14 Utterly Odd Facts You Never Knew About Brendan Fraser

Fraser is an accomplished amateur photographer. During his stint as a guest performer on the sitcom Scrubs, Fraser's character carried an Instant Polaroid camera everywhere and constantly snapped photos. 

The actor actually collects those old Polaroid cameras and admits to being a "wannabe camera geek" in his personal life. His photography can be viewed on his personal website.

The long-running reality series America's Most Wanted features reenactments of crimes portrayed by actors. Brendan Fraser got his first acting gig on the show, though the actor himself doesn't entirely recall the details of the role:

I was a victim on America’s Most Wanted. I got shot, but I made a phone call that saved my life. Wait - maybe I died! I can’t remember. But they did catch the guy who did it.

Fraser's biggest role is arguably Rick O'Connell, the dashing protagonist of The Mummy - but he nearly choked to death filming the movie. During an early scene in the film, O'Connell is set for execution by hanging. However, the scene went horribly wrong. Fraser said of the experience, "They killed me for 18 seconds." He elaborated:

I was hanging from the noose standing on a board. Take one, and [the writer-director] said, “The noose doesn't match the stunt guys. Can we bring up the tension a little bit, and we'll have it." They did the take and the camera was on a spin that goes 180 degrees and it shows the prisoners shouting, and then comes down on me at the end of the noose. I figured, "I'll get oxygen and hold my breath," and I was up on my toes and something went wrong - and the next thing I knew, I was waking up.

Fraser made a 2016 appearance on AOL Build Series to discuss his new role in Showtime's drama The Affair. Fans took notice, and the appearance went viral because the actor appeared so sad (he was grieving his mother, who had just died of cancer). 

In response, they collectively organized a Change.org petition called "Bring Brendan Fraser Back Into Film/Television."

The petition read:

We are now calling on all networks to please consider Brendan for any upcoming shows/movies that are planned. Brendan is a much loved actor worldwide, people are shocked that he wasn't at least offered a smaller role in the new Mummy movie. Brendan has been in multiple interviews recently and has appeared to be very down and out, and us loyal fans feel like we are obliged to help him in any way possible. Please help us get Brendan back on his feet again, we miss him.

The petition was addressed to Netflix, HBO, Showtime, Starz, and Reed Hastings, in an effort to drum up interest in the actor's talent and hopefully secure him some future acting work.

In 2022's The Whale, Fraser plays a severely obese individual. To achieve a believably lifelike look, Fraser's body was completely transformed with makeup and prosthetics. 

At times, this called for body suit elements that weighed upwards of three-hundred pounds. Fraser described the suit as “beautiful and arresting.” Wearing it, however, was “cumbersome.”

Fraser likened the torso piece to “a straight jacket with sleeves that went on, airbrushed by hand, to look identical as would human skin.”

Brendan Fraser was born in Indianapolis, IN, in 1968. Both of his parents were Canadian-born. His father was a journalist and a foreign service officer for the Canadian Government of Tourism, so that meant that Brendan moved around a lot as a child, making stops in places like Eureka, CA, and abroad in the Netherlands.

Fraser carries both an American passport and a Canadian passport, which was enough to earn the actor a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in 2006. The honor made him the first American-born actor to ever receive a Canadian Star.