Ask any millennial, maybe even the odd Gen Z, about Brendan Fraser — the chances are they’ll reference his iconic performance as adventuring rascal Rick O’Connell in The Mummy trilogy, or perhaps his starring role in Looney Tunes: Back in Action. Brendan — a beloved actor with an acute sense of comic timing — has been through the wringer in Hollywood since his rise to fame in the 90s, but his starring role in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale (in which he plays a morbidly obese man attempting to reconnect with his teenage daughter) might just net him the Academy Award he deserves.
Brendan brings his all to the challenging script, and it’s the kind of performance that’s hard to imagine anyone else nailing as well as he does. But real ones know that while Brendan has always been a star, his filmography is… well, interesting, to say the least. As The Whale hits US cinemas, it feels like a good time to take a look back at the greatest hits of his three-decade long career.
42. The Poison Rose (2019)
0% on Rotten Tomatoes. Enough said.
41. Dogfight (1991)
Listen, it’s rough out there for a young actor — name one person who doesn’t have ‘Barman’ or ‘Unnamed Soldier’ on his IMDb credits. Brendan’s first role was such: as ‘Sailor No. 1’ in this River Phoenix film. It’s actually pretty good, but if you’re here for Brendan, you’re going to be a bit disappointed.
40. Encino Man (1992)
Long before he played George of the Jungle, Brendan was the ‘Missing Link’ in this little-known comedy starring Samwise Gamgee himself, Sean Astin. It’s pretty awful.
39. The Secret of Karma (2020)
You can truly skip this confusing sci-fi yarn — despite his top billing, Brendan doesn’t have many scenes, and the story is fairly incoherent.
38. Gimme Shelter (2013)
Remember when Vanessa Hudgens tried to have a serious acting career? Yeah, me neither. Brendan plays her absent father, who kicks her out when he realises she’s pregnant. Rude!
37. Dudley Do-Right (1999)
Listen – Brendan is a really talented comedic actor. But this Mountie-based slapstick comedy is a total flop.
36. Crash (2004)
Hollywood really thought they’d done something when they gave Crash a Best Picture award, but it’s now pretty much universally agreed this is one the worst films to ever win the top honour. Sorry Brendan! It’s badly written melodrama!
35. The Twilight of the Golds (1997)
This frankly insane thought experiment dares to ask, “If you knew the baby you were carrying was gay, would you abort it?” because filmmakers really were just making anything in the 90s. Generously, this could be seen as an attempt at preaching tolerance and inclusion, but in reality the film has aged as well as milk on a hot day.
34. Furry Vengeance (2010)
What was going on in the mid-00s? For a while it seemed every actor had to make some sort of whacky family comedy. Poor Brendan Fraser got saddled with this one, in which a real estate developer is terrorised by the local wildlife on a patch of land he’s trying to turn into condos. Not actually a bad concept, but the film itself is truly dire unless you’re six years old.
33. Twenty Bucks (1993)
Based on a 60-year-old (!) screenplay, this loosely-connected series of vignettes follows the story of a $20 bill as it passes from owner to owner. Brendan has a minor appearance as a hapless fiancé who inherits the bill from his would-be father-in-law, with disastrous results.
32. Pawnshop Chronicles (2013)
A gleefully unclassy vignette movie, but one best left in the bargain bin.
31. With Honours (1994)
Another “wtf is that cast” entry on this list, Brendan stars with Joe Pesci, Patrick Dempsey and noted American intellectual Gore Vidal in this college dramedy, about an uptight college student who discovers the true meaning of humanity thanks to a friendship with a homeless man who steals his college thesis. It’s no Good Will Hunting, that’s for sure.
30. The Scout (1994)
Baseball comedies have never topped A League of Their Own, and this one — with Brendan opposite Albert Brooks — is no exception. It’s not awful, just nothing special.
29. Mrs. Winterbourne (1996)
I often think it’s a rite of passage for a notable actor to make a forgettable period romance film in their early career. Here is Brendan Fraser’s.
28. Journey to the End of the Night (2006)
Brendan is an exiled cocaine addict who runs a brothel with his father in this Brazilian-set thriller. It’s about as fun as it sounds.
