Brendan Fraser

Infobox actor


imagesize =
caption = Brendan Fraser, April 2007
birthname = Brendan James Fraser
birthdate = birth date and age|mf=yes|1968|12|3
birthplace = Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
deathdate =
deathplace =
othername =
yearsactive = 1991—present
spouse = Afton Smith (1998-2007)
homepage = http://www.brendanfraser.com
emmyawards =
tonyawards =
sagawards = Best Cast - Motion Picture
2005 "Crash"

Brendan James Frasercite web|date=November 13, 2003 |title=Brendan Fraser's Looney Adventure |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/11/12/earlyshow/leisure/celebspot/main583274.shtml |publisher=CBS |accessdate=2008-08-24] (born December 3, 1968) is a Canadian-American [cite news|date=November 1, 1998 |title=In The Know Brendan Up To Buff In 'Gods And Monsters' |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/1998/11/01/1998-11-01_in_the_know_brendan_up_to_bu.html |first=Lewis |last=Beale |publisher=NY Daily News |accessdate=2008-08-08] film and stage actor. He is known for having starred in several major Hollywood films, including "The Mummy" film series, "The Quiet American", "Crash", "George of the Jungle" and "Journey to the Center of the Earth".

Biography

Early life

Fraser was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, the son of Canadian parents Carol, a sales counselor, and Peter Fraser, a former journalist who worked as a Canadian foreign service officer for the Government Office of Tourism.cite web|date=2006 |title= 2006 Inductees - Brendan Fraser |url=http://www.canadaswalkoffame.com/inductee/brendan-fraser |publisher=Canada's Walk of Fame |accessdate=2008-08-24] citation|date=October 26, 2003 |title=In tune with himself |url=http://www.usaweekend.com/03_issues/031026/031026brendan_fraser.html |first=Lorrie |last=Lynch |publisher=USA Weekend |accessdate=2007-12-27] [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/22/Brendan-Fraser.html Brendan Fraser Biography (1968-) ] ] Fraser has three older brothers: Kevin, Regan, and Sean. His family moved often during his childhood, living in Eureka, California, Seattle, Ottawa, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Fraser attended the private boys' boarding school, [citation|date=June 21, 1992 |title= UP AND COMING: Brendan Fraser; A Man Schooled for Success |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE7DE103AF932A15755C0A964958260 |first=Jamie |last=Diamond |publisher=New York Times|accessdate=2008-01-08] Upper Canada College, in Toronto. While on vacation in London, Fraser attended his first professional theatrical performance in at the West End. He graduated from Seattle's Cornish College of the Arts in 1990. [citation|date=February 10, 2005|title=Fraser's Edge |url=http://www.cornish.edu/news/2005/05/frasers_edge.html |first=Lisa |last=Halpern |publisher=Cornish College of the Arts |accessdate=2007-12-27] He began acting at a small acting college in New York. He originally planned on attending graduate school in Texas but stopped in Hollywood on his way south and decided to stay in Los Angeles and work in movies.

His surname is properly pronounced "Fray-zer," though some pronounce it "Frasier" (as in Kelsey Grammer's television character). The correct pronunciation of his surname is a running gag in "" in which he has a cameo.

Career

Fraser's first film role was a brief cameo in an America's Most Wanted Reenactment (1988) he played friend to "Rodney Mark Peterson", who was murdered. He has since garnered over 30 film credits. He had his first lead role in "Encino Man" (1992). That same year he played opposite Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Chris O'Donnell in "School Ties" (1992). In 1994 he co-starred alongside Adam Sandler in the comedy "Airheads". He went onto play supporting roles starring alongside Viggo Mortensen and Ashley Judd in Philip Ridley's "The Passion of Darkly Noon" (1995), and Jennifer Beals in "The Twilight of the Golds" (1997). In 1997 he got his breakthrough role with the hit comedy film "George of the Jungle" (1997). He went on to appear in several comedy films such as "Blast from the Past" (1999), "Bedazzled" (2000) and "Monkeybone" (2001).

