It is clear that Brendan Fraser’s comeback has been hugely helped by his starring role in The Whale. However, according to the actor, there was a point when he believed he would lose the role after contracting Covid just before shooting was due to begin on the Darren Aronofsky movie. While The Whale is getting some mixed reviews from critics, one thing everyone has agreed on is that Fraser’s performance is not only the best thing about the movie, but could be a strong Oscar contender.

While discussing a range of subjects with GQ, Fraser spoke about how contracting Covid just before he was about to start work on The Whale put him in fear of not only losing his part in the film, but also in possibly losing his life. He said:

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However, it turned out that Fraser was lucky on both counts, and the worry caused by his diagnosis turned out to be unfounded. Had Fraser suffered the setback of losing his role in The Whale, and then subsequently seen the cancelation of Batgirl take away another of his comeback appearances, it could have been devastating for the star. However, it seems that everything worked out in the end, with Aronofsky even sending Fraser a care pack and delaying filming to accommodate the actor’s recovery.

“I thought I was gonna lose my job. I thought I was gonna f**king die too, but I thought, I know how these things go. The bonding company will go ooh and back out. Or I won’t pass an insurance checkup.”

The Whale Has Received Some Criticism For Fraser’s Casting.

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Although there is no denial that Brendan Fraser has put in an emotional and outstanding performance in the lead role of The Whale. However, there have been some people quick to criticize the movie for allowing a straight actor wearing a fat suit to play the role of a 600-pound gay man. In response, director Aronofsky broke down the reason why finding an actor who exactly matched the real life subject of The Whale was an impossible task. He previously said:

All in all, the consensus is that Fraser may not be the right sexual orientation or weight for the role, but his performance speaks volumes. With the actor in line for numerous awards, his role in The Whale may provide him with one of the most successful comebacks in Hollywood history. With a number of other high profile roles in production, it is good to see Fraser finally getting the recognition he deserves after a number of years away from the public eye.

“There was a chapter in the making of this film where we tried to research actors with obesity. Outside of not being able to find an actor who could pull off the emotions of the role, it just becomes a crazy chase. Like, if you can’t find a 600-pound actor, is a 300-pound actor or 400-pound actor enough? … From a health perspective, it’s prohibitive. It’s an impossible role to fill with a real person dealing with those issues.”