What the Hell Happened to Brendan Fraser?

Brendan Fraser always seemed like he was one big movie away from being an A-list star.  All through the 90’s the media buzzed about his potential.  At the end of the decade, Fraser finally had a couple of big hit movies.  And yet, he still couldn’t cross over to the A-list.  More than a decade later, Fraser is still a respected working actor.  But the A-list potential has dried up.

What the hell happened?

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Fraser’s first acting role was in a reenactment on America’s Most Wanted in 1988.  He appeared in a TV movie, Child of Darkness, Child of Light in 1991.  That same year, Fraser had a cameo role as a sailor who gets into a fight in the River Phoenix movie, Dogfight (pictured above, clip below)

fraser - encino man

1992 was a big year for Fraser.  First he starred in the comedy, Encino Man opposite Sean Astin and Pauly Shore.

Astin and Shore played teenage dopes in the Wayne and Garth mold.  They were kind of a poor man’s Bill and Ted.  Even that description may set expectations too high since the “funny one” was played by Pauly Shore.  At the time, Shore was a popular personality on MTV and Disney hoped to capitalize on that popularity with Encino Man.

Fraser played a caveman who awakens in the 90’s in Encino , CA.  Austin and Shore try to use their discovery of the caveman to become more popular at high school.  The movie follows the teen comedy formula to the letter.  It’s one saving grace is Fraser’s goofy performance as the prehistoric fish out of water.

Despite negative reviews, Encino Man was a hit.  As a result, audiences were subjected to years of Pauly Shore movies and a direct-to-TV sequel, Encino Woman.

Fraser went on to reprise his role as Link in a cameo appearance in Shore’s 1993 film, Son-in-Law.  He also played a soldier with the nick-name Link on his fatigues in Shore’s 1994 movie, In the Army Now.  Apparently that ended Fraser’s indentured servitude and he was spared the indignity of cameos in Jury Duty and Bio-Dome.

fraser - school ties

Later that year, Fraser starred in the drama, School Ties, opposite Matt Damon, Chris O’Donnell and Ben Affleck.

Fraser played a Jewish student who transfers to a private school on an athletic scholarship during his senior year.  The film is set in the 1950’s and Fraser’s character faces rampant anti-Semitism.  To protect himself, he hides his religion from his fellow students.

While filming, director Robert Mandel told the young cast that they would go on to be the next Brat Pack.  He was right in the sense that many members of the cast went on to be famous.  But fortunately they were not stigmatized with a label like the 80’s actors were.

School Ties received mixed to positive reviews and did moderately well at the box office.

1992 is basically a microcosm of Fraser’s career.  He would bounce between goofy comedic roles like Encino Man and more dramatic roles like School Ties.  On the one hand, few actors have the kind of range to pull off both broad slapstick and drama.  On the other, Fraser never seemed to find a niche.

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In 1993, Fraser appeared in the movie, Twenty Bucks.

Twenty Bucks followed a $20 bill from an ATM machine until it is finally turned in to be shredded.  Over the course of the movie, the twenty dollar bill passes through the lives of several people played by Fraser, Linda Hunt, Elisabeth Shue, Steve Buscemi, Christopher Lloyd, William H. Macy and others.

Twenty Bucks got mixed reviews and barely appeared in theaters.  That same year, Fraser starred opposite Donald Sutherland in Younger and Younger, a comedy that was even less seen than Twenty Bucks.

fraser - with honors

In 1994, Fraser appeared in a glut of movies any one of which could have made him a star.  The first was the comedy, With Honors, which co-starred Joe Pesci.

Fraser played a Harvard student who loses the only copy his of thesis paper.  Pesci played a homeless man who finds the paper and holds it hostage.  The film co-starred Patrick Dempsey and 90’s it-girl, Moira Kelly.

Pesci’s career was hot at the time with the Lethal Weapon and Home Alone movies plus the success of My Cousin Vinny.  But With Honors started a cooling-off period for Pesci.  It got mixed to negative reviews and did so-so box office.

fraser - airheads

Later that year, Fraser starred opposite Steve Buscemi and Adam Sandler in rock comedy, Airheads.

Fraser, Buscemi and Sandler played members of a band who inadvertently hold a radio station hostage when a DJ refuses to play their demo tape.

Airheads came out one year before Adam Sandler starred in Billy Madison.  At the time, he was just another Saturday Night Live performer struggling to make the transition to film.  He gets third billing in Airheads behind Fraser and Buscemi.

Airheads got negative reviews and bombed badly at the box office.  It opened at an abysmal tenth place.  Just to put that in perspective, The Little Rascals opened that same weekend at fourth place.  Airheads placed behind Angels in the Outfield which was in its fourth week of release.  It barely outgrossed Speed which was in its ninth week.

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Fraser ended the year opposite Albert Brooks in the baseball comedy, The Scout.

Fraser played a promising baseball player with severe mental problems.  Brooks played a hard-on-his-luck scout who hopes to bring Fraser’s character to the big leagues and revitalize his career.

The script was originally written with Rodney Dangerfield in mind.  Eventually, Brooks decided to make the film himself and re-wrote it to be less “silly”.  Brooks has said that his version of the film “did not end like Rocky with that bullshit ending.”  But the studio forced a happy ending on the film.

Brooks and Fraser have a great chemistry that almost saves the film.  But between the rewrites and studio cuts, the movie has a very uneven tone.  Sometimes it is goofy and at other times it deals with very dark issues.  The mixture never quite comes together.

