Brendan Fraser bio, wife, young, height and weight, age, what happend 2025

Biography of Brendan Fraser

Brendan Fraser is a Hollywood actor best known for starring in the adventure trilogy "The Mummy," the romantic comedy "Blast from the Past," and the thriller "The Quiet American." He's also won Screen Actors Guild and Critics' Choice Film Awards for "Best Cast" in the drama "Crash."

Following the 1997 release of "George of the Jungle," he became a major sex symbol. By the early 2000s, he was one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors, earning $45 million for "The Mummy."

Over the years, his life changed dramatically and those alpha-male heartthrob roles dried up. Instead, he started appearing mostly as devoted family men and caring fathers.

Childhood

Brendan James Fraser was born on December 3, 1968 in Indianapolis. His parents are Canadians. His mother, Carol Mary, worked as a sales consultant. His father, Peter Fraser, worked for the Canadian State Tourism Administration's diplomatic service. Brendan also has three older brothers.

The family moved often. They lived in the USA (Detroit, Cincinnati, and Seattle), Canada (Ottawa, Toronto), the Netherlands (Amsterdam), Great Britain (London), and Italy (Rome). This meant Brendan grew up accustomed to constant travel.

Brendan's mother (left) and the actor with his father (right)

He grew up bilingual, knowing English and French equally well. His heritage includes Scottish, Irish, Czech, German, and French-Canadian roots. He holds dual citizenship in both Canada and the USA.

Brendan attended Upper Canada College, Toronto's oldest private boarding school for boys. There, he joined the theater program.

At 12, Brendan appeared in professional theater productions in London's West End. He performed in Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" and Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Years later in 2001, he returned to the West End in Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," earning rave reviews.

After school, the young man enrolled at the theater department of the Cornwall College of the Arts in Seattle.

First roles

In 1990, Brendan graduated from college with a Bachelor of Performing Arts. He was going to study acting further, but ended up in Los Angeles and decided to stay there. At 22, Fraser made his acting debut in the crime drama "Guilty Until Proven Innocent," playing Bobby, a bully imprisoned on murder charges. In the story, his father (played by Martin Sheen) believes in Bobby's innocence and fights to free him from prison.

The actor in Guilty Until Proven Innocent

In 1992, the comedy "Encino Man" hit theaters and gave Fraser his first taste of popularity. His brilliant performance as a thawed-out caveman brought him a Chicago Film Critics Association Award nomination for "Most Promising Actor."

That same year, Fraser showcased his dramatic chops in "School Ties," playing a working-class Jewish student who enters an elite prep school dominated by wealthy classmates. Future Hollywood stars Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Chris O'Donnell worked with him on set.

The heyday of the career

Over the next few years, the actor appeared in numerous comedies ("Younger and Younger", "Empty-headed", "With Honors"), where he often played goofy characters that really connected with audiences.

Brendan Fraser Interview - ROD Show, Season 1 Episode 171, 1997

Fraser shot to international stardom in 1997 with the comedy "George of the Jungle," playing a man raised in the depths of the African jungle.

George of the Jungle – the breakthrough role of Brendan

In 1998, he appeared as a former Marine in the biopic "Gods and Monsters," chronicling the final days of film director James Whale's life. The role showcased Fraser's range as an actor, earning him a Chlotrudis Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

George of th Jungle: the best scenes

The following year, Fraser starred in one of his career highlights, "Blast from the Past," playing a young man who spent his first 35 years in an underground bunker because his parents believed nuclear apocalypse had struck the world.

Fraser's career-defining role came as daring treasure hunter Rick O'Connell in the blockbuster "The Mummy" (1999), which raked in $416 million worldwide. His co-stars were Rachel Weisz and Arnold Vosloo.

According to Fraser, you can't tell a fantastic story with a straight face. He loved that his hero could pull off incredible stunts while keeping audiences laughing.

Brendan Fraser Kicking Ass | The Mummy Franchise | All Action

During filming, Fraser constantly drew inspiration from the Indiana Jones movies, which he'd always considered adventure classics. He worked to give Rick the qualities of a legendary treasure hunter.

Incidentally, Fraser is a massive fan of Harrison Ford. The actor often recalled how he presented Ford with the award:

I was asked to the Spike TV Awards Ceremony and it was my obligation and duty and pleasure to present Harrison with the Brass Balls Award. I later asked him what he did with the Brass Balls. He told me he sold it for scrap metal. That's when we first met. After that, it was reading scenes together over coffee or a drink or something like that. I don't know.

The 2001 sequel "The Mummy Returns" shattered the original's box office record, pulling in $433 million. 2008 brought "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor." Fraser returned as the fearless Rick, this time battling a resurrected mummy bent on world domination. The adventure pitted him against monsters, a sorceress, and sword-wielding enemies. The third installment earned $401 million worldwide.

The actor revealed that filming felt like a real survival struggle - he did almost all his own stunts and rarely went a day without getting hurt. To manage the pain and keep working, he'd duct-tape ice packs to his body. During his character's hanging scene, the actor nearly died for real. Thankfully, the crew managed to revive him.

Brendan Fraser talks with Joe Leydon about «The Mummy»

After "The Mummy" sequel, Brendan appeared in the first three seasons of "Scrubs," starred in the comedy "Dudley Do-Right" (a box office flop), the fantasy comedy "Bedazzled" (which earned $90 million on a $48 million budget), and the war film "The Quiet American," based on Graham Greene's novel, alongside Michael Caine.

In 2004, the actor appeared in the hit film "Crash" (which won three Oscars and two BAFTA awards). In 2008, he took on the lead role of Professor Anderson in the Jules Verne adaptation "Journey to the Center of the Earth." The film earned $241 million on a $60 million budget, following a journey into an incredible underground world filled with bizarre creatures.

