Is Brendan Fraser’s Oscar-Win Also A Mental Health Success Story?

Is Brendan Frasers Oscar Win A Mental Health Success Story
Spread the love

  • As Brendan Fraser wins the best actor Oscar for The Whale, much spotlight is shown on his Hollywood struggle through the years.
  • The star has been a vocal mental health advocate, having battled depression and trauma since the 2000s.

At the Oscars of 2023, American-Canadian actor Brendan Fraser of The Mummy fame bagged the award for best actor for The Whale (2022), a movie in which he starred as a morbidly obese, reclusive teacher and estranged father.

A visibly emotional Fraser closed his “comeback” speech by stating: “I started in this business 30 years ago. Things didn’t come easily to me but there was a facility I didn’t appreciate at the time until it stopped.

What Happened To Brendan Fraser After His Blacklisting In Hollywood?

As with several previous interviews, Fraser touched on his early years in Hollywood in his Oscars speech. The actor dominated the Hollywood scene in the late 1990s and the early 2000s, only to disappear for nearly two decades. In 2018, he emerged out of oblivion and openly spoke of the sexual assault that left him traumatized.

Fraser’s confession of former HFPA President Philip Berk’s groping him in the summer of 2003 and the former’s “Hollywood ban” slowed down his promising acting career in the 2000s.

Coupled with several box-office bombs, multiple life-threatening surgeries, a broken marriage, and a child support payment legal battle, he ended up taking an unwanted career hiatus.

As the movie roles dried up, he struggled to find work and with negative press attention. Brendan Fraser’s tragedy was compounded by mental health issues like trauma, depression, and low self-esteem.

Brendan Fraser’s Mental Health Advocacy

Over the years, like his female peers, Frazer has criticized his objectified and hypersexualized roles in the wildly successful The Mummy franchise, Bedazzled, and George of the Jungle. He has raised awareness about the mental health and body image issues that extremely masculine Hollywood action heroes face in their constricted acting careers.

Moreover, at the height of the #MeTooMovement in Hollywood, his confession of his sexual harassment gave impetus to men’s stories of sexual violation. In the process, he also became an advocate for men’s mental health.

And he hasn’t stopped since! For example, for his comeback film The Whale, he had chosen to play the rather unconventional role of a 600-pound homosexual man confined to a wheelchair. Much like the confession that cost him a glittering career, his work served to successfully draw attention to the difficulties associated with obesity.

He elaborated in an interview: “We can often lose sight that those [with obesity] are human beings with thoughts and feelings and hearts and families and everything … Fundamentally, being hurtful towards one another with what we say can have real life health concerns. And it seems like a simple enough thing we can do better to change that.

A Triumphant Hollywood Return?

Brendan Fraser’s depression battle and the reclamation of his long-deserved fame have been celebrated as a significant Hollywood comeback. By swapping the world of action and adventure for drama, he has successfully overcome the professional hurdles and personal shortcomings that silently plague male actors in Hollywood.

His is indeed a story of hard work, the indomitable human spirit, and the power of courage and empathy!

Know More About –

  1. Obesity
  2. Depression
  3. Self-Esteem
  1. Stars Who Have Battled Mental Health Issues And Won Over Them
  2. What Causes Obesity? 6 Lesser-Known Reasons That Are Making You Gain Weight
  3. 5 Major Signs Of Mental Health Issues In Men

Spread the love
  • Did You Know TikTok Use Triggers Body Dissatisfaction In Women?

    Did You Know TikTok Use Triggers Body Dissatisfaction In Women?

    Research delves into the link between TikTok use and body…

  • What Are Valentine’s Day Blues And How Does It Affect Our Mental Health?

    What Are Valentine’s Day Blues And How Does It Affect Our Mental Health?

    Research delves into the mental health realities of Valentine’s Day…

  • Spanking Hampers Children’s Mental Health: Study Finds

    Spanking Hampers Children’s Mental Health: Study Finds

    Research delves into the negative impact of spanking on children’s…

  • Do Women Prefer Men With Tougher Facial Features? Research Finds

    Do Women Prefer Men With Tougher Facial Features? Research Finds

    Researchers explored how women, when faced with uncertainty, are attracted…

  • Couples Working From Home Together Share Family Tasks Equally: Study

    Couples Working From Home Together Share Family Tasks Equally: Study

    Research explores how dual-income couples approach domestic labor.