The Scout received mixed to negative reviews and bombed at the box office.  Once again to put things in perspective, The Scout opened in 8th place behind Clear and Present Danger which opened nine weeks earlier; the same weekend that Airheads bombed.

fraser - passion of darkly noon

1994 had been a brutal year at the box office for Fraser.  In 1995, he retreated from Hollywood and starred in the German-based art house horror film, The Passion of Darkly Noon opposite Ashley Judd and Viggo Mortensen.

Fraser played a member of an ultraconservative Christian cult.  After the death of his parents, he wanders into the Appalachian forests where he meets Judd’s character.  Naturally, Fraser decides that the free-spirited Judd is too sexy to live.  He decides to kill her and her boyfriend played by Mortensen at the prompting of Mortensen’s crazy mother.

Fortunately for all involved, The Passion of Darkly Noon was not released in the US.  Fraser’s only big screen appearance in 1995 was an uncredited cameo in Now and Then.

fraser - mrs winterbourne

In 1996, Fraser returned to mainstream Hollywood movies opposite Shirley MacLaine and Ricki Lake in Mrs. Winterbourne.

The plot is basically While You Were Sleeping except instead of a funny coma, it involves a fatal train wreck and the termination of two pregnancies.  It’s no wonder it got negative reviews and bombed at the box office.

Mrs. Winterbourne opened in 6th place in its opening weekend.  Sixth place is pretty horrible, but at least it beat out Judd Apatow’s sports comedy, Celtic Pride which opened at 7th place that same weekend.

Continuing his string of cameos, Fraser popped up the Kids in the Hall movie, Brain Candy and indie comedy Glory Daze which starred his School Ties co-star, Ben Affleck.

The following year, Fraser appeared in the TV movie, The Twilight of the Golds.  The movie was an adaptation of a Broadway play about a pregnant woman who discovers that he baby will be born gay.  Fraser played her gay brother who tries to talk her out of having an abortion.

fraser - george of the jungle

In 1997, Fraser finally had the first big hit of his career with the live-action adaptation of the 1960’s cartoon, George of the Jungle.

George of the Jungle was a Tarzan satire best known for its goofy theme song.  It made for an unlikely summer blockbuster.  In spite of mixed reviews, the film’s goofy charms won over families who made it a hit at the box office.

Disney released a direct-to-video sequel in 2003 with an unkown actor in the lead role.

fraser - gods and monsters

In 1998, Fraser starred opposite Ian McKellen in the critically acclaimed drama, Gods and Monsters.

McKellan played legendary director James Whale, director of Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein.  Fraser played a young man who befriended Whale.  The movie recounts the fictionalized events of the final days of Whale’s life.

Despite receiving great reviews, the movie was not a hit at the box office.

fraser - still breathing

Later that year, Fraser starred in the little-seen romantic drama, Still Breathing.

Fraser played a musician who has a dream of a woman he has never met.  Believing that this woman is his soul mate, he travels to LA to meet her.  However, she turns out to be a con artist who attempts to seduce him.

fraser - blast from the past

1999 was another big year for Fraser.  First, he starred opposite Alicia Silverstone in the romantic comedy, Blast From the Past.

Fraser played a boy who grew up in a nuclear fallout shelter after the Cuban Missle Crisis.  His character is a fish out of water in the go-go 90’s since he has been living in a fall-out shelter for over thirty years.  Christopher Walken who had also appeared in Excess Baggage co-starred.

Blast From the Past recieved mixed reviews.  Critics liked the concept, but many found the execution to be flat.  Roger Ebert gave the movie one of the more enthusiastic reviews rating it three out of four stars.  Ebert wrote, “The movie is funny and entertaining in all the usual ways, yes, but I was grateful that it tried for more: that it was actually about something, that it had an original premise, that it used satire and irony and had sly undercurrents.”

But audiences weren’t biting.  Blast From the Past opened in fifth place at the box office behind She’s All That which had been in theaters for three weeks.  It ended up grossing around $35 million dollars on a budget of around $40 million.

fraser - the mummy

In the summer of 1999, Fraser had the biggest hit of his career to-date, Stephen Sommers’ remake of The Mummy.

The Mummy had a long and troubled road to the big screen.  Following the success of 90’s monster movies like Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Wolf, Universal was interested in updating The Mummy.  But they wanted to keep the budget low.

Originally, horror author Clive Barker was brought on board to write and direct.  His treatment centered on a cultist who attempts to reanimate mummies at an art museum.  However, the studio lost interest in Barker’s low-budget horror movie.

Next, legendary horror director George A. Romero was approached.  He pitched a Night of the Living Dead-style horror movie with mummies shambling in place of zombies.  Universal thought this was too scary for main stream audiences.

Joe Dante came close to making his version of The Mummy starring Daniel Day Lewis.  It was a love story ala Bram Stoker’s Dracula and was co-written by John Sayles.  If this version had been made, I bet Winona Ryder would have co-starred.  Sadly, that was not to be.

After Dante left the project, Mick Garris and Wes Craven were both approached.  Garris left the project and Craven turned it down.  Sommers pitched the studio on The Mummy as an Indiana Jones-style adventure flick.  Universal, which had just undergone a regime change, liked the idea so much that they upped the budget from $15 million to $80 million dollars.

Personally, I would have rather seen any of proposed versions of The Mummy instead of Sommers’ goofy CGI-fest.  But in spite of mixed reviews, The Mummy was a big hit with audiences.  Even those who didn’t like the movie typically gave Fraser credit for a light performance that holds the fractured movie together.

fraser - dudley do right

Later that year, Fraser starred opposite Sarah Jessica Parker in another live-action adaptation of a Jay Ward cartoon, Dudley Do-Right.

