Daniel Franzese Says Brendan Fraser Is A “Sweet” Actor But Doesn’t Understand Why The Upcoming Movie The whale chose not to cast a gay actor with a bigger body in the lead role of Fraser.
While speaking with Peoplethe mean girls and Looking star said he was conflicted over Fraser’s casting in the Darren Aronofsky A24 film, which is based on Samuel D. Hunter’s 2012 play of the same name and follows a gay man who tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter. Franzese indicated that he likes it and is happy with it the mummy and Killers of the Flower Moon star, whose performance has been described as his comeback to the big screen. Still, the actor and comedian said he is “conflicted.”
“I love Brendan Fraser, [so] I am very confused. When I saw him so humble getting up in Venice and having that moment, I was very happy for him. He is a sweet man. And it’s great,” he said. “But why? Why go up and wear a thick suit to play a 400lb. weird man?”
Franzese noted that both queer actors and those in Hollywood with bigger bodies have already written fewer roles for them, without dealing with straight actors in bodysuits for creatively significant, career-influencing roles.
“To finally have a chance to play in a prestigious film that might be an award-nominated, where stories are told about people who are like us? That’s the dream,” he told the magazine. “So when they go over and over and cast somebody like Brendan Fraser, me and the other big gays, we’re like, ‘What is it…?'”
The Glow and recovery road actor went on to note that it was the kind of role he would have “loved” to read if given the chance. “Who knows more about being an obese queer man than an obese queer man?” he claimed. “But I think you can go ahead and wear a thick suit and do what you gotta do and get your Oscar. We’re just sitting here waiting.”
Franzese also addressed why he thinks queer actors have not historically played queer roles on screen, pointing out fears about the reception of gay representation in the story in the international market, which could be compounded by the fact that the actor himself is gay.
“The biggest problem we have in our industry right now is that people like me and my colleagues can’t really sell movies abroad when we’re actually queer because the world is homophobic,” he said. “Even if America is ready for such a gay person in the lead role, they have a hard time selling the film abroad, so they get scared.”
He added: “It takes risk takers and true pioneers to get us into these roles as actors so that we too can have a shot at a full career in Hollywood.”
In an August interview with Vanity FairFraser noted that after I stepped into the thick suit, “I quickly learned that it takes an incredibly strong person in that body to be that person. That seemed appropriate and poetic and practical at the same time.”
He also shared some The whale director Aronofsky told him about the decision to cast him in the role. “He said he wanted to reintroduce an actor,” Fraser explains. “And I wanted to be reintroduced.”
Aronofsky’s search for someone to play the part was a decade-long undertaking, beginning when Aronofsky first saw Hunter’s play. While Hunter worked on the film’s screenplay, Aronofsky struggled through the “taxing” process to find the actor who, according to the magazine, could “provide both star power and authenticity.”
“I thought about each movie star who played Charlie, and it never made sense or didn’t click,” Aronofsky said.
News Kidda has reached out to representatives for Fraser and Aronofsky for comment.