“I was depressed, but I didn’t give up. Hard times help you grow»- Corriere.it

Anyone who attended the cinema in the nineties knows Brendan Fraser

. Strong jaw, blue eyes, baritone voice, the actor starred in blockbusters as popular as the saga of Mummy. Then for a long time he almost disappeared from the scene. “Actually, I’ve always been there,” he points out, but the general public had ceased to notice him, his name no longer appeared on billboards, the roles had marginal. It was to resolve its fate Darren Aronofskythe director of “Mother!” And “The black Swan” who wanted him to star in «The Whale
” arriving in theaters February 23. The film, an adaptation of a play by Samuel D. Hunter, has just gotten three Oscar nominationsone of them to Fraser as best leading actor.

What had happened before this breakthrough in auteur cinema? “I wonder if it was me who walked away or if it was the others who started to avoid me», says the actor who confesses to having suffered physically and mentally: «On the set of the last one “Mummy” I pulled myself together every morning with muscle tape and ice packs. He also contributed a lawsuit for sexual harassment what Fraser did to a reporter. The star claimed to have been touched in the private parts and demanded them public apology which did not arrive. The depression mounted, the job offers fell, the fitness it got worse. Images of Fraser weighed down circulated on social media. “Now nothing matters anymore, hard times help you grow.”

Wouldn’t there have been Charlie, the protagonist of «The Whale», without the yearnings and the extra kilos?

«I don’t know, what is certain is that an actor’s life path has repercussions on his interpretations. At first I was scared, the idea of ​​going back to work with a great director intimidated me but I was wrong because Aronofsky is a delightful person and an intelligent man».

What did you think after the Oscar nomination?

“I tried to keep the butterflies in my stomach at bay. Even now, every now and then I pinch myself to figure out if it’s reality or a good dream. It’s a new journey in my professional life. Beautiful and exciting.”

How can this film be summarized?

“It’s the story of a lonely man, a literature teacher who is killing himself with food. He’s been doing it for some time and we meet him at the end of his life, he now has a few days to seek redemption and decides to try to re-establish contact with his daughter that he hasn’t seen for some time. If he succeeds, his life will not have been lived in vain.’

His physical transformation is amazing.

“I got fat to play Charlie, but without makeup there wouldn’t be this movie. I wear a prosthesis created with a new technology. A fat suit that transforms me and allows me to be Charlie. The director had it clear in mind that the virtual retouches had to be minimal and that the prosthesis had to obey the laws of physics and gravity, making my movements as difficult as those of a seriously obese person. Mine had to be a representation that respected and conferred dignity on those who suffer from it».

The American health system, based on private insurance, does not help the obese.

«In order to undergo gastric reduction surgery, which is the only solution to save their lives, they must demonstrate that they know how to lose weight by undergoing harsh low-calorie diets. What does it mean? It is established that for some the quantity and quality of food do not matter, genetic factors act. They are sick people, trapped in their own bodies.”

Have you done research?

“I got in touch with the Obesity Act Coalition, which serves people suffering from this serious illness and eating disorders, and which helps families. I’ve met so many people who have offered me their honest point of view, which is what Charlie tries to do with those close to him and with his students ».

Charlie, despite everything is an optimist.

“He’s someone who never loses the ability to see the good in others, even when they can’t see it in themselves. That’s what made me love him. I have three kids and all the love I will ever need for the rest of my life yet for a long time I was depressed. He doesn’t, but he doesn’t give up ».

She didn’t give up either.

“Despite everything, it’s true, I’m still here making films.”