27. Breakout (2013)
This convoluted crime thriller should be intriguing, with Brendan playing a father protecting his kids from criminals who want them dead so they can’t testify against them. Unfortunately, it’s riddled with clichés and never quite gets off the ground. Sorry!
26. The Air That I Breathe (2006)
This conceptual drama is based on an ancient Chinese proverb that states life can be broken down into four emotions (happiness, sorrow, pleasure and love) and as such has four chapters. Brendan’s mob enforcer chapter at least has a little action in it, but the overall impact of the film is that of accidental parody.
25. George of the Jungle (1997)
Featuring one of the all-time earworm theme songs, this Tarzan spoof was arguably Brendan’s real breakout role, utilising his comedic talent as he plays a man of the forest who ends up in the big city. It was a fun film for kids, but it’s been really sad reading about how the film impacted Brendan’s body image, and how he had to starve himself for the role.
24. A Case of You (2013)
A fairly forgettable indie romance, Brendan only has a supporting role here. Amusingly, the film was named for Joni Mitchell’s song “A Case of You”, but she refused permission for it to be used in the film. (Probably because it’s not very good).
23. Whole Lotta Sole (2011)
I’ve got four words for you: “botched fish market robbery”. That’s all I have to say, because this crime caper isn’t even as fun as its title.
22. Hair Brained (2013)
It’s a shame that this comedy starring Brendan and a young Alex Wolff as unlikely college buddies is an uninspired, clichéd mess, as that duo should be a delight to watch on-screen.
21. The Last Time (2006)
Brendan plays the unexpected antagonist in this largely forgotten romantic drama — a bumbling trainee who turns out to be a ruthless corporate shark. It’s fun to see him playing against type, but the script leaves a lot to be desired.
20. Younger and Younger (1992)
Donald Sutherland?! Julie Delpy?! “How did I miss this?” you might wonder — and the answer is “pretty easily.” While there’s a whole lot of talent in this quirky romantic comedy, it doesn’t leave much of a lasting impression.
19. Monkeybone (2001)
A cartoonist slips into a coma and finds himself in a 2D fantasy world. This is an imaginative but poorly executed comedy with some fun stop-motion animation, but definitely ranks low in Henry Selick’s filmography.
18. Inkheart (2008)
Brendan Fraser actually inspired writer Cornelia Funke to conceive of the character Mortimer “Mo” Folchart in her Inkheart novel, and she sent him a copy of her book explaining so, long before the film was on the way. It’s a nice bit of serendipity that Brendan ended up playing the part, and you can really understand why he was the inspiration for the role of the dashing wizard. The film isn’t as charming as its star though, more’s the pity.
17. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)
The sequel is hardly ever as good as the original. That goes double for the sequel to the sequel.
16. Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)
Part of Brendan’s stint making kid’s movies, this big-budget, big-scale adventure film aimed high, an adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic novel. The result? Medium thrilling — some great quality, quintessential 00s escapism.
15. Line of Descent (2019)
A case of Brendan elevating a fairly run-of-the-mill thriller, he plays a swaggering, keyed-up arms dealer in this Indian crime drama about a mob family. Proof he has the range!
14. The Mummy Returns (2001)
While not a patch on The Mummy, The Mummy Returns did give us The Scorpion King, and The Scorpion King plays a role in Jordan Peele’s Nope. This has very little to do with Brendan Fraser (he’s fine in The Mummy Returns) but it’s earned the film a special place in my heart.
13. Extraordinary Measures (2010)
The Rick O’Connell-Indiana Jones crossover we always dreamed of! Except Brendan and Ford play a parent and a doctor trying to research the medicine that could save the lives of the former’s young children. It’s a fairly by-the-book tearjerker, but does raise some important points about the capitalist, inherently unfair world of American pharmaceuticals.
12. Blast from the Past (1999)
Sissy Spacek and Christopher Walken play Brendan’s parents in this offbeat romcom about a man who has spent all of his time in a fallout shelter, watching reruns of 60s sitcoms. His old-fashioned sensibilities make him a hit with the locals when he finally emerges — notably Eve Rustikov (Alicia Silverstone!); it’s a fine utilisation of Brendan’s ability to play a fish-out-of-water role.