On paper, this must have looked like a no-brainer given the success of George of the Jungle.  If a mediocre movie like George could be a box office smash, how much worse could another cartoon-adaptation starring Fraser possibly fare?

As it turns out, a lot worse.  In spite of the fact audiences just paid to see Fraser in The Mummy three months earlier, they avoided Dudley Do-Right in droves.  With no talking animals (or Fraser in a loin cloth) the movie didn’t even open in the top ten.

The film had a budget of $70 million dollars and failed to gross even $10 million dollars during its domestic run.  It opened in 11th place just above Inspector Gadget which was in its sixth week in theaters.  It opened below Albert Brooks’ The Muse and The Astronaut’s Wife which were both box office disappointments.

Critics didn’t like it either.  Roger Ebert gave the movie one of its few positive reviews.  Even he damned it with faint praise:

Dudley Do-Right is a genial live-action version of the old cartoon, with a lot of broad slapstick humor that kids like and adults wince at. I did a little wincing the ninth or 10th time Dudley stepped on a loose plank and it slammed him in the head, but I enjoyed the film more than I expected to. It’s harmless, simple-minded, and has a couple of sequences better than Dudley really deserves.”

In 2000, Fraser provided the voice of Sinbad in Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists.

Sinbad was marketed as the first movie filmed entirely using motion capture.  At a cost of $30 million dollars, it is reported to be the most expensive direct-to-video movie ever made.  In spite of that, the animation is worse than your average video game.

Fortunately, most people have no idea that Sinbad even exists.

fraser - bedazzled

In 2000, Fraser took another swing at the A-list in the comedy remake, Bedazzled.

Bedazzled was a remake of a cult British comedy from 1967 starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.  In the original, Cook played the devil who offers Moore seven wishes.  But each time he grants a wish, he twists it so that the outcome isn’t what Moore intended.  Raquel Welch had a memorable cameo as the embodiment of Lust.

In Harold Ramis’ remake, the Devil and Lust are combined into one character played by Elizabeth Hurley who was relatively popular after appearing in the first Austin Powers movie.

Bedazzled opened to mixed reviews and disappointing box office.  Even with Hurley slinking around in form-fitting red outfits and Fraser in a series of goofy costumes couldn’t make Bedazzled a hit.

fraser - monkeybone

Up to this point, Fraser had more than his fair share of flops and box office bombs.  But in 2001, he starred in a real career-killer.

Monkeybone was a hybrid of live-action and stop-motion animation directed by Henry Selick, the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Monkeybone was based on an independent comic called Dark Town.  Fraser played a cartoonist who falls into a coma and is trapped in the fantasy realm of Down Town.  Monkeybone, his cartoon creation, takes the opportunity to steal his body and live in the real world.

Bridget Fonda played Fraser’s girl friend.  The movie more or less ended her mainstream Hollywood career.  It spent more than a year sitting on a shelf before 20th Century Fox dumped it in theaters.

Reviews were terrible and the movie flopped.  It cost over $75 million to make and grossed roughly 10% of its budget.  Once again, Fraser had a film that failed to crack the top 10 in its opening weekend.  It was handily beat by the flop 3000 Miles to Graceland which opened at #3 that week.

fraser mummy returns

Fortunately, Fraser still had The Mummy franchise to fall back on.  Later that year, Fraser starred in the sequel, The Mummy Returns.

The sequel basically repeats the formula that made the first film a box office hit.  If anything, it is bigger, louder and more stupid.

Once again, reviews were mixed.  But the sequel was an even bigger hit than the original.  It also spawned a spin-off movie starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

fraser - quiet american

In 2002, Fraser appeared opposite Michael Caine in The Quiet American.

The film was based on the best-selling novel by Graham Greene.  The novel had been previously adapted in 1958.  Caine played a British reported in Saigon in 1952.  Fraser played an idealistic CIA operative who gets caught up in romance and intrigue.

The movie received positive reviews and Caine was nominated for an Oscar.  But it was ignored at the box office.

fraser - looney tunes

In 2003, Fraser starred in another live-action cartoon, Joe Dante’s Looney Tunes: Back in Action.

The Looney Tunes had starred in a box office hit with Michael Jordan in 1996’s Space Jam.  At one point, a follow-up was planned starring Jackie Chan.  It was to be called, Spy Jam.

Unfortunately, Back in Action failed to live up to the success of Space Jam.  Despite getting better reviews, the movie flopped so badly at the box office that Warner Bros cancelled plans to release new Looney Tunes shorts.  At a cost of $80 million dollars, it grossed roughly $20 million in the US.

fraser - crash

Fraser bounced back in 2004 as part of the ensemble cast of Paul Haggis’ Oscar winning drama, Crash.

Crash tells interwoven stories that deal (not so subtly) with racism.  Fraser played a district attorney who (along with his wife played by Sandra Bullock) is a victim of a car-jacking.

Reviews were mostly positive and the film went on to win Best Picture.  It was also a huge hit at the box office.  For my money, it was also vastly over-rated.  I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes at all of the coincidences and melodrama.  But once again, I was in the minority.

fraser - the last time

Despite the success of Crash, Fraser retreated into indie films.

In 2006, he appeared in Journey to the End of the Night and opposite Michael Keaton in The Last Time (pictured above).  He also appeared opposite Sarah Michelle Gellar in The Air I Breathe.

fraser - journey

By this point, you could pretty safely assume that Fraser’s days as a box office draw were behind him.  And yet against all odds, Fraser pulled off a hit in the 2008 sci-fi adventure flick, Journey to the Center of the Earth.

