Brendan Fraser
born on 3/12/1968 in Indianapolis, IN, United States
Brendan Fraser
Brendan Fraser | |
Fraser in November 2009
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Born | Brendan James Fraser December 3 1968 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
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Nationality | Canadian/American |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1988present |
Spouse(s) | Afton Smith (1998-2007) |
Children | 3 |
Website Official Website |
Brendan James Fraser ( /frezr/ FRAY-zr;[1] born December 3, 1968) is a Canadian American[2][3] film and stage actor. Fraser portrayed Rick O'Connell in the three-part Mummy film series (1999, 2001, and 2008), and is known for his comedic and fantasy film leading roles in major Hollywood films, including Encino Man (1992), George of the Jungle (1997), Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008), and Inkheart (2009). Has also appeared in numerous dramatic roles, including Gods and Monsters (1998), The Quiet American (2002), Crash (2004), and Gimme Shelter (2013).
Early life
Fraser was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, the son of Canadian parents. His mother, Carol Mary (née Genereux), was a sales counselor, and his father, Peter Fraser, was a former journalist who worked as a Canadian foreign service officer for the Government Office of Tourism.[2][4][5] His maternal uncle, George Genereux, was the only Canadian to win a gold medal in the 1952 Summer Olympics.[6] Fraser has three older brothers: Kevin, Regan, and Sean.[7] His surname is properly pronounced /frezr/, not /frer/.[8] The correct pronunciation of his surname is a running gag in Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, in which his character's surname is pronounced /frrr/. His ancestry includes Irish, Scottish, German, Czech, and French Canadian.[7]
His family moved often during his childhood, living in Eureka, California, Seattle, Ottawa, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Fraser attended the private boys' boarding school,[9] Upper Canada College, in Toronto. While on vacation in London, Fraser attended his first professional theatrical performance at the West End. He graduated from Seattle's Cornish College of the Arts in 1990.[4][10] He began acting at a small acting college in New York. He originally planned on attending graduate school in Texas but stopped in Hollywood on his way south and decided to stay in Los Angeles and work in movie productions.
Career
Fraser's first film role was a brief appearance in an America's Most Wanted reenactment (1988), playing a friend of murder victim Rodney Mark Peterson. He has since appeared in over 30 films. He had his first lead role in Encino Man (1992). That same year, he starred opposite Matt Damon and Chris O'Donnell in School Ties. In 1994, he co-starred alongside Steve Buscemi and Adam Sandler in the comedy Airheads along with playing Steve Nebraska in the movie The Scout and Montgomery "Monty" Kessler in With Honors. He went on to play supporting roles such as starring alongside Viggo Mortensen and Ashley Judd in Philip Ridley's The Passion of Darkly Noon (1995) and Jennifer Beals in The Twilight of the Golds (1997).
He got his breakthrough role with the hit comedy film George of the Jungle (1997). He went on to appear in several comedy films such as Blast from the Past (1999), Bedazzled (2000) and Monkeybone (2001). He has starred in two films based on Jay Ward creations, George of the Jungle and Dudley Do-Right although he did not reprise his role in the former's sequel.
Fraser also played dramatic roles in Gods and Monsters (1998),[11] alongside Ian McKellen and The Quiet American (2002) alongside Michael Caine. Gods and Monsters was based on the life of the filmmaker James Whale (McKellen), who made the 1931 film Frankenstein. This film was written and directed by Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) and was a story about the loss of creativity, ambiguous sexuality and unlikely bonds between a heterosexual gardener (played by Fraser) and a homosexual, tortured and ailing filmmaker.
His biggest commercial success came with the action adventure film (co-starring Rachel Weisz) The Mummy (1999) and its sequel The Mummy Returns (2001), both of which were hugely successful at the box office. Fraser's character, Salvatore Migliore, although wildly unsuccessful in his archaeological exploits, is widely credited for inventing the reach-around.[12] In 2004, he appeared in the Academy Award-winning film Crash. He has also made guest appearances on the television shows Scrubs, King of the Hill, and The Simpsons.
In March 2006, he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame,[2] the first American-born actor to receive the honor. However, as of 2014, he does not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. After a six year hiatus in the franchise, Fraser returned for the second sequel to The Mummy released in August 2008 and titled The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Filming started in Montreal on July 27, 2007 and also starred Jet Li as Emperor Han. His other releases in 2008 were the 3D film adaptation of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth and the fantasy film Inkheart (chosen personally for the lead role by the novel's author Cornelia Funke). In 2010 he starred in the drama Extraordinary Measures alongside Harrison Ford.