11. School Ties (1992)
This boarding school drama, in which Brendan plays the lead, really helped to launch his career. He plays a high-flying Jewish student who realises his new classmates are anti-Semites, and he conceals his identity to fit in. We’ve come a long way in terms of school dramas since then, but it’s fun to watch baby Brendan and baby Matt Damon palling around together.
10. The Passion of Darkly Noon (1995)
Brendan plays a man called… Darkly Noon in this little-known psychological thriller, about a man who escapes a cult and is taken in by a small group who live in the woods, building and selling coffins. Then things start to get real weird. It’s a surprisingly fun little film — and co-stars a mute Viggo Mortensen.
9. The Quiet American (2002)
An outlier in Brendan’s filmography, this Graham Greene adaptation sees him playing completely against type as a CIA operative attempting to turn the tide of the Vietnam War in the USA’s favour. It’s a pretty impactful film about the politics of the Vietnam war and unethical actions of the US army, and emphasises Brendan’s uncanny ability to play seemingly nice guys with darker sides.
8. Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
Space Jam really opened the door in Hollywood for live action/cartoon hybrids, and this one was originally meant to be a sequel. For whatever reason that didn’t work out, but the very meta Looney Tunes: Back in Action is a whole lot of wacky fun. Sure the script isn’t great, but it can be forgiven for pure nostalgic value and Brendan gamely throwing himself into the role, taking his cartoon co-stars deadly seriously.
7. Airheads (1994)
Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi and Adam Sandler play an unsuccessful rock band who conspire to take a local radio station hostage in this 90s comedy — which can’t quite deliver on its fun premise, despite being one of the better romps in the actor’s filmography. Still, Brendan is their frontman, and he’s the most believable as a slacker with dreams of rock ‘n roll stardom.
6. Still Breathing (1998)
A painter attempts to woo the literal woman of his dreams in this charming romantic drama. Brendan has starred in a lot of clangers when it comes to romance, but this imaginative, light little film is definitely one of the better ones.
5. Gods and Monsters (1998)
Sir Ian McKellen is definitely the headliner in this fictional take on the life of Frankenstein director James Whale, but Brendan completely holds his own as Clayton Boone, the handsome young gardener whom Whale takes a shine to. He’s rugged but sensitive, and proves a fine foil to the lonely figure of Whale.
4. No Sudden Move (2021)
This criminally underrated neo-noir comedy from Steven Soderbergh is well worth seeking out — it suffered a little for releasing during Covid, but it’s a whole lot of fun. Brendan only has a small role (he recruits Don Cheadle into a pyramid scheme), but considering how many duds are on this list, No Sudden Move comes with a hearty recommendation.
3. The Whale (2022)
Heralded as Brendan’s triumphant return to Hollywood, he gives a powerhouse performance as Charlie, an obese man living with a debilitating eating disorder and guilt surrounding his boyfriend’s death several years before. Brendan put a lot of work into researching his role and worked with choreographers to perfect his gait — it’s a testament to his empathy and dedication, and means that The Whale never feels like a ghoulish spectacle, instead sensitively exploring grief through the lens of disordered eating.
2. The Mummy (1999)
It was, as they say, a cultural reset. Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz became a sexual awakening for an entire generation when they played adventurers Rick and Evie O’Connell, catapulting this Indiana Jones-style action adventure into the hearts of a million impressionable preteens. While there are definitely problems with the casting of the film’s ethnic characters and how it plays into stereotypes about the Middle East, The Mummy is indicative of a style of blockbuster we just don’t really get anymore, fuelled by stunts and practical effects, with an undeniable chemistry between its two stars.
1. Bedazzled (2000)
Critics tend to much prefer Harold Ramis’ bigger films, such as Groundhog Day and Caddyshack, but if you haven’t seen this conceptual romantic comedy, you’re missing out. Elizabeth Hurley plays The Devil, who decides to corrupt the soul of unassuming IT worker Elliot Richards in this retelling of the legend of Dr. Faustus. Brendan plays a nerd surprisingly convincingly for someone so handsome, and the addition of some action elements gives it all a very fun, very 90s flavour.