The movie was a loose adaptation or sequel to the Jules Verne novel of the same name.  It returns Fraser to the kind of family friendly action that made the Mummy films box office hits.  It also benefitted from being ahead of the 3-D craze that would peak with Avatar in 2009.

Journey got mixed to positive reviews and was a surprise hit at the box office.  It only opened at #3, but held on for several weeks.  Additionally, it performed very well overseas.

It was successful enough to merit a sequel which replaced Fraser with his Mummy 2 co-star, Dwayne Johnson.  The sequel outgrossed the original. Johnson is slated to appear in a third Journey film.

fraser - mummy 3

Later that year, Fraser returned to the Mummy franchise for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

Maria Bello stepped in for Rachel Weisz who refused to reprise her role.  Jet Li joined the cast as a new villain.  Despite negative reviews, the third Mummy film was also a hit.  A fourth film in the series was planned.  But instead, Universal has decided to reboot the series.

fraser - inkheart

In 2008, Fraser starred in the fantasy film, Inkheart.

Fraser played a dad with the power to make bedtime stories come true as he reads to his daughter.  The movie was based on a novel by Cornelia Funke.  Funke says she based the character on Fraser and dedicated the second novel in her trilogy to him.  The film’s producers wanted to cast a bigger star in the role, but they gave in to Funke’s demands to cast Fraser.

The movie’s release date was pushed back several times.  It was supposed to be released Christmas of 2007 but ultimately premiered in Europe nearly a year later.  It didn’t open in the US until January 2009.

Reviews were mixed and the film flopped in the US.  It barely recouped its $60 million dollar budget worldwide.

Extraordinary Measures movie image Harrison Ford, Brandon Fraser

In 2010, Fraser starred opposite Harrison Ford and Keri Russell in the medical drama, Extraordinary Measures.

The movie was based on a non-fiction book named “The Cure: How a Father Raised $100 Million—and Bucked the Medical Establishment—in a Quest to Save His Children”.  But since thattitle gave away the ending of the movie and would not fit on a marquee, it was renamed Extraordinary Measures which is a rather ordinary name.

Ford was experiencing something of a comeback following the fourth Indiana Jones movie.  But that comeback was stalling out.  Extraordinary Measures got mixed reviews and was a disappointment at the box office.

I would have liked to have seen Ford and Fraser in a family friendly action adventure movie though.  As long as Stephen Sommers wasn’t involved.

fraser - furry vengeance

Later that year, Fraser returned to goofball comedy with Furry Vengeance in which he is tortured by animals and opens his mouth really, really wide.

Reviews were terrible.  I honestly can’t believe Fraser was never nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award.  Furry Vengeance seems like a bid for a Razzie if ever there was one.  It was a box office disappointment.

In 2012, Fraser starred opposite Colm Meaney in the indie comedy, Whole Lotta Sole.  In 2013, he provided voice work for the animated film, Escape From Planet Earth.  He has several other films scheduled for release and has done voice work for video games.

Recently it has been reported that Fraser has been trouble making his alimony payments.  This is actually quite common when actors get divorced at the peak of their popularity.  When the actor’s career cools off, the alimony payments continue despite their falling salary.  As a result, Fraser will probably continue working frequently even if the movies are not as big as they used to be.

So, what the hell happened?

How did a good-looking, talented actor fall so short of his potential?  Well, first I think we have to qualify our terms here.  Fraser remains a very respected and sought-after actor.  His career is impressive in that he has made so many films and has demonstrated such a broad range.

I think that range is part of what kept Fraser from being a successful leading man.  While he had the look to be a star, there was a certain nondescript goofiness that kept him from being a box office draw.

In fact, it could be argued that Fraser was box office poison.  The hits he was in (The Mummy, George of the Jungle, Journey to the Center of the Earth) did not succeed because he was in them.  In fact, the Journey sequel did better when it replaced Fraser with The Rock.

Having said that, I think Fraser made a valuable contribution to movies like The Mummy.  He was required to walk a tightrope of comedy and action in that movie that few actors could have pulled off as well as he did.  The problem is, he makes it look easy.  Audiences overlooked Fraser’s light comic touch.

Also, it’s hard to nail down Fraser’s image.  If you know him primarily from his goofy comedies, it can be hard to take him seriously in dramatic roles.  If you know him from his dramas, you probably aren’t the target audience for Furry Vengeance.

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seandaniel1966
11 years ago

This article is sad for me. Of all the actors you’ve done so far, Fraser is my favorite. Bedazzled was an awesome – and underrated – film, as was Blast from the Past. The Mummy is just plain good fun, mainly thanks to Fraser.
But like Dave Foley, something just didn’t click. I don’t know what the hell happened, but it’s depressing – because he could have been so much more.

seandaniel1966
11 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Actually, as soon as I saw the words ‘failed actor’ and ‘alimony’, Foley came to mind. Both Foley and Fraser are extremely talented, and able to poke fun at themselves, but have had really bad luck.
What makes me sad is the wasted potential. If Fraser had come across some better scripts, maybe we wouldn’t have atrocities like Dudley Dooright or Furry Vengeance.
He seems to choose roles, it seems, like Gooding. No thought at all for his future.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

Which ’90s actor has fallen the hardest? What movie did them in? http://www.f169bbs.com/bbs/show_topic/34251-which-90s-actor-has-fallen-the-hardest-what-movie-did-them-in/2 said:The 90s were pretty good to Brendan Fraser. His vindictive, psycho wife apparently ruined him. Plus his good looks faded and he became fat and bald. I’m sure his domestic trouble contributed to his poor health and physical decline, though. Let this be a lesson: Do Never Marry if you’re a big Hollywood actor. (Clooney used to know this, but apparently he forgot it. ) So far I’d say Brendan Fraser is the one who has fallen the furthest and hardest. He’s in truly pitiful shape these… Read more »

