The evolution of Brendan Fraser

The life story of Brendan Fraser serves as inspiration for each of us. A career that began in the '90s, immediately marked by great successes like George of the Jungle (1997), School Ties (1996), and the blockbuster The Mummy (1999), the professional life of the Canadian-born, naturalized American actor took a sharp turn at the beginning of the new millennium, driven by the social pressures of the fame accumulated in those years. Deciding to take care of his mental and physical health once and for all, in 2008 Fraser decided to step away from the big screen, until the public's call that rediscovered him on social media acclaimed his return to the Hollywood spotlight with the victory of an Oscar for Best Actor in The Whale (2022). Following in the footsteps of colleagues Matthew McConaughey and Julia Roberts, Fraser transformed his public image from a sex symbol to an award-winning artist over the course of many years. While McConaughey and Roberts did it openly, jumping from rom-coms to dramas in front of their fans, Fraser's rebirth happened behind closed doors, protecting the infinite sensitivity that has always characterized him. This week, the next role that the actor will take on was announced, the protagonist of Rental Family directed by Hikari, the director of Beef, further confirming Fraser's professional turnaround.

After the success last spring at the Oscars and an appearance in Killers of the Flower Moon by the great Martin Scorsese, Fraser has found a new significant role within Hollywood. Rental Family will be set in Tokyo and will tell the story of a broke actor who, working as a stand-in for a "rent-a-family" company, will have the opportunity to rediscover himself. Like the film that allowed him to win the Oscar, the project directed by Hikari fully reflects Fraser's professional - and if we want, personal - redemption. "Thank you for giving me an anchor of creative salvation," the actor had declared on the stage of the Academy Awards, referring to The Whale director, Darren Aronofsky. In 2018, four years before the cinematic comeback, Fraser had shared in an interview with GQ the reasons that led him to retire from the scene, including the physical and mental stress caused by stunt work on the set of The Mummy and an alleged incident of sexual harassment by the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Philip Berk.

Fraser has rewritten his career away from paparazzi, red carpets, and premieres, and now, although closer than ever to the pens of the most coveted directors in the industry, the actor chooses to turn his back on fame as a celebrity in favor of glory as an actor. Following this example, his style has also become more mature. In the '90s, his looks reflected the current trends of the films he starred in, incorporating the trends of the moment, including leather jackets, total denim looks, and kitschy suits with silver details. Today, the outfits that Brendan Fraser wears for events and editorials are the timeless classics like tuxedos or tailcoats, with the occasional addition of some ultra-American accessory like a cowboy hat. Just as for pop stars who change their wardrobe according to their "artistic eras" - following the color palette and rhythm of their latest album to give their aesthetic more media appeal - Fraser has restructured his image to represent his newfound maturity and the decisive power he can finally exert on himself, both on the big screen and in public life.

From Cinderella to Barbie, Hollywood loves trials and tribulations as much as romance, because they stir the hearts of viewers, enticing them to return to the theater. That's why in the film industry, beloved professionals can transition from producing holiday rom-coms to dramas by great authors: an actor's life reinvention somehow becomes part of the film's marketing. Some time ago, Matthew McConaughey's fans followed the actor to the cinema in both How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003) and ten years later in Dallas Buyers Club (2013), Julia Roberts' fans passionately admired her in both Notting Hill (1999) and Erin Brockovich (2000), and today the audience eagerly awaits Fraser's return in Rental Family with the same affection with which they cheered for him watching The Mummy. The protagonists change, and the story repeats; after all, it's always the same fairy tale.