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The Mummy Star
Background:
"I've never understood what the word 'hunk' means."
Brendan Fraser
Winning his first leading roles in the 1992 films Encino Man and
School Ties, Brendan Fraser later received broad recognition for
starring in the blockbuster The Mummy (1999) and its sequels (2001
and 2004). The American-Canadian actor also starred in such films as
George of the Jungle (1997), Still Breathing (1997), Gods and
Monsters (1998), Blast from the Past (1999), Dudley Do-Right (1999),
Bedazzled (2000) and Crash (2004).
"I've also never understood that 'in season, out of season'
thing. If something looks good, why not wear it?" Brendan
Fraser
Blue-eyed, dark brown-haired, square-jawed Brendan Fraser stands
6' 3" tall. In 1998, he was listed as one of People Magazine’s
“50 Most Beautiful People in The World.” He is currently
working on his upcoming films Big Bug Man, Journey to the End of the
Night, The Last Time, and Singularity.
Agreeable Fellow
Childhood and Family:
"I'm a pretty agreeable fellow." Brendan Fraser
In Indianapolis, Indiana, Brendan James Fraser was born on
December 3, 1968, to parents Peter J. (a retired Canadian Tourism
Commission official) and Carol G. Fraser (a sales counselor). His
great-grandfather was a Royal Canadian Mountie. The youngest son of
the family, Brendan has three older brothers: Kevin, Sean, and Regan.
Because of his father’s profession, Brendan and his family
frequently moved from one place to another and lived in Canada, the
United States and Europe.
"In London, I was 12 or 13, and I would go off on my own and
see plays. The stage just fascinated me. I couldn't get enough."
Brendan Fraser
While living in London, Brendan became interested in plays. When
14-year-old Brendan Fraser and his family moved to Seattle,
Washington, he signed up with the Laughing Horse Summer Theater in
Ellensburg and performed in such repertory classics as “Waiting
for Godot” and “A Midsummer Night's Dream.”
Subsequently, he went to high school at Upper Canada College
Preparatory School in Toronto and returned to Seattle to study drama
at the Cornish College of the Arts, where he received his Bachelor of
Fine Arts degree.
On September 27, 1998, Brendan Fraser exchanged wedding vows with
longtime girlfriend, actress Afton Smith (born on December 3, 1967)
in the garden at the Bel Air Hotel in Los Angeles. The couple now
has two sons: Holden Fletcher Fraser (born on August 16, 2004) and
Griffin Arthur Fraser (born on September 17, 2002).
An accomplished amateur photographer, Fraser is a vintage Polaroid
camera collector. The actor, who has dual citizenship (American and
Canadian), speaks French fluently and enjoys skiing and rock
climbing,
Still Breathing
Career:
"Work from yourself. Play what you know. Be confident.
Speak loudly. Mind your P's and Q's. Walk the Dog. Have courage."
Brendan Fraser
Originally planning to attend graduate school in Texas, Brendan
Fraser felt acting beckon and interned at the Intiman Theatre in
Seattle, after college. In 1991, he landed on television, playing
bit parts on the TV movies My Old School and Child of Darkness, Child
of Light. That same year, he made his feature debut in a small role
with one line in Nancy Savoca's sweet drama comedy Dogfight (starring
River Phoenix and Lili Taylor). He also received a major role in the
true-story-based movie Guilty Until Proven Innocent, also starring
Martin Sheen and Caroline Kava.
1992 saw Fraser win his first leading role. He portrayed frozen
caveman Link in Les Mayfield's fantasy comedy Encino Man (alongside
Sean Astin) and played a working-class Jewish student at an elite
prep school in Robert Mandel's football drama School Ties (costarring
Chris O'Donnell and Matt Damon). A string of roles followed and
Brendan was seen in such films as Twenty Bucks, Younger and Younger,
With Honors, Airheads, The Scout and The Passion of Darkly Noon. He
also performed with Parker Posey, Martin Short and Elizabeth Perkins
in the L.A. production of John Patrick Shanley's play "Four Dogs
and a Bone" in 1995.