RB
RB
11 years ago

One thing I don’t understand is why “Blast from the Past” was not a bigger hit. I loved the movie when it hit the theatre in 1999 (?) and still watch occaisionally. It seemed to have everything. A time-warp plot like the first Austin Powers movie, seasoned performers Christopher Walken and Sissy Spacek to contribute their acting chops, Fraser and Silverstone, both young and super attractive AND talented enough to handle the comic nuances in their roles, even a quirky, endearing supporting character played by the lesser known Dave Foley. Again how could not this be a hit? perhaps it… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

COMMENTARY TRACKS OF THE DAMNED: http://www.avclub.com/articles/furry-vengeance-2010,44366/ Crimes: Using cheap-looking special effects to animate an army of animals, all out to make life hell for real-estate developer Brendan Fraser and thus prevent his bosses from destroying their forest Filling 90 minutes with more animal-on-human slapstick violence than a year’s worth of Woody Woodpecker cartoons Making sure audiences know that Fraser’s family enjoys their Wii, MacBook, Kindle, and iPhone Wasting a supporting cast filled with the likes of Wallace Shawn, Rob Riggle, Angela Kinsey, and Toby Huss Offering a shallow vision of environmentalism that amounts to “Animals are like angry little people,… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

Actors who should have been huge?
http://www.therealtsm.com/index.php?topic=3397.50
« Reply #90 on: July 16, 2010, 06:45:48 PM »
Brendan Fraser always struck me as a guy who could’ve been huge, an absolute A-lister, had he simply chose better roles after the original Mummy film.

Stoich
11 years ago

I only have one thing to add – Fraser got kind of fat around the turn of the century.

Nessie
10 years ago
Reply to  Stoich

Fat, is that all you have to say? How shallow! Lets look at this ‘FAT’ issue in a broader sense and kindly add in some ‘real’ insight and respect for BF He did it to have comedic effect for his role as Dan Sanders in Furry Vengeance…He is quoted as saying of himself, ‘Would you really laugh at good looking buff guy, aside George of the Jungle, ( and winks), no that isn’t as funny, but a regular guy with added weight, maybe a father figure and he really needs to be a regular guy, so the animals that were… Read more »

daffystardust
Editor
11 years ago

I’m not sure if you ever got a chance to see Fraser’s appearances in Scrubs, but his charm and humor are on really fine display there. The public is fickle and a little unjust at times. In my eyes, Fraser’s career was hurt by his hits. If he never does George of the Jungle, then Monkeybone and Dudley Do-Right probably never happen. If Monkeybone hadn’t happened, then audiences might have turned out for the Looney Tunes movie which is pretty darn funny. I agree with others here that Blast from the Past is underrated. Somebody really needs to explain the… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

I think in a way, Brendan may have really hurt his credibility as a potentially serious, leading man actor by appearing in too many kids/PG or G rated/family friendly movies (e.g. “George of the Jungle”, “Dudley Do-Right”, “Looney Tunes: Back in Action”, “Furry Vengeance”, “Journey to the Center of the Earth”, etc.) in such a short period of time.

Nessie
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

But kids love Brendan Fraser doing these goofy roles!! I listen to my daughter watch George of Jungle, she in stitches whenever George works in tandem with the jungle animals to win a situation against the bad guys, That’s her thing, So when did we as adults, who have grown out of our childhood, loose the view point of a child? Have we grown out of our wonderment and have we taken on the cynicism of the world at large? (Trust me there is lot of it!). Do we forget what and why we laugh at something? Immerse yourself in… Read more »

Mastro
Mastro
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Years ago I remember reading an interview with the happily married Frasiers. Brendan credited his wife with basically saving his life (drugs? Duddly Do Right?) – it was basically exactly what you DON’T want to put into writing so that if you get divorced- your wife’s attorney will claim that she saved/guided your career and you owe her big time. Basically it pays to stay single if you are an actor sports celeb (Derek Jeter is doing it right- he will probably get married when he retires and keep almost everything if he ever gets divorced). Just don’t be a… Read more »

coolone160
11 years ago

Indeed Fraser has a broad range when it comes to different kind of characters he plays,otherwise who could imagine that “George of the Jungle” could play a serious role in “Crash”…………..

Stoich
11 years ago

So this Crash flick was a big deal when it came out. You guys are saying it’s some uber-pretentious Magnolia kind of thing ?

Mastro
Mastro
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

I basically hated Crash from day one- the melodrama is sooo thick. The movie poster should say “Why can’t we all just get along?”
Its one thing having a racist cop who an also be a hero- but the guy was a molester! That’s a bit too much of a character arc.

