Brendan Fraser shares high praise for Sadie Sink's acting chops after working with her on The Whale. The upcoming Darren Aronofsky film has been considered by many to be Fraser's comeback role as a leading man in feature films, with the actor already earning many accolades and Oscar buzz prior to the film's theatrical release on December 9. In The Whale, Fraser portrays Charlie, a grieving English teacher struggling with obesity who attempts to connect with his estranged teenage daughter Ellie, played by Sink. Due to her complex relationship with her father and the circumstances of their reunion, Sink's character Ellie deals with heavy emotions like anger, as well as her own grief in the film.
While appearing in a video for GQ, Fraser speaks highly of his young co-star, who has also recently earned praise for her turn in Stranger Things season 4. Sink has previously opened up about how starring in The Whale helped hone her skills when she returned for the latest season of Stranger Things and compared working on the Aronofsky film to a "boot camp." The actor also said that portraying Ellie gave her a "level of confidence" that made it easier for her to get into character as Max, which Fraser clearly picked up on while filming The Whale. See what he has to say below:
“The fluidity that Sadie [Sink] plays, this beautiful controlled rage, was breathtaking to me. I was constantly going up on my lines, and that’s just because I got cobwebs upstairs and I was wearing a lot of gear, but also because I was just slack jawed, I’m not joking, watching her work. She won the game ball every day we worked, I’m telling you.”
Brendan Fraser Loves Hyping Up His Colleagues' Work
The admiration from Fraser, who served as an iconic leading man of the 1990s and early 2000s, elevates Sink's rising star power even further after her moving performance in Stranger Things. Fraser is often generous with his praise, boosting his co-stars as well as the directors and producers that he works with. He does this so often that fans of his have taken this trait as a hallmark of his humble and down-to-earth demeanor. The Mummy Returns star Dwayne Johnson, who played the antagonist in the Fraser-led Mummy franchise sequel, has been vocal about Fraser's support for those around him, crediting the actor with helping kick off his career in Hollywood.
Fraser's willingness to encourage and hype up those he shares the screen with is likely part of the reason that his peers have been so outwardly supportive of his comeback as a leading man. While The Whale has yet to premiere in theaters, it has earned lengthy standing ovations in several screenings largely due to Fraser's moving performance, and Hollywood names such as Johnson, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and director Adil El Arbi have expressed appreciation for the actor on social media. In addition, Fraser's former co-stars such as Elizabeth Hurley and Michelle Yeoh have reunited with the actor at early screenings of his new film, showing that Fraser's kindness toward his co-stars has not gone unnoticed.
Sadie Sink's Recent Projects, Explained
As a young actor coming onto the scene in Hollywood, Sink clearly took advantage of the opportunity to work alongside creatives such as Aronofsky and Fraser, which seems to have paid off as her craft has continued to improve. While Stranger Things served as Sink's breakthrough role, the actor had small parts in several television series and a handful of movies prior to starring as Max. With the end of Stranger Things on the horizon, Sink has been busy diversifying her career with feature film roles, such as her turn in The Whale and the recently released Dear Zoe, in which her character also copes with a difficult loss in the family. As The Whale gains traction, Sink could be in the running for an Academy Awards nod alongside co-stars Hong Chau and Fraser himself, which would further cement her status as a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.
Source: GQ