Fraser also played a dramatic role in "Gods and Monsters" (1998), [cite web|title=Gods and Monsters Credits |url=http://www.godsandmonsters.net/credits.htm |publisher=Gods and Monsters Official site |accessdate=2008-08-24] alongside Ian McKellen. The film was based on the life of the filmmaker James Whale (McKellen), who made the 1931 film "Frankenstein". This film was written and directed by Bill Condon ("Dreamgirls") and was a story about the loss of creativity, ambiguous sexuality and unlikely bonds between a heterosexual gardener and a gay, tortured and ailing filmmaker.

His biggest commercial success came with the action adventure horror film (co-starring Rachel Weisz) "The Mummy" (1999) and its sequel "The Mummy Returns" (2001), both of which were hugely successful at the box office. He has starred in two films based on Jay Ward creations, "George of the Jungle" and "Dudley Do-Right" although he did not reprise his role in the former's sequel.

In 2004 he appeared in the Academy Award-winning film "Crash". He has also made guest appearances on the television shows "Scrubs", "King of the Hill", and "The Simpsons".

In March 2006 he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame, the first American-born actor to receive the honor. However, as of 2006, he does not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. After a six year hiatus in the franchise, Fraser returned for the second sequel to "The Mummy" released in August 2008 and titled "". Filming started in Montreal on July 27, 2007 and the movie also starred Jet Li as Emperor Han. The last Mummy film grossed over $200 million in the USA and over $400 million worldwide.

Fraser also starred as "Brick" in the West End production of Tennessee Williams's "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" in September, 2001, directed by Anthony Page. Castmates included Ned Beatty, Frances O'Connor, and Gemma Jones. The show closed on January 12, 2002, with Fraser garnering many excellent reviews. [ [http://www.albemarle-london.com/Archive/ArchiveShow.php?Show_Name=Cat%20on%20a%20Hot%20Tin%20Roof Albemarle - Archive ] ]

Personal life

Fraser met actress Afton Smith while attending a barbecue at Winona Ryder's house on July 4, 1993, after his arrival in Los Angeles. Fraser married Smith on September 27, 1998, and they have three sons: Griffin Arthur Fraser, born September 17, 2002, in Los Angeles, Holden Fletcher Fraser born August 16, 2004, in Los Angeles and Leland Francis Fraser born May 2, 2006, in Los Angeles. On December 27, 2007, Fraser's publicist announced the couple had decided to divorce. [cite web|date=December 27, 2007 |title=Brendan Fraser and Wife to Divorce |url=http://www.theinsideronline.com/news/2007/12/14896/index.html |publisher= The Insider |accessdate=2007-12-27] Dead link|date=August 2008 [cite web|date=December 27, 2007 |title=Mummy Star Brendan Fraser, Wife Split After Nine Years |url=http://www.usmagazine.com/brendan_fraser_wife_split_after_nine_years |publisher=US Magazine |accessdate=2008-08-24]

He is fluent in French. [cite web|title=BBC - Films - Brendan Fraser |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2004/01/30/brendan_fraser_looney_tunes_interview.shtml |publisher=BBC |accessdate=2008-02-27] Fraser also serves on the Board of Directors for FilmAid International. [cite web|date=2006 |title=filmaid.org Newsletter |url=http://filmaid.org/gala.newsletter.html |publisher=FilmAid International |accessdate=2008-02-27]

Fraser is also an accomplished amateur photographer. He has used several Polaroids in movies and on TV shows, most notably on his guest roles on "Scrubs". In his first appearance he used a folding pack camera (possibly a Model 450); and on his second appearance he used a Holga with a Polaroid back, a Japanese-only model. The book "Collector's Guide to Instant Cameras" has a dedication to Fraser.

Filmography

Audio book narration

* "Dragon Rider" (2004)
* "Inkspell" (2005)

References

External links

* [http://www.brendanfraser.com/ Official web site]
*imdb name|id=0000409|name=Brendan Fraser