Terrence Michael Clay
11 years ago

Pardon me if I take what others have previously said about Brendan Fraser’s career on this site prior to the actual writing of his own WTHHT entry: https://lebeauleblog.com/2012/09/20/what-the-hell-happened-to-christian-slater/#comment-9691 Fraser is a really interesting case. I almost feel like he wasted his matinee idol good looks by being such a goof. Watch some of his dramas, and it’s clear that he could’ve had a career as a modern American Cary Grant. Maybe he just never could find the right series of roles, but he just was unable to shake the dippy comedy stuff and at some point even when he attempted… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
11 years ago

What Went Wrong?: Vol. 25 – Failed and Forgotten Fantasy Adaptation Edition: http://znculturecast.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/what-went-wrong-vol-25-failed-and-forgotten-fantasy-adaptation-edition/ Inkheart (2008) I had high hopes for Inkheart, which had a disastrous release. Like Eragon, Inkheart is a failed fantasy film based off of an original book property (this time from German author Cornelia Funke). The similarities pretty much end there, however. Inkheart is the story of Mortimer Folchart and his daughter Meggie, who are “silver tongues,” or people who are able to bring books to life simply by reading them aloud (how Mortimer made it through school without ever being called to read aloud for class… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

9 franchise-starting young adult films that struggled: http://www.denofgeek.us/movies/young-adult/244957/9-franchise-starting-young-adult-films-that-struggled Inkheart In reading Inkheart, you can see that Cornelia Funke has poured her sheer love and adoration of books into this one novel. The chapters are bookended with different literary quotes and the plot is driven by the characters’ love of words. It’s about a young girl, Meggie whose father is a Silvertongue (someone born with the ability to read characters out of stories) and their dealings with the characters of one particular novel, both good and bad. Derivative it may sound, but Funke is a gifted storyteller and imbues Inkheart with… Read more »

Tom
Tom
11 years ago

Another great article!! I had no idea that Brendan Fraser had starred in so many movies. I do remember his Pauly Shore movies (WTF was someone thinking that guy had talent??) I really enjoyed him in the Mummy movies; although I am interested in why you seem to dislike Stephen Sommers?? (I love Van Helsing!! It is so campy, it is enjoyable, if not just for the accents the actors use). Regardless, he is a talented actor who can play a variety of roles. I know his career got smacked by Monkeybone, just like my girl Bridget. I am glad… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

10 Directors Who Should Never Be Trusted With Giant Budgets: http://whatculture.com/film/10-directors-never-trusted-giant-budgets.php/3 Stephen Sommers After making his feature debut in 1989 with the $800,000 Catch Me If You Can, Stephen Sommers moved on to write and direct well-received literary adaptations The Adventures of Huck Finn and The Jungle Book for Disney. His next movie, the $45m horror Deep Rising, began a long affinity for poorly-structured genre fare that relied too heavily on special effects. The movie earned just $11.3m at the domestic box office, but despite that disappointment Sommers’ convincing pitch to Universal executives saw him given $80m to resurrect the… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  Tom

Bad Movie Beatdown: Van Helsing:
http://blip.tv/film-brain/helsing-final-render-wmv-5614656
Hugh Jackman fights off all the monsters bar one… the script.

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  Tom

Wait there is a 3rd “The Mummy” movie?
http://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/474837/wait-3rd-mummy-movie

Craig Hansen
Craig Hansen
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

The 3rd movie may have broke $100M at the box office, but it was complete garbage. And this is coming from someone who was a fan of the first two Mummy films (especially the first one, which really was a very fun Indiana Jones-type action adventure film). Terrence’s post captures it, all the magic was gone by the third one.

Jake
Jake
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

I was never a fan of that series either. I wanted a MUMMY movie, not an Indiana Jones-wannabe with CGI bugs

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  Tom

8 Actor Replacements In Movie Sequels That Totally Sucked: http://whatculture.com/film/8-actor-replacements-in-movie-sequels-that-totally-sucked.php/4 6. Rachel Weisz/Maria Bello – Evelyn O’Connell It’s in these sorts of cases, when an actor has played a character on two memorable occassions, that I bring out one simple question: “What’s the point?” If Rachel Weisz didn’t want to return for the third installment in the Mummy trilogy, why didn’t they just write her character out of the story? It was certainly workable that way, and a romantic interest could’ve been brought in for another character inside – Alex O’Connell, her son, perhaps? Anyway, rant over, though my point… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  Tom

The 8 Worst Movie Threequels Of All Time: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2013/the-8-worst-movie-threequels-of-all-time/4/ 2. The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor The Mummy franchise had been sleeping peacefully for seven years before Rob Cohen decided to jerk it out of its slumber for this dismal third outing. Judging by the acting on display, it seems as though Brendan Fraser and co. have also just been roused from a lengthy coma, while Cohen turns to a vomiting yak to supply the laughs. The introduction of a smart-alecky kid goes the same way as every prior use of that particular plot device, while Jet Li is… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Tom

How 2001 was a film game-changer I: When Opening Weekends Attack! (or How the Mummy Returns kick started the modern blockbuster!): http://scottalanmendelson.blogspot.com/2011/05/ten-years-ago-how-2001-was-film-game.html#more This is one of a handful of essays that will be dealing with the various trends that were kicked off during the 2001 calendar year, and how they still resonate today. When 2001 started, there had been exactly one $70 million+ opening (The Lost World: Jurassic Park, with $72 million over the Fri-Sun portion of the Memorial Day 1997 weekend), and one $60 million+ opening (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, with a $64 million Fri-Sun weekend take). There… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
11 years ago

I posted this blog on USENET/Google Groups:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.movies.past-films/browse_thread/thread/aa7c380dab9a7122?hl=en#
One person boldly proclaimed to me to “crosspost to alt.horror at my own risk. The reason why I “cross-posted” to that particular group is because Brendan Fraser starred in the “Mummy” films (which could be considered horror movies or at least, they were initially conceived as horror movies) and “Gods and Monsters” about the director of “Frankenstein”. Hell, even “Monkeybone” can be considered a horror movie of sorts.

