Beloved actor Brendan Fraser has been nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Drama Movie at the Golden Globe Awards, but don't expect him to be there to personally accept the award if he picks up the win. Because of Fraser's acclaimed performance in The Whale, there had been speculation that he would be nominated at the Golden Globes along with other major award ceremonies. On Monday, it became official when the full list of names was announced with Fraser's name among them.
However, Fraser has already boycotted the awards show, feeling that it would be "hypocritical" to attend given his history with the event's organizers. In 2018, Fraser went public with his allegation that he'd been groped by former Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Philip Berk in 2003. Fraser says that this contributed to a deep depression and heavily affected his career for years to come. Berk was later expelled from the organization in 2021 for unrelated comments about the Black Lives Matter movement.
Last month, Fraser made it clear in a GQ interview that, given everything that's happened, there was no chance he'd show up at the Golden Globes in 2023. Getting recognized for his work is important, but with anything involving the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Fraser would much rather not be involved.
"I have more history with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association than I have respect for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association," he explained. "No, I will not participate. It’s because of the history that I have with them. And my mother didn’t raise a hypocrite. You can call me a lot of things, but not that.”
Noting that he'll conversely be pursuing an Oscar nomination, Fraser added, "I owe it to myself. I owe it to the filmmakers. I know I owe it to those fans who paid to come and see me and stand in line in the sun and, you know, all of that. I owe it to my kids. This is my shot.”
Will Brendan Fraser Win the Golden Globe for Best Actor?
It's hard to say if Fraser will win the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama, but he has a good shot, given how much praise he has garnered with the reviews. But he's also facing some stiff competition from other actors who've similarly garnered great acclaim. The other nominees for that category are Austin Butler for Elvis; Hugh Jackman for The Son; Bill Nighy for Living; and Jeremy Pope for The Inspection.
The Whale is currently playing in limited theaters in New York and Los Angeles. It will open up nationwide on Dec. 21, 2022.