Johnson’s first Hollywood part was in The Mummy Returns.
Brendan Fraser’s The Whale was shown at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson tweeted a message of encouragement and admiration for the actor.
The text mentioned a video of Fraser receiving a prolonged standing ovation for his role in the upcoming movie The Whale. Fraser sought to leave the cinema but was unable to do so due of the audience’s appreciation for the movie and his performance.
“Man, seeing this wonderful standing ovation for Brendan makes me so thrilled. Johnson wrote, “He encouraged me to join his Mummy Returns franchise for my first-ever part, which launched my Hollywood career.” Congratulations to my friend Darren Aronofsky and best wishes for your continued success, brother.
Man this makes me so happy to see this beautiful ovation for Brendan. He supported me coming into his Mummy Returns franchise for my first ever role, which kicked off my Hollywood career. Rooting for all your success brother and congrats to my bud Darren Aronofsky. #TheWhale 👏🏾 https://t.co/SNBLPHHmEZ
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) September 4, 2022
Johnson and Fraser initially collaborated on The Mummy series of movies, where he appeared as Mathayus in The Mummy Returns, marking his first-ever on-screen Hollywood role. Johnson then gained a main role in the spin-off and prequel adventure, The Scorpion King, where he played the same character, as the series continued to grow.
Since its release, Fraser’s The Whale has received positive reviews from all quarters, particularly for Fraser’s portrayal of a 600-pound man who attempts to reconcile with his daughter.
The standing ovation for #TheWhale was so enthusiastic, Brendan Fraser tried to leave the theater but the crowd’s applause made him stay. #Venezia79 pic.twitter.com/ZZ0vbFX7Rl
— Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) September 4, 2022
Fraser, who received a standing ovation and was moved to tears by it, is known for performing humorous and action roles more frequently than dramatic ones. Fraser’s return to mainstream cinema is marked by The Whale, which is based on a stage play by playwright Samuel D. Hunter. It’s also one of the first dramas he’s worked on in a while.
Black Adam: Comic-Con 2022 1:13 Official Trailer
On Black Adam: Official Trailer – Comic-Con 2022, autoplay
Given the positive reviews that The Whale and Fraser’s performance have received, it wouldn’t be unexpected to see him in additional movies in the future. He is already scheduled to appear in Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Johnson is currently busy promoting Black Adam, the soon-to-be-released movie in which he makes his DC Comics debut as Theo Adam. Follow IGN for more information on that and DC!
Diego Ramos Bechara is a freelance writer for IGN and a huge lover of Batman, Rockstar, Naughty Dog, and all things Star Wars.