Fraser also starred as "Brick" in the West End production of Tennessee Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in September, 2001, directed by Anthony Page. Castmates included Ned Beatty, Frances O'Connor, and Gemma Jones. The show closed on January 12, 2002, with Fraser garnering many excellent reviews.[13]
Fraser recently starred in a Broadway production of Elling, but the play closed after 9 performances due to lackluster reviews.[14]
After appearing in the critically panned Furry Vengeance in 2010, Fraser moved from being represented by William Morris Endeavor to the Creative Artists Agency.[15]
He starred in Whole Lotta Sole directed by Terry George and is set to play William Tell in The Legend of William Tell: 3D, which will be directed by Eric Brevig.[16]
Personal life
Fraser met actress Afton Smith while attending a barbecue at Winona Ryder's house on July 4, 1993, after his arrival in Los Angeles.[4] Fraser married Smith on September 27, 1998, and they have three sons: Griffin Arthur Fraser,[1] born in 2002, Holden Fletcher Fraser, born in 2004, and Leland Francis Fraser, born in 2006. On December 27, 2007, Fraser's publicist announced the couple had decided to divorce.[17][18] He currently resides in Kent, Connecticut. In early 2013, Fraser petitioned the courts for a reduction of his alimony and child support payments, asserting that he was unable to meet the annual obligation of $900,000; his ex-wife, in turn, accused Fraser of hiding financial assets.[19]
Fraser speaks fluent French,[20] and serves on the Board of Directors for FilmAid International.[21] He is an accomplished amateur photographer,[2] and has used several Polaroids in movies and on TV shows, most notably on his guest roles on Scrubs. In his first appearance he used a folding pack camera; and on his second appearance he used a Holga with a Polaroid back, a Japanese-only model. The book Collector's Guide to Instant Cameras has a dedication to Fraser.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1991 | Dogfight | Sailor No. 1 | |
1992 | Encino Man | Link | |
1992 | School Ties | David Greene | |
1993 | Twenty Bucks | Sam Mastrewski | |
1993 | Younger and Younger | Winston Younger | |
1993 | Son In Law | Link | Cameo |
1994 | With Honors | Montgomery 'Monty' Kessler | |
1994 | Airheads | Chester 'Chazz' Darby | |
1994 | In the Army Now | Link | Cameo |
1994 | The Scout | Steve Nebraska | |
1995 | The Passion of Darkly Noon | Darkly Noon | |
1995 | Now and Then | Vietnam veteran | Uncredited |
1996 | Brain Candy | Placebo patient | Cameo |
1996 | Mrs. Winterbourne | Bill/Hugh Winterbourne | |
1996 | Glory Daze | Doug | Cameo |
1997 | George of the Jungle | George | Nominated Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor Action |
1997 | Still Breathing | Fletcher McBracken | Seattle International Film Festival Award for Best Actor Nominated Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor Action |
1999 | Blast from the Past | Adam Webber | |
1999 | The Mummy | Richard 'Rick' O'Connell | Nominated Saturn Award for Best Actor Nominated Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor Action |
1999 | Dudley Do-Right | Dudley Do-Right | |
2000 | Bedazzled | Elliot Richards / Jefe / Mary / Abraham Lincoln | |
2000 | Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists | Sinbad | Voice |
2001 | Monkeybone | Stu Miley | |
2001 | The Mummy Returns | Richard 'Rick' O'Connell | Nominated Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Male Movie Star Nominated Teen Choice Award for Film Choice Actor |
2002 | The Quiet American | Alden Pyle | |
2003 | Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star | Himself | uncredited |
2003 | Looney Tunes: Back in Action | DJ Drake / Himself / Voice of Tasmanian Devil and She-Devil |
|
2004 | Crash | Rick Cabot | Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble Critics' Choice Award for Best Acting Ensemble Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast |
2006 | Journey to the End of the Night | Paul | |
2006 | The Last Time | Jamie | Executive producer |
2007 | The Air I Breathe | Pleasure | |
