being extremely approachable and friendly to fans who meet him on the streets.
He was in consideration to play Superman Returns (2006) when Brett Ratner was still attached to the film.
Was considered for the role of Dr. Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic in Fantastic Four (2005).
Was set to play the role of Dr. Steve/Eddie in The Wedding Planner (2001), but scheduling conflicts with filming Bedazzled (2000) prevented him.
The son of a Canadian travel executive. Among the places he lived in his younger days include Cincinnati, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Ottawa, Canada; and Holland.
Wife Afton gave birth to their third child and third son, Leland, on May 2nd, 2006 in Los Angeles.
Is ambidextrous, as seen in movies like Monkeybone (2001).
Parents: Carol Fraser and Peter Fraser.
Was the first choice for playing the lead role in “Inspector Gadget”; the role went to Matthew Broderick.
Quotes:
“All you have to do is just believe in what’s there; then, the audience will, too.”
“As sophisticated as the technology gets, the less sophisticated you have to become as an actor.”
“Burroughs was never really that pleased with the way popular culture and society treated his character. He tried to make a few movies of his own as a result, but they weren’t very good.”
“Elizabeth Hurley and I had a lot of fun together. She’s a very beautiful, confident woman.”
“Forget acting. It’s all about rock ‘n’ roll.”
“George of the Jungle is a cartoon. He’s a guy who swings around on a vine all day. Are you not buying that?”
“Graham Greene, as I understand it, was quite outspoken in his criticism of American foreign policy.”
“Horrible things happen, but were they horrible? No, they were just circumstances of the world.”
“I always approach comedy roles pretending they aren’t funny.”
“I believe you have a responsibility to comport yourself in a manner that gives an example to others. As a young man, I prayed for success. Now I pray just to be worthy of it.”
“I don’t believe that wishing works. I think we get the things we work for.”
“I guess darkness serves a purpose: to show us that there is redemption through chaos. I believe in that. I think that’s the basis of Greek mythology.”
“I have so much satisfaction in my life. I have a beautiful wife and the great stimulation of an interesting career. I’m the most happy fellow that I know.”
“I mean, it was a mummy movie. It was a good film independent of its source. It that looks like Lawrence of Arabia on steroids in a lot of ways.”
“I recently watched Peter Brook’s Lord of the Flies, and it wasn’t a favorite film. Then I saw the one that was made in 1990, which in my opinion didn’t match up to the original.”
“I remember thinking, I want to work for the camera.”
“I still don’t understand the music industry that much. Everything I learned was from hanging out with rock musicians in studios. I certainly have respect for those who make music their livelihood.”
“I suppose if it has a practical purpose, I appreciate a pat on the back. I suppose it’s rewarding, ultimately.”
“I think you have to show homage to creators.”
“I wanted to have the opportunity to travel to Vietnam and Sydney, and have the chance to work there.”
“I was molded, spent my time underneath a lot of goo. And then the bits and pieces were sculpted. It took probably 10 days to create each character after all those camera tests.”
“I wish I could go home. I’ve been on the road since May. I wonder if my dogs still remember me.”
“I wish I could have 25,000 years of my personal family history documented in a very powerful computer or a CD-ROM that I could just pop in and my computer would never crash.”
“I wish the rock ‘n’ roll scene to be back in.”
“I would act whether or not I was paid. I would be involved in ensemble groups. I would have the desire to tell stories.”
“I’m just glad that I have bragging rights to working with Bugs and Daffy.”
“I’m starting to judge success by the time I have for myself, the time I spend with family and friends. My priorities aren’t amending; they’re shifting.”
“I’ve been grateful enough, smart enough to take the work with Ian McKellen in Gods And Monsters.”
“Ian McKellen is brilliant with research. I paid really close attention to the sources he goes to. He’s a very, very intelligent man.”
“If you run an Internet search on Vietnam and the war, most of the information you get begins at about 1962. I think this is telling. It is missing the whole period that led up to the reasons the war happened in the first place.”
“Maybe my caveman ancestors invented the wheel or something. I’m not sure.”
“Most people go, I wish for world peace. But chaos has a place in balancing out the light and the dark in the world. I don’t know if I would wish for world peace.”
“Oh, poor Abraham Lincoln. Well, he tried.”
“The test audience holds a great deal of power in the process of filmmaking in the United States.”
“They had a hard time miking me in my loin cloth, I mean, where were they gonna tape it?”
“What if Shakespeare had had a test audience for Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet?”
“When you throw punches at actors, you stop, you pull it, and it looks like you pulled it. When you throw punches at cartoon characters, they are not there, so you can swing through. It looks like you really decked them.”
Filmography:
Brendan Fraser Filmography as an Actor:
2008 - The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor
2008 - Journey to the Center of the Earth (Journey 3-D)
2008 - Inkheart
2007 - The Air I Breathe
2006 - The Last Time
2006 - Journey to the End of the Night
2005 - King Of The Hill (TV series, one episode, voice)
2005 - Beach Bunny (short, voice)
2005 - Crash
2004 - Scrubs (TV series, one episode)
2003 - Looney Tunes: Back in Action
2002 - The Quiet American
2002 - Scrubs (TV series, 2 episodes)
2001 - The Mummy Returns
2001 - Monkeybone
2000 - King Of The Hill (TV series, one episode, voice)
2000 - Bedazzled
2000 - Sinbad: Beyond The Veil Of Mists (voice)
1999 - Dudley Do-Right
1999 - Saturday Night Live (TV series, host)
1999 - The Mummy
1999 - Blast From The Past
1998 - Still Breathing
1998 - The Simpsons (TV series, one episode, voice)
1998 - Gods And Monsters
1997 - George Of The Jungle
1997 - Duckman (TV series, one episode, voice)
1997 - Saturday Night Live (TV series, host)
1997 - The Twilight Of The Golds (TV)
1996 - Glory Daze
1996 - Mrs Winterbourne
1996 - Kids In The Hall: Brain Candy
1995 - The Passion Of Darkly Noon
1995 - Now And Then
1994 - The Scout
1994 - In The Army Now
1994 - Airheads
1994 - With Honors
1993 - Fallen Angels (TV series, one episode)
1993 - Younger And Younger
1993 - Twenty Bucks
1993 - Son In Law
1992 - School Ties
1992 - Encino Man
1991 - My Old School (TV, short)
1991 - Guilty Until Proven Innocent (TV)
1991 - Dogfight
1991 - Child Of Darkness, Child Of Light (TV)
Leave a comment