Brendan Fraser breaks down while accepting Best Actor for The Whale at Critics’ Choice Awards

Brendan Fraser sobbed through his moving acceptance speech at the Critics’ Choice Awards today, after his first role in over a decade.

Famously modest star Brendan Fraser broke down in tears while receiving the Best Actor accolade at the Critics’ Choice Awards today.

The actor, 54, took out the gong for his first role in almost a decade in The Whale, which has been garnering Oscar buzz since its release.

Fraser’s speech began light, before turning into an emotional dedication to director of The Whale, Darren Aronofsky, whom he thanked for guiding him to success.

Brendan Fraser’s acceptance speech after winning Best Actor 😭🖤 #CriticsChoiceAwardspic.twitter.com/iQgFe4FnjS

— Natalie ❁ (@livelyackles) January 16, 2023

Tearing up, he told the audience: “I was in the wilderness and I probably should have left a trail of breadcrumbs. But you found me and like all the best directors you showed me where I had to go to get to where I needed to be.”

As his industry peers appeared visibly moved by his words, he continued: “If you are a guy like Charlie who I play in this movie and in any way struggle with obesity or you feel like you’re in a dark sea, then I want you to know that you too can have the strength to just get to your feet and go to the light.”

His voice quavering with emotion, he concluded: “Good things will happen.”

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Brendan Fraser won Best Actor for The Whale at the Critics Choice Awards today,

The star ended his acceptance speech in tears as the audience appeared moved by his words.

Fraser’s awards season run comes after an intense premiere of the film last year.

In September, at the Venice Film Festival, the star was similarly overcome with emotion as he received an “eight-minute standing ovation” when his name appeared in the credits, The Independent reported.

The Mummy actor underwent a dramatic physical transformation and donned prosthetics to portray a 270kg man in Darren Aronofsky’s psychological drama.

Aronofsky’s film is adapted from a play by Samuel D. Hunter that focuses on the life of a man living with obesity named Charlie, who is seeking to reunite with his estranged teenage daughter, played by Stranger Things star Sadie Sink, after abandoning his wife and child for a gay lover. Charlie became morbidly obese after developing a compulsive eating disorder to deal with his lover’s death.

It marks Fraser’s first lead role in a movie since straight-to-DVD thriller Breakout in 2013, with fans primed for his major Hollywood comeback for many months since he went viral in a rare interview on TikTok in 2021.

Fraser’s win today comes after a glamorous red carpet display, with head-turning looks from stars including Julia Garner, Elle Fanning and Johnny Knoxville:

Lily James.

Daisy Edgar-Jones.

Sarah Hyland.

Elle Fanning.

Jenny Slate.

Michelle Williams.

Julia Garner.

Jeremy Allen White.

Johnny Knoxville.

Originally published as Brendan Fraser breaks down while accepting Best Actor for The Whale at Critics’ Choice Awards