Terrence Michael Clay
11 years ago

Actors and actresses you’re suprised didn’t become bigger stars: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12007549&postcount=49 Brendan Fraser. Now you are probably thinking to yourself “but that guy is a big star!” and yes, I agree. He works all the time. But he seems to be stuck in kids’ adventure movie roles. I was convinced he was going to become a MEGAstar, like a Brad Pitt level A list box office draw. I’m still confused that he isn’t. I don’t understand why he doesn’t do more serious film (I cannot believe I just used the phrase “serious film” in a sentence, but whatever), the kind that… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

Why Didn’t Brendan Fraser Become a Big Star? http://www.film.com/movies/why-didnt-brendan-fraser-become-a-big-star The suggested topic was actually “Where Did Brendan Fraser’s Career Go Wrong?” But that topic is based on a faulty premise, i.e., that Brendan Fraser‘s career was ever right to begin with. When you look at the facts, it’s clear that while Fraser is undeniably famous and even well-liked, he never did become a big star the way we expected him to. And why is that? First, I blame his name. Brendan sounds too much like Brandon, and it’s hard to remember how he spells it. Plus you’ve got Fraser, which… Read more »

Nessie
10 years ago

Brendan Fraser is a Sagittarius, as far as Astrological Signs go, he is late bloomer.
His sense of adventure and his freedom loving nature will be with him for a while…
Well, for for now anyway, be happy with more kids films : )
You said you wanedt more serious roles, you’ll get your due, but you’ll need a wee bit of patience,
Maturity takes time.
No worries..

cinemarchaeologist
11 years ago

Fraser seems, again, an odd choice for this series. His only success has been in moron roles, which make up a huge chunk of his filmography (so much so that he once participated in a joke ad about this on IFC–his sole great screen appearance). What the hell happened to him? Nothing, really. He’s basically a zero who became… zero.

Terrence Michael Clay
11 years ago

The Huffington Post has apparently jumped on the “what the hell happened to Brendan Fraser” bandwagon:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/08/brendan-frasers-rise-and-fall_n_2839480.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

tbob1
11 years ago

I always kind of liked Fraser and have enjoyed many of his roles. Blast from the Past, With Honors, the Quiet American and the first two Mummy movies were pretty good flicks. Bedazzled was decent enough too. I also agree that his Scrubs appearances were quite good. I always felt he suffered from being a little wooden and stiff however. Even his goofy comedic roles seem a bit forced. And if you want the very definition of an actor mailing in a performance watch the third Mummy movie…simply awful. He was there for the paycheck. Still he is certainly not… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
11 years ago

Whatever Happened to Brendan Fraser?: http://frettsonfilm.com/2013/02/11/whatever-happened-to-brendan-fraser/ There was a time, not that long ago, when Brendan Fraser pulled eight-figure paychecks, earning $10 million for the ill-fated remake of Bedazzled and $12.5 million for the sequel The Mummy Returns. Now he’s been reduced to voicing astronaut “Scorch Supernova” in the awful-looking animated flick Escape from Planet Earth (opening Friday), and his latest live-action vehicle, the Irish heist farce Stand Off, was quietly dumped on VOD a few weeks ago. Where did it all go wrong? Considering his breakthrough role was as a caveman alongside Pauly Shore in Encino Man, Fraser had… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

Brendan Fraser Blaming Talent Agency for Terrible Career: http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=19969 Brendan Fraser has decided to leave WME after six years with the talent agency, hoping to find another agency that will be able to get him better acting gigs. Fraser’s last big film was “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” back in 2008, which grossed $400 million worldwide but was trashed by critics and fans. After that “Inheart,” “Extraordinary Measure” and “Furry Vengeance” all lost money. And his recently part in the Broadway production of “Elling” ended two weeks ago, just after nine performances. Many believe that part of the… Read more »

Nessie
10 years ago

Answer Part 1) I hope you realize that that was the year that he was divorced from Afton Smith. Did you ever think that may have affected his Hollywood earning power, not that that matters to you or the $$$ guys, but think about?. That was when things stared to change for BF. This is when he was starting to look at being able to produce and get out of the corporate structure, again to have more freedom of license to create roles that not only he like but that the public would want to see and done in such… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Nessie

Why are you bringing up my name Nessie, as if I have a personal “bone to pick” w/ Brendan Fraser!? Just because, I’ve been on the look out for discussions that further “bolster” or embellish the whole point of the discussion!? By this logic, shouldn’t you be complaining or calling out LeBeau, since it’s his blog and he was the one who first ask, “What the hell happened to Brendan Fraser”!?

Nessie
9 years ago

Last post to Terence: If you posted something positive rather then 99% negative I ‘wouldn’t’ have called you out, and Lebeau is not the culprit here, it the negativity that is the culprit, has been my stance all along… If what you posted represented anything that resembled both sides of the coin, then yes I would would not be with words on here…That’s the way of it as I see it. Lastly, I have the right to back up a human being for his positive attributes, even if you wish to continue with contrived rubbish from slanderous media sources I… Read more »

RB
RB
9 years ago
Reply to  Nessie

Well said Nessie, I’m glad you drew a nice distinction between the WTHH columns and the barrage of links that often get posted in response. I don’t even read the negative gossip stuff. They get deleted immediately. I know how to use Google if that’s what I was interested in reading.
Besides, those who like to engage in constant mudslinging shouldn’t be surprised if their hands get dirty once in a while.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