Fraser costarred with Shirley MacLaine in Richard Benjamin's
romantic comedy film based on the novel “I Married A Dead Man,”
by Cornell Woolrich, Mrs. Winterbourne (1996, also with Ricki Lake).
He followed it up with an appearance in writer-director Rich Wilkes'
comedy Glory Daze (1996, starring Ben Affleck) and played Jennifer
Beals' gay brother on Showtime's movie adopted from the play by
Jonathan Tolins, The Twilight of the Golds (1997).
The title role of George (the live version of the cartoon), in Sam
Weisman's box-office hit George of the Jungle (1997, costarring
Leslie Mann), catapulted Fraser's name toward prominence. That same
year, he garnered critical acclaim for his portrayal of San Antonio
puppeteer Fletcher McBracken in writer-director James F. Robinson's
Still Breathing (1997, opposite Joanna Going) and won a Seattle
International Film Festival Award. He also hosted the much-admired
NBC show "Saturday Night Live" in October of 1997.
In 1998, Fraser befriended Frankenstein director James Whale
(played by Sir Ian McKellen), a gardener and ex-Marine Clayton Boone
in Bill Condon's film adopted from the novel "Father of
Frankenstein" by Christopher Bram, the biopic Gods and Monsters.
Later that year, Fraser starred as Christopher Walken and Sissy
Spacek's son, who was raised in a bomb shelter, in Hugh Wilson's
romantic comedy Blast from the Past (alongside Alicia Silverstone).
He also nabbed the memorable role of Richard 'Rick' O'Connell, an
American archeologist serving in the French Foreign Legion who
accidentally awakens a mummy, in Stephen Sommers' rousing,
suspenseful and horrifying epic The Mummy (1999, costarring Rachel
Weisz). Fraser later reprised his role in its following
installments, The Mummy Returns (2001) and Revenge of the Mummy: The
Ride (2004).
Fraser also portrayed clumsy Royal Canadian Mountie Dudley
Do-Right (the live version of the cartoon) in Hugh Wilson's family
comedy film with the same name (1999), alongside Alfred Molina and
Sarah Jessica Parker. He also returned to "Saturday Night Live"
to host the show in February of 1999.
After providing his voice for Sinbad in the animated Sinbad:
Beyond the Veil of Mists (2000), Fraser starred as a nerdy, low-level
technical advisor in Harold Ramis' remake of the fantasy comedy
Bedazzled (opposite Elizabeth Hurley). He then portrayed successful
comic book illustrator Stu Miley in Henry Selick's Monkeybone (2001,
costarring Bridget Fonda), a fantasy adventure combining live action,
stop motion, claymation miniatures, puppets and computer imaging.
Fraser also acted on stage, reuniting with Bedazzled costar Frances
O'Connor, in a London stage revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."
On the small screen, he could be seen in two episodes of the NBC
sitcom "Scrubs," playing Ben Sullivan.
The subsequent years watched Fraser playing young American CIA
agent Pyle in Phillip Noyce's adaptation of Graham Greene's novel,
the romantic drama feature The Quiet American (alongside Michael
Caine) and team with the Looney Tunes in Joe Dante's live-animated
movie Looney Tunes: Back in Action (also with Jenna Elfman). More
recent, Fraser appeared in writer-director Paul Haggis' Crash (2004,
starring Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle and Matt Dillon) and returned to
guest star on NBC’s “Scrubs.”
Fraser will lend his voice to the title role in Bob Bendetson and
Peter Shin's animated action Big Bug Man. He will also star in
writer-director Eric Eason's thriller Journey to the End of the
Night, Michael Caleo's romantic comedy The Last Time (will play
Michael Keaton's new business partner) and is set to costar with
Aishwarya Rai in Roland Joffé's drama Singularity.
"I think a star should be a ball of contradictions.
Contradictions are a ball." Brendan Fraser
Awards:
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