Fraser, 53, detailed the “undulating feeling” of starring as Charlie inDarren Aronofsky’sThe Whale— for which he underwent a physical transformation to play the 600 lbs. man — as he spoke to media at theVenice International Film Festivalon Sunday.
“I think it’s poetic that the trauma he carries is manifest in the physical weight of his body,” he said ahead of the film’s premiere, according toThe Hollywood Reporter. “I needed to learn to absolutely move in a new way. I developed muscles I did not know that I had. I even felt a sense of vertigo, when at the end of the day all the appliances were removed, just as you would feel stepping off the boat onto the dock here in Venice — that undulating feeling.”
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“And I say this because he gave me an appreciation for those whose bodies are similar because I learned that you need to be an incredibly strong person physically and mentally to inhabit that physical being. And I think that is Charlie, also,” Fraser added.
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On Wednesday, Fraser toldVanity Fairhe took on the project after seeking a role that would help him learn “what I was capable of.”
Brendan Fraser inThe Whale(2022).Courtesy of A24
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“If there’s no risk, then why bother?” he said. “I want to learn from the people I’m working with at this point in my career. I’ve had such variety, a lot of high highs and low lows, so what I’m keen for, in the second half of my time doing this, is to feel like I’m contributing to the craft, and I’m learning from it.
“This is a prime opportunity. I wanted to disappear into it. My hope was that I would become unrecognizable,” Fraser added.
Aronofsky, 53, toldVanity Fairthat Fraser carried between 50 and 300 extra pounds during filming, depending on the contents of each scene. The movie takes place entirely within his character’s home over the course of five days, according to the outlet.
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Samuel D. Hunter wrote the screenplay based on his play of the same name. The 2012 production debuted off-Broadway to acclaim fromThe New York Times, and it won a Drama Desk Award, the Lucille Lortel Award for outstanding play and a GLAAD Media Award.
“Adapting my play into a screenplay has been a real labor of love for me,” Hunter toldDeadlinelast year. “This story is deeply personal, and I’m very thankful it will have the chance to reach a wider audience.”
The Whalepremieres Dec. 9 in theaters.
source: people.com