10 Actors Who Are Box Office Poison: http://whatculture.com/film/10-actors-who-are-box-office-poison.php/8 3. Brendan Fraser Notable Flops: The Air I Breathe ($2.5m against $10m), Inkheart ($62.4m against $60m), Extraordinary Measures ($15m against $31m), Furry Vengeance ($36.2m against $35m), Escape from Planet Earth ($70.7m against $40m). The question that first arises when thinking of Brendan Fraser – at least for me – is…when did we actually like this guy? Alright, California Man has some charm, I liked George of the Jungle as a child, and the first Mummy film was passably entertaining, but is it really much of a surprise that the guy’s box office… Read more »

Nessie
10 years ago

Really, I guess you don’t like Brendan Fraser very much. I think you ‘need’ to see that the box office is the poison.
As for the Nut Job, my daughter can’t wait!
Again, the animals and funny Brendan Fraser. It has always been about the fans who love him carry him through……
Who cares about the box office.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Celebs (Answers) > Lifestyle > 8 Stars Whose Time in the Limelight is Fading:
Brendan Fraser
Fraser had a way of endearing himself to audiences in any role he played, and that adaptability served him well throughout the heyday of his career with films like “The Mummy” and “George of the Jungle.” However, that versatility has proven to be a hindrance because he can’t be categorized into one type of role. As a result, he is fading from Hollywood memory, which is a shame, because like him or not, he was a “movie star.”

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

10 actors who tried to bounce back from a flop: http://www.denofgeek.us/movies/13978/10-actors-who-tried-to-bounce-back-from-a-flop BRENDAN FRASER The Flop: Monkeybone Henry Selick is a director who, for this writer’s money, rarely gets the credit he deserves. Firstly, he’s rarely recognised as the man who actually directed The Nightmare Before Christmas, but also, his film of James And The Giant Peach was something really quite special too. Here’s hoping Coraline works out and puts him firmly on the map where he belongs. That said, he took some flack for the box office disappointment – and that’s putting it kindly – of Monkeybone, which in retrospect… Read more »

Nessie
10 years ago

Right on!… Nicely bubbling, positive!,…Keep on Truckin’

RB
RB
10 years ago

“Encino Man” was on TV recently. I tried to watch it. Brendan Fraser was the only redeeming element. Even so gave up about halfway through.

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  RB

Speaking of “Encino Man”, what the hell happened to Brendan Fraser’s co-star Pauly Shore:
http://splitsider.com/2013/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-pauly-shore/

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

The Billion-Dollar Cro-Magnon Man?: http://www.pajiba.com/career_assessments/brendan-fraser-career-assessment.php Subject: Brendan Fraser, 41-year-old Canadian-American actor Date of Assessment: January 22, 2010 Positive Buzzwords: Amiable, deadpan, cartoonish Negative Buzzwords: Hairplugs, hairplugs, Crash The Case: Ever since Brendan Fraser checked out the fresh nugs and wheezed the juice as Linkovich Chomofsky in 1992’s Encino Man, my opinion of the fellow hasn’t changed all that much. Over the years, Fraser’s been in a lot of horribly craptastic movies and, for each and every one of them, he deserves to be kicked mercilessly in the balls a few hundred times. Even worse, rumor has it that Paul Haggis,… Read more »

pol
pol
10 years ago

i worked with Brendan Fraser in inkheart in italy, he was very rude with the public, he took no time to take photos with the families waiting outside in the very cold winter nights whereas Paul Bettany, Andy Serkis and others did so without any problems. He had a heavy scuffle whereby he retaliated hitting an italian extra in the chest, for no reason, i saw the whole thing, the poor little italian guy didnt understand a word of what was going on, the director was screaming at him to keep pushing Brendan harder to make the scene realistic whereupon… Read more »

pol
pol
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

yeh, im not a kid but at the time i felt like i was in candyland. I had the luck with all my contacts I had in the local area to create adhesives with phrases written out of the book, they Were laser cut wITh the font that Cornelia funke used in her book, we stuck it on everybodys faces then sprayed paint to form the words on peoples heads. Then luckily i wAS personal trainer to Iain Softley plus another producer so lets say i was on the set for 6 weeks from 5am to 7pm at night. You… Read more »

Nessie
10 years ago
Reply to  pol

Having bad year, understatement!.
Divorce will do that to a man, especially when there are $$$ involved and they are being taken away from you unfairly, Hell, I would not be in great mood to say the least.
Aside, we are all human,even actors and we are most definitely not all perfect, we do have bad days, months or even years……..

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  pol

BRENDAN FRASER Sued for Allegedly Battering Movie Producer: http://www.tmz.com/2012/07/12/brenden-fraser-lawsuit-assault-batter-william-tell-movie-todd-moyer/ 5:55 PM PT: Fraser’s lawyer, Marty Singer, tells TMZ, “This is a ridiculous and absurd claim by Mr. Moyer. He’s desperately trying to avoid the monies that he guaranteed to pay to Brendan — more than $2 million — and has concocted this claim. He recently just put his company into bankruptcy. This is just another desperate attempt by him to avoid paying his debt.” Brendan Fraser unleashed TWO physical attacks on one of the producers of a movie he is set to star in … so says the producer who… Read more »

Nessie
10 years ago

Moyer hooey…. Brendan will come out strong in the end.

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

20 Film Stars You Definitely Won’t Remember In 20 Years: http://whatculture.com/film/20-film-stars-you-definitely-wont-remember-in-20-years.php 19. Brendan Fraser Oh how the future looked bright for Brendan Fraser when he starred in The Mummy. But then he started doing terrible family films and now no one wants to touch him with a barge pole. Looney Tunes: Back In Action was a horrible film, and that had the help of an established brand (and Space Jam. SPACE JAM). Fraser has had very few hits outside of anything not related to pyramids and Egypt, and I can’t imagine The Mummy being brought back over and over again… Read more »

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