Brendan Fraser has stunned fans after looking unrecognizable as he prepares for his latest movie role.
The 52-year-old actor is perhaps best known for his roles in The Mummy trilogy and George of the Jungle. But the star looked a far cry from his days in the jungle as he appeared at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City last Friday.
Attending the premiere of the period crime drama No Sudden Move - in which he plays the character Jones - Fraser appeared alongside co-stars David Harbour and Jon Hamm.
Per the Daily Mail, Fraser's recent weight gain comes after being cast in the upcoming Darren Aronofsky movie, The Whale.
Fraser will play Charlie, a 600-pound middle-aged man who tries to reconnect with his 17-year-old daughter. The movie is based on the Samuel D. Hunter play of the same name, and sees English teacher Charlie binge eat out of guilt after abandoning his family for his gay lover.
Speaking about his play being adapted for the big screen, Hunter told Vulture back in January: "This story is deeply personal and I’m very thankful it will have the chance to reach a wider audience."
Some of Aronofsky's most celebrated movies include The Wrestler (2008), Mother! (2017) and Black Swan (2010).
Fraser's appearance at the Tribeca Film Festival was quite a rarity, as he has chosen to continue his career out of the public eye.
In a 2018 interview with GQ, Fraser spoke about the toll his previous roles had taken on his body and career.
"By the time I did the third Mummy picture in China (2008), I was put together with tape and ice— just, like, really nerdy and fetishy about ice packs," he said. "Screw-cap ice packs and downhill-mountain-biking pads, 'cause they're small and light and they can fit under your clothes. I was building an exoskeleton for myself daily."
Eventually, the actor required multiple surgeries, as he revealed he was in and out of hospital for seven years. Fraser endured at least two laminectomies and a partial knee replacement, as well as requiring bolts in his spine and vocal cord surgery.
"I felt like the horse from Animal Farm, whose job it was to work and work and work," he added.
In the same interview, Fraser also spoke out about his alleged sexual assault at the hands of the former president of the HFPA, Philip Berk, in the summer of 2003.
Fraser claims that Berk groped him inappropriately in a crowded room, in a moment that left the actor overcome with panic and fear.
He told GQ: "Am I still frightened? Absolutely. Do I feel like I need to say something? Absolutely. Have I wanted to many, many times? Absolutely. Have I stopped myself? Absolutely."
Berk has always denied the allegation, and no charges were filed.
Despite living a more private life, Fraser has admitted that he would be up for appearing in another Mummy movie.
Appearing at FAN EXPO in Canada in 2019, Fraser claimed that he’d be "all in" to come back and that he would "absolutely" be willing to make some kind of cameo in future Mummy movies.
According to Comicbook.com, Fraser stated: "Just gotta say, I know how hard it is to make that movie. I tried to do it three times, and the essential ingredient is fun. You gotta remember to have fun. So if there’s a fun way to approach it again, I’m all in."
