A producer on The Whale is responding to the strong criticism about Brendan Fraser's casting. The Whale is the story of a reclusive and depressed college professor experiencing morbid obesity, and it follows the professor's journey as he tries to reconnect with his daughter. As he wrestles with his eating disorder and his fraught relationship with his estranged child, Charlie, played by Fraser, loses his job and faces extreme ridicule due to his appearance.
While it has been lauded for its depiction of Charlie's ailments, The Whale is a controversial project thanks to Fraser's involvement. As Fraser is not morbidly obese — instead relying on a bodysuit to depict Charlie's appearance — the film has been critiqued and declared fatphobic due to its casting decisions. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, producer Jeremy Dawson defended the casting by arguing that they focused more on the core of the character than appearances. Check out his quote below:
“The key thing for us was to show somebody who was just a human who had things he was dealing with, that we would want to have empathy and love for him at the same time, as [well as] understanding, empathy and love for all these other characters he’s interacting with. Sam had extrapolated out from some of his own personal experiences and kind of took it from there. We just want to be honest and truthful.
"Darren [Aronofsky] considered everybody, and over different phases of the film, different people and ideas were looked at. Ultimately, he just wanted to find the best person who’s going to do this and do it in a respectful manner. You’re always going to have different reactions to everything."
How The Whale Saved Brendan Fraser's Career
The Whale is the first Fraser-led movie in over a decade and has been a major milestone for his career. The actor spent years estranged from Hollywood, which Fraser attributes to being blacklisted by Phillip Berk, the then-president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), after Fraser alleges that Berk sexually assaulted him. Being cast in The Whale gave Fraser the opportunity to return to Hollywood without having to worry about the blacklisting after Berk's removal.
Fraser's return to a leading role within the industry has resulted in massive success for the struggling actor. Having grossed $20 million on a $3 million budget, despite being a small-scale project, The Whale has proven that Fraser is still capable of drawing an audience. His renaissance in Hollywood has also enabled Fraser to feel the support from viewers across the globe.
In even more positive news for Fraser and his career, The Whale is only the beginning of Fraser's comeback. His future projects include appearances in Behind the Curtain of Night, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Brothers, with many more movies on the way. Though his casting may have sparked some controversy, the future of Fraser's life in Hollywood is looking brighter than it has in decades.
Source: THR