Brendan Fraser has earned his first-ever Oscar nomination for his lead role in The Whale.
Over the last few months, there had been speculation that the 54-year-old actor would finally be nominated at the Academy Awards for his acclaimed performance in the Darren Aronofsky film, especially after attracting so much attention at other awards shows.
The nominees at the Academy Awards were announced on Tuesday (January 24), and many viewers were hoping that Fraser would be among those nominated for Best Actor.
Thankfully, the Hollywood star - most notably known for his role in The Mummy and George of the Jungle - has just scored his first Oscar nomination for his first lead role in a major film in 12 years.
The critically acclaimed movie features the Bedazzled star in his most unique role yet as he plays a 600-pound English teacher named Charlie who had left his wife and daughter for a new life with a man.
After the lonely man's partner dies, his own health declines rapidly so he attempts to reconnect with his now-teenage daughter (played by Sadie Sink) before it's too late.
The film has become a hit on the screen and garnered acclaim amongst critics. It has also performed well at the domestic box office, surpassing $10 million and making it a notable milestone for an indie movie, per Variety.
Just recently, Fraser earned the Best Actor award at the Critics' Choice Awards and delivered a powerful speech about the director, saying: "I was in the wilderness, and I probably should have left a trail of breadcrumbs, but you’ve found me. And like all the best directors, you merely just showed me where to go to get to where I needed to be."
The Blast from the Past alum also earned a similar nomination at the Golden Globe Awards but he didn't attend due to his sexual assault allegation against former Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Philip Berk.
In a previous interview with GQ, the actor revealed that he owes it to himself to campaign for the Oscar, so this is a dream come true for him as his efforts have been successful.
"I owe it to myself. I owe it to the filmmakers," Fraser said. "I know I owe it to those fans who paid to come and see me and stand in line in the sun and, you know, all of that. I owe it to my kids. This is my shot."
The other nominees for his category were Austin Butler for Elvis; Colin Farrell for The Banshees of Inisherin; Paul Mescal for Aftersun; and Bill Nighy for Living.
In addition to this, Fraser's co-star Hong Chau has also been nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the movie as well.
The 95th Annual Academy Awards will air on March 12.