  • Visual Food Cues Affect Our Food Choices: Study Finds

    Visual Food Cues Affect Our Food Choices: Study Finds

    Research explored how visual food cues influence our eating behavior.

  • Victims Of Workplace Bullying Are Highly Likely To Believe In Conspiracy Theories: Study

    Victims Of Workplace Bullying Are Highly Likely To Believe In Conspiracy Theories: Study

    Research explores the link between workplace bullying and conspiracy theories.

  • Does Talking To Strangers Benefit Your Mental Health? Experts Opine.

    Does Talking To Strangers Benefit Your Mental Health? Experts Opine.

    Experts opine on the mental health benefits of talking to…

  • Does Tart Cherry Juice Help With Memory? Study Finds

    Does Tart Cherry Juice Help With Memory? Study Finds

    Research confirms the mental health benefits of tart cherry juice.

  • Can Talking To Strangers Help With Depression?

    Can Talking To Strangers Help With Depression?

    Research delves into the mental health benefits of talking to…

  • Partying With A Purpose: Are There Mental Health Benefits Of Celebrations?

    Partying With A Purpose: Are There Mental Health Benefits Of Celebrations?

    Research confirms the mental health benefits of celebrations.

  • False Memories: Why Do Psychopaths Forget Negative Events?

    False Memories: Why Do Psychopaths Forget Negative Events?

    Research provides insights into false memory formation in psychopaths.

  • Parents’ Political Ideology Impacts How Their Children Punish Others: Study

    Parents’ Political Ideology Impacts How Their Children Punish Others: Study

    Research explores how political ideologies and group perceptions get transmitted…

  • Research Reveals How Stress Affects Romantic Relationships

    Research Reveals How Stress Affects Romantic Relationships

    Research delves into the negative impact of stress on our…

  • Cooking Therapy: Why Is Cooking Good For Mental Health?

    Cooking Therapy: Why Is Cooking Good For Mental Health?

    Research reveals the therapeutic effect of cooking and the mental…

  • Parenting Stress Linked To Attachment Insecurity In Young Adults: Study

    Parenting Stress Linked To Attachment Insecurity In Young Adults: Study

    Research explores the link between parenting stress and attachment insecurity.

  • Can Fewer Working Hours Boost Your Life Satisfaction? Study Finds

    Can Fewer Working Hours Boost Your Life Satisfaction? Study Finds

    Research delves into the benefits of fewer working hours.

  • Youth Who Think They Are More Attractive Are Likely To Engage In Offending Behavior: Study Finds

    Youth Who Think They Are More Attractive Are Likely To Engage In Offending Behavior: Study Finds

    Research explains the link between self-perceptions of attractiveness and offending…

  • Believing In No Sense Of Control On Future Boosts Self-Esteem For Introverts: Study

    Believing In No Sense Of Control On Future Boosts Self-Esteem For Introverts: Study

    Research delves into the link between anticipatory stress and self-esteem…

  • Can Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Help Treat Anxiety Disorders? Study Finds

    Can Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Help Treat Anxiety Disorders? Study Finds

    Research delves into the benefits of mindfulness-based stress reduction training…

  • Do Men Do Less Housework? Science Thinks So!

    Do Men Do Less Housework? Science Thinks So!

    Research provides interesting insights into the gender inequality in the…

  • Can Quitting Alcohol Improve Your Cognition? Study Reveals

    Can Quitting Alcohol Improve Your Cognition? Study Reveals

    Research delves into the benefits of quitting alcohol.

  • Acts Of Kindness Can Cure Depression And Anxiety: Study Finds

    Acts Of Kindness Can Cure Depression And Anxiety: Study Finds

    Research delves into the mental health benefits of kindness.

  • Why Is Skipping Meals Bad For Mental Health? Experts Speak

    Why Is Skipping Meals Bad For Mental Health? Experts Speak

    Experts explain how skipping meals affects mental health.

  • Feeling Loved As A Teen Leads To Better Mental Health In Adulthood: Study Finds

    Feeling Loved As A Teen Leads To Better Mental Health In Adulthood: Study Finds

    Research delves into the mental health benefits of a positive…

  • Academic Streaming Leads To Poor Mental Health In Children: Study Finds

    Academic Streaming Leads To Poor Mental Health In Children: Study Finds

    Research delves into the ill impact of academic streaming.

  • Early Retirement Accelerates Cognitive Decline: Research Claims

    Early Retirement Accelerates Cognitive Decline: Research Claims

    Research delves into the negative mental health benefits of early…