14 Sep - Brendan Fraser couldn't help but get emotional as he accepted his TIFF Tribute Award accolade at the Toronto International Film Festival. The actor, who accepted the award (known to be a major pre-Oscars accolade given in the past to stars like Jessica Chastain and Joaquin Phoenix) for his performance in Darren Aronofsky's "The Whale", couldn't help but made a self-deprecating joke about how he had never been a recipient of such honour.
The honour given to Fraser had moved everybody in the room, including Michelle Yeoh, who worked with the actor in "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" in 2008. Prior to TIFF, Fraser received a six-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival for his performance as an obese man estranged from his daughter in the said film. "Art is about taking a risk, and [Aronofsky and writer Samuel D. Hunter] took a chance on me, and I'm grateful to them," Fraser said. "The Whale is a redemption story... he's gone through significant life changes and has forgotten about who he is and the ones he loves, and he's running out of time to tell them that - if he can at all. But, he has a superpower: Charlie sees the good in others when they can't see that in themselves, and he can bring that out in them. I'm a firm believer that we need more of that in this world. It's the audience that gives cinema life, so I must thank you for keeping me in the job that I love because it's nice work if you can get it."