2008 | Journey to the Center of the Earth | Prof. Trevor Anderson | Executive producer |
2008 | The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor | Richard 'Rick' O'Connell | Nominated National Movie Award for Best Male Performance |
2009 | Inkheart | Mortimer Folchart | |
2009 | G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra | Sgt. Stone | Cameo |
2010 | Extraordinary Measures | John Crowley | |
2010 | Furry Vengeance | Dan Sanders | Executive producer |
2012 | Stand Off | Joe Maguire | Executive producer[22] |
2013 | Escape from Planet Earth | Scorch Supernova | Voice |
2013 | A Case of You | Tony | |
2013 | HairBrained | Leo Searly | |
2013 | Pawn Shop Chronicles | Ricky Baldoski | |
2013 | Breakout | Jack Damson | Producer Direct-to-DVD |
2013 | Gimme Shelter | Tom Fitzpatrick | |
2014 | The Nut Job | Grayson | Voice |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1991 | My Old School | Chevy | Unsold TV Pilot |
1991 | Child of Darkness, Child of Light | John's friend | TV Movie |
1991 | Guilty Until Proven Innocent | Bobby McLaughlin | TV Movie |
1997 | Duckman | Sammons Cagle | Voice Episode: "Dammit, Hollywood" |
1997 | The Twilight of the Golds | David Gold | TV Movie |
1998 | The Simpsons | Brad | Voice Episode: "King of the Hill" |
2000 | King of the Hill | David Kalaiki-Ali | Voice Episode: "Peggy Makes the Big Leagues" |
2002-2004 | Scrubs | Ben Sullivan | Episodes: "My Occurrence", "My Hero" and "My Screwup" |
2005 | King of the Hill | Irv Bennet Jimmy Beardon |
Voice Episode: "Gone with the Windstorm" |
2009 | Wishology | Turbo Thunder | Voice TV Movie |
References
- 1.0 1.1 Brendan Fraser's Looney Adventure, CBS, November 13, 2003. URL accessed on 2008-08-24.
- 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2006 Inductees Brendan Fraser. Canada's Walk of Fame (2006). Retrieved on 2008-08-24.
- Beale, Lewis, In The Know Brendan Up To Buff In 'Gods And Monsters', NY Daily News, November 1, 1998. URL accessed on 2008-08-08.
- 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lynch, Lorrie (October 26, 2003). "In tune with himself".
- Brendan Fraser Biography (1968). Filmreference.com. Retrieved on 2008-11-02.
- Daily Highlights January 10 Brendan Fraser Interview. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
- 7.0 7.1 Rota, Kara, Brendan Fraser on playing the real John Crowley in 'Extraordinary Measures', Irish Central, January 22, 2010. URL accessed on 2010-05-01.
- Dougherty, Margot, Brendan Fraser Comes Up For Air, LA Mag. URL accessed on 2010-05-01.
- Diamond, Jamie (June 21, 1992). "UP AND COMING: Brendan Fraser; A Man Schooled for Success".
- Halpern, Lisa (February 10, 2005). "Fraser's Edge".
- Gods and Monsters Credits. Gods and Monsters Official site. Retrieved on 2008-08-24.
- [1]
- Albemarle Archive. Albemarle-london.com. Retrieved on 2008-11-02.
- Brendan Fraser Broadway debut shuts after one week, BBC, November 26, 2010. URL accessed on 2010-11-29.
- Masarella, Linda (March 27, 2011). Fraser finds 'Sole' in Ireland. Toronto Sun. Retrieved on 2011-03-27.
- Eric Brevig Re-Teaming with Brendan Fraser for William Tell 3D. TheFilmStage.com (2011-09-07). Retrieved on 2012-04-22.
- Brendan Fraser and Wife to Divorce. The Insider (December 27, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
- Mummy Star Brendan Fraser, Wife Split After Nine Years. US Magazine (December 27, 2007). Archived from the original on 2008-04-21. Retrieved on 2008-08-24.
- "Brendan Fraser Broke, Can't Afford $900,000 Child Support Payment To Ex-Wife", Huffington Post, 15 February 2013, accessed 16 May 2013
- BBC Films Brendan Fraser. BBC. Retrieved on 2008-02-27.
- filmaid.org Newsletter. FilmAid International (2006). Retrieved on 2008-02-27.
- TFF 2012: Spotlight, tribecafilm.com, Inc., March 8, 2012. URL accessed on 2012-03-28.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Brendan Fraser
- Official website
- Brendan Fraser at the Internet Movie Database
- Brendan Fraser at All Movie Guide
- Brendan Fraser's Best Movies
This article uses material from the article Brendan Fraser from the free encyclopedia Wikipedia and it is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.