05 June 2023 , 16:40
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Brendan Fraser was emotional when he made he long-awaited comeback in The Whale - and won an Oscar for his leading role.
However, while he welled up during the acceptance speech earlier this year, there was more to it than just being overjoyed to lift the prize.
For Brendan, 54, had felt as though he had been set aside by the powers that be in Hollywood for many years before his hugely successful comeback - and the apparent reason why is heartbreaking.
In the late '90s and early noughties, Brendan wowed crowds in hit flicks such as The Mummy and George of the Jungle. But soon enough he found work dried up and discovered he had been "blacklisted" by Hollywood.
The alleged shun came after he bravely opened up on claims of past abuse. In 2018, the star claimed he had been the victim of sexual abuse in the industry.
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Brendan Fraser won an Oscar for his role in The WhaleThe interview with GQ saw Brendan say his career had "withered on a vine" after the alleged groping in 2003. He explained how the horrible situation had left him feeling "miserable", "depressed" and "reclusive".
He told the publication of the incident at the time: "His left hand reaches around, grabs my a** cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around. I felt ill.
"I felt like a little kid. I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry... In my mind, at least, something had been taken away from me."
Following his revelation, Brenda revealed he received a written apology, but says he found himself shut out from the HFPA and the Golden Globes awards which had him thinking he had been blacklisted.
After the difficult time, Brendan also suffered personal setbacks such as health issues, divorce and the loss of his mother.
Brendan starred in films such as George of the Jungle (Marsha Blackburn/Disney/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)However, The Whale and his award that followed showed Brendan is back in the industry.
During his acceptance speech, he explained how grateful he was for the recognition. Clutching the gong, he said: "So this is what the multiverse looks like!
"I thank the academy for this honour… Darren Aronofsky for throwing me a creative lifeline and hauling me aboard the good ship The Whale."
He later added: "I started in this business 30 years ago…there was a facility that that I didn’t appreciate at the time until it stopped.
"I just want to say thank you for this acknowledgement because it could not be done without my cast."
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