'The Whale' actor Brendan Fraser says obesity is one of the final accepted forms of "prejudice and bigotry".
Brendan Fraser says obesity is one of the final accepted forms of "prejudice and bigotry".
The 54-year-old actor - who met with people from Florida's Obesity Action Coalition as he prepared to play Charlie in 2022's 'The Whale' - hopes the movie can help change the way society looks at people who are obese.
He told Empire magazine: "Obesity is among the last accepted norms of prejudice and bigotry that we have in our society now.
"I think [the film] might be able to help turn the tide of that dialogue. It might change some hearts and minds."
Brendan also reflected on comparisons between himself and his character, who a reclusive English professor.
He said: "I stepped away from Hollywood, from filmmaking for a while because I did have some chips and dings in the paint, and the hinges needed to be repaired.
"And it did take a... it took a lot more out of me than I was really ready for, but I had to do it, and it took a while."
However, the 'Mummy' star noted he's in a "good" place now, and he didn't hit the same lows as Charlie in the film.
He explained: "The good news is I'm out of pain, I feel good. So... no, I did not retreat to a room alone and harm myself in any way.
"But... in its most extreme examples, yeah, I can see how Charlie would have some issues."
Long after filming finished on the movie, Brendan still can't stop thinking about his character.
In November, he said: "I think about this guy all the time. I interviewed people on Zoom calls in researching for this, connections made possible by Dr. Goldman at the Obesity Action Coalition. It’s a support and resource group that has a huge following and membership online.
"It’s essentially a place where families and people who live with people who are obese, or are obese, can go to when they need health services, referrals, everything. It’s a wonderful organisation.
"The people I talked to gave me something so honest that I really questioned if I was qualified to have this information. Something I learned, as heartbreaking as it is, is that each person who told me their story had one thing in common: There was someone in their youth who was very cruel to them by the way they spoke to them, and it set in motion the rest of their life. Sadly, it most often was a father, I noticed."
On the same day that Glastonbury welcomed back Margate's adopted sons, The Libertines, Margate itself put on it's very own Leisure Festival as it...
Sheffield's very own all girl group Pretty Fierce are still on a high after the recent release of their debut single - 'Ready For Me'.
Three nights before the end of his current tour Will Varley returned to his home town of Deal to delight a sold out crowd in The Astor Theatre.
With only a few days to go before Portsmouth based songstress and producer WYSE releases her new single, 'Belladonna', we caught up with her to find...
Colorado raised, Glasgow educated and Manchester based Bay Bryan is nothing if not a multi-talented, multi-faceted artist performing as both...
Former Marigolds band member Keelan Cunningham has rediscovered his love of music with his new solo project Keelan X.
Wiltshire singer-songwriter Luke De Sciscio, formally known as Folk Boy, is set to release is latest album - 'The Banquet' via AntiFragile Music on...
Electronic music pioneer and producer Annie Elise says that the release of her first EP - 'Breathe In, Breathe Out' feels "both vulnerable and...
The pawn shop is the last resort for most broke people; the place where the...
Gentle and very smart, this low-key comedy gets under the skin as it follows a...
Surly is a short-tempered purple squirrel who's beginning to worry as the cold winter approaches...
Apple is a tenacious 16-years-old who's been in and out of foster care since the...
Surly is an aptly named, grumpy and uncompassionate squirrel who's desperate to go to any...
Scorch Supernova is a highly respected astronaut who also happens to be a brawny blue...
Real estate developers aren't really known for their care when it comes to preserving the...
Watch the trailer for Extraordinary Measures John Crowley is a salt of the earth family...
In the classic movie monster hierarchy, the cloth-clad Mummy really scrapes the bottom of the...
In Crash, a simple car accident forms an unyielding foundation for the complex exploration of...
There truly is nothing quite like a Brendan Fraser movie, is there? Encino Man,...