Brendan Fraser talks Hollywood comeback, Oscars buzz, and physical transformation for The Whale

Darren Aronofsky’s new movie The Whale tells the story of a housebound man suffering from severe obesity. Based on the play written by Samuel D. Hunter (who also pens the screenplay), the film charts his battle to reconnect with his 17-year-old daughter while struggling with his rapidly deteriorating health. 

The cast and crew were at the Venice Film Festival to promote the film, revealing some titbits about the process of making it, as well as the early Oscars buzz surrounding it. Brendan Fraser, who plays Charlie in the movie, was particularly in the spotlight as The Whale marks a major return to screens for the former action star.

"I'm just trying to stay in today," he told reporters about grappling with all the awards commotion around his Hollywood comeback. "So, I guess all I have to deal with is your good selves for the moment. Thank you for the warm reception. I'm looking forward to how this film makes a deep impression on everyone, as much as it has on me."

Aronofsky opened up about the process of casting the movie, admitting that he considered "all different types of actors, every single movie star on the planet" for the role of Charlie. Then, after coming across Fraser in the trailer for a "low-budget Brazilian movie" it just clicked for him. However, the Black Swan director did admit it took a bit longer to convince everyone else.

"We put together a reading and Sadie [Sink, who plays Charlie's daughter] was at that reading too, because she's my favorite new actor," he said. "And we did this reading and in a small theater on St. Mark's Place in Manhattan. It just got chills from the moment that these two were interacting. It just was like, 'Yes, this makes sense'. And I looked over during the reading at Sam [screenwriter] and I couldn't get Sam's eyes. He was just staring forward. So, I was like, 'Okay, that's a good sign.'"

Fraser had quite the transformation to play English teacher Charlie, who weighs 600lb. The actor wore a prosthetic suit aided by a bit of CGI, which caused him  to "learn to absolutely move in a new way" for the part.

"I developed muscles I did not know that I had," he said. "I even felt a sense of vertigo at the end of the day when all the appliances were removed, just as you would feel stepping off the boat onto the dock here in Venice, that undulating feeling. And I say this because it gave me an appreciation for those whose body is similar because I learned that you need to be an incredibly strong person physically, mentally, to inhabit that physical being."

Aside from the physical transformation, Fraser says the role was a chance to "step into the physical being of another man and tell the rich internal life story that he carries." He added: "Charlie is the most heroic man I have ever played because his superpower is to seek the good in others and bring that out in them. In that process, he’s on his journey of salvation."

For Aronofsky, the movie is all about empathy. He pointed out that he made the movie around the one line – "people are incapable of not caring". "I think that's the most important message to put out in the world right now," he explained. "Everyone's leaning into the cynicism and the darkness and giving up hope, and it's exactly what we don't need right now. We have to lean into that underneath it all we all do care about each other and that's really what we have to hold on to and prove to each other."

Also at Venice Film Festival, Don’t Worry Darling has been making headlines ahead of its debut at the Lido. Total Film is also on the ground reviewing all the new releases – check out our verdicts for Bardo, TÁR, and Bones and All.