That same year, in the fantasy "Inkheart," based on Cornelia Funke's novel, he played the key role of Folchart, who could bring book characters to life by reading aloud.

Victim of harassment

In 2018, at the height of the #MeToo movement, Brendan Fraser revealed he'd been sexually assaulted 15 years earlier. Philip Berk, the powerful head of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (which presents the Golden Globes), assaulted Brendan at a Beverly Hills hotel.

When Brendan extended his hand for a handshake, Berk responded by:

His left hand reaches around, grabs my ass cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around. I felt ill. I felt like a little kid. I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry.

Fraser only told his wife about the assault, afraid that speaking out would destroy his career. He says the incident left him psychologically scarred and withdrawn, and he was subsequently blacklisted from Golden Globes events.

When Fraser went public with his story, many fans reacted skeptically - after all, he was 34, fresh off "The Mummy," and in peak physical condition, while Berk was nearly 50. Berk denied all allegations when confronted with the accusations.

Decline

In 2009, the actor went through a painful divorce; soon after, he developed serious back problems and lost his mother to cancer. After the 2010 comedy "Furry Vengeance" was savaged by critics, the actor stepped away from Hollywood.

By 2013, he was juggling five different film projects. In particular, he voiced the role of a Supernova astronaut in the animated film "Escape from Planet Earth".Alongside Paul Walker and Matt Dillon, he appeared in the dark comedy "PawnShop Chronicles" as an Elvis Presley impersonator.

As his film career stalled, the actor turned to television. He landed the role of Texas Ranger Anderson in 2015's mini-series "Texas Rising," then scored a small but memorable part in the acclaimed drama "The Affair" from 2016-2017.

Between marital troubles, ongoing health issues, and the fallout from the Berk incident, Brendan's once-athletic physique began to change. Fans who hadn't followed his TV work and last saw him in films during the early 2010s were shocked by his dramatic physical transformation.

Social media fans rallied behind him, creating the SAVEBRENDAN subreddit to share photos and campaign for directors to cast him in quality roles. After years in the wilderness, Fraser finally landed a major film role in 2019: Dr. Mitchell in the American-Italian thriller "The Poison Rose" starring John Travolta and Morgan Freeman.

Revival

Fraser's fortunes have been turning around. He joined the superhero comedy series "Doom Patrol" as a former race car driver brought back to life in a metal body by a mad scientist – though his character hides behind an iron mask. Cliff Steele migrated here from the TV series "Titans".

Fraser in Doom Patrol beginning

In 2021, Steven Soderbergh's crime thriller "No Sudden Move" was released with the participation of Fraser, Matt Damon, David Harbour, Benicio del Toro. In addition, Brendan starred in the TV series "Professionals" with Tom Welling as a billionaire futurist, Peter Swann.

Personal life of Brendan Fraser

For nine years, the actor was married to an obscure actress, Afton Smith. They first met in 1993 at one of Winona Ryder's parties. Brendan was amazed to discover they shared the same birthday (though she was a year older). Five years later, they tied the knot.

The couple had three sons – Griffin in 2002, Holden in 2004 and Leland in 2006.

In 2007, the couple announced the divorce. The court ordered the actor, who was barely working at the time, to pay $900,000 annually in alimony to his ex-wife. Earning roughly $200,000 monthly, he had to hand over more than a third to his ex-wife, while other expenses devoured significant chunks: mortgage, income tax, property tax, and oddly enough, "gardening expenses." That left him with roughly $90,000 monthly to live on – a tough reality for someone whose fortune once peaked at $45 million.

Brendan Fraser's Life - Through Hell and Back | The Celebritist

While battling personal struggles, Brendan also faced serious health issues. The Mummy trilogy took its toll – he needed a laminectomy, complex spinal surgery. For nearly seven years, he bounced between hospitals. He had an operation on his vocal cords, part of his knee was replaced with a prosthetic, and a compression fracture of the spine was treated for a long time.

What I've been through... you can't prepare for this, you can only personally go through it. But such things harden, form character.

His final spinal surgery came after a tree crashed down on him during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. For months, Brendan was confined to a wheelchair, and with insurance companies hiking his premiums and banning him from doing his own stunts, he wondered if he could even make a living as an actor. In 2013, he petitioned the court to reduce his alimony payments, but was denied.

Despite his rocky relationship with his ex-wife, Brendan remains a devoted father. He adores his sons and frequently retreats with them to his country house. By the way, the actor keeps a horse there. He couldn't bear to part with it and bought the horse after filming the TV series "Texas Rising." The main reason, of course, was his son who has autism.

The actor remains single. During Mummy 3 filming, he was accused of having an affair with co-star Maria Bello, but he denied it.

Brendan Fraser now

In September 2022, audiences at the Venice Film Festival gave a standing ovation to Darren Aronofsky's film "The Whale", starring Brendan Fraser in the lead role. The plot focuses on a man named Charlie, who abandoned his family for a lover many years ago. Now weighing nearly 600 pounds, he tries to reconnect with his daughter (Sadie Sink).

On set, Brendan wore a 300-pound prosthetic suit plus about 45 pounds of makeup. This marks Fraser's first major triumphant role in years and, according to critics, one of Aronofsky's best films.

Fraser won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Charlie in "The Whale." In his acceptance speech, he thanked his sons and director Aronofsky for "throwing him a creative lifeline."

Brendan Fraser's acceptance speech for Best Actor at 2023 Oscars

Photos: Brendan Fraser