Darren Aronofsky’s The whale may be one of the most anticipated movies of the year, but there are those who aren’t so excited about its release. Directed by Aronofsky, the film follows: Brendan Fraser as a 600-pound gay man who, years after abandoning his family, hoped to reconnect with his daughter (Sadie Sink). For Fraser to play the part effectively, the use of a “fatsuit” was required, something Fraser has said gives him a better understanding of what everyday life is like for people with that body type.
The whale maybe Fraser got a standing ovation with his premiere, but for actor and comedian Guy Branumappearing in the new movie brothers, the film is “problematic”. For starters, Branum feels the problems with: The whale go all the way down to his conception unhappy with the pain he feels as “a real fat gay” shouldn’t be dramatized by filmmakers. As Branum tells PRIDE:
“I think The Whale’s source material is problematic. I think it’s trying to use extreme fatness as a metaphor for gay pain. And as a real fat gay man, I feