Brendan Fraser gets tearful as The Whale receives a six-minute standing ovation at Venice Film Festival

Brendan Fraser‘s comeback film, The Whale recently premiered at the 78th Venice Film Festival and was met with massive applause. According to Variety, after the credits rolled on the Darren Aronofsky drama, in which Fraser plays a 600-pound gay man confined to a wheelchair, the actor got emotional as the film received a six-minute standing ovation. 

Fraser reportedly broke down in tears looking at the reaction that was received by his film. Early reactions from the festival have also touted that Fraser’s performance puts him into the Oscars contenders race. Fraser also shared an emotional hug with director Aronofsky during the ovation and took a bow as the clapping got louder following the film ended. 

The Whale stars Fraser as a man living with severe obesity who struggles to reconnect with his 17-year-old daughter, played by Stranger Things star Sadie Sink. The film also stars Hong Chau, Samantha Morton and Ty Simpkins in supporting roles. Brendan has previously been known in Hollywood for starring in big franchises such as The Mummy. 

The Whale also happens to be Fraser’s first major film since 2013’s direct-to-DVD action movie Breakout. For his role in the Darren Aronofsky film, Brendan reportedly wore a prosthetic suit that added anywhere from 50 to 300 pounds. Speaking about wearing the prosthetics, the actor during the press conference in Venice said, “I even felt a sense of vertigo at the end of the day when all the appliances were removed; it was like stepping off the dock onto a boat in Venice”, via Variety. 

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