It's official: Brendan Fraser is an Oscar nominee. There had been a lot of speculation that Fraser would finally be nominated at the Academy Awards for his acclaimed performance in the Darren Aronofsky film The Whale, especially after garnering so much attention at other awards shows. The nomineeds for the Academy Awards were announced on Tuesday, and as many were hoping, Fraser is among those nominated for Best Actor.
The other nominees for the category include Austin Butler for Elvis; Colin Farrell for The Banshees of Inisherin; Paul Mescal for Aftersun; and Bill Nighy for Living. Fraser's co-star Hong Chau has also been nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Whale as well.
The Whale features Fraser in his most unique role yet. In the movie, directed by Aronofsky and written by Samuel D. Hunter, Fraser plays a 600-pound recluse who had abandoned his wife and daughter for a new life with a gay lover. After his lover's death and with his own health in rapid decline, the lonely man tries to reconnect with his now-teenage daughter (Sadie Sink, Stranger Things) before it's too late. The film has been a hit, garnering acclaim and performing better than had been expected at the box office.
Will Brendan Fraser Win the Oscar?
Just recently, Fraser picked up a Best Actor win for The Whale at the Critics' Choice Awards. That followed a nomination he'd also received for the film at the Golden Globe Awards. The actor previously said that he owes it to himself to campaign for the Oscar, so this is a dream come true for Fraser, whose efforts have been successful. But as far as whether he will win, we will just have to wait and see.
“I owe it to myself. I owe it to the filmmakers," Fraser said in a GQ interview. "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.”
The 95th Annual Academy Awards will air on March 12, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Hosted by Riz Ahmed and Allison Williams, the event will air on ABC. You can find out more about the Academy Awards at the official website.