Brendan Fraser has opened up about his lead role in the upcoming movie, The Whale, telling Vanity Fair it was "all pedal and no gas."
The movie marks the 53-year-old actor's return to the big screen in a decade - after shying away from the spotlight for several years.
Directed by Darren Aronofsky, The Whale is centered on the life of Charlie (Brendan Fraser), a father struggling with severe obesity while coming to terms with the death of his lover. Stranger Things star Sadie Sink plays Fraser's estranged daughter in the flick.
Oscar-winning Aronofsky, who also directed Black Swan and Mother, is known for his love of surrealism and disturbing psychological themes.
In the recent Vanity Fair interview, Fraser discussed his appearance in the new psychological drama - telling the magazine he "wanted to know what he was capable of" when acting in a more visceral role.
"I want to learn from the people I'm working with at this point in my career. I've had such variety, a lot of high highs and low lows, so what I'm keen for, in the second half of my time doing this, is to feel like I'm contributing to the craft and I'm learning from it. This is a prime opportunity. I wanted to disappear into it. My hope was that I would become unrecognizable," he said.
The beloved actor - who is mostly known for his roles as George in George of the Jungle and as Rick O'Connell in The Mummy trilogy - then added: "If there's no risk, then why bother?"
Fraser revealed the lengths he went to in order to prepare for his role as Charlie, telling David Canfield of Vanity Fair that he worked closely with the Obesity Action Coalition in an effort to better understand people struggling with obesity. He spoke to people who'd had bariatric surgeries, and immersed himself in documentaries and reality TV series to glean a more in-depth understanding of obese people.
The American-Canadian actor also had to ensure he focused on his character's mental state, which was in turmoil as a result of suffering immense loss. In addition, Fraser had to undergo a physical transformation - carrying between 50 - 300 extra pounds during filming as his character grappled with emotional weight gain, according to the interview.
However, Fraser noted the discomfort this caused him, stating the transformation was: "Cumbersome, not exactly comfortable."
He also revealed that the prosthetics he had to wear severely impacted his mobility, and he often required the help of people on set to get around.
As a result of this, Fraser told the magazine that he may never act in a role like this again, saying: "This may be the first and last time I ever do this again, so I gave it everything I've got. And I did. That's all I got."
Aronofsky's The Whale is set to premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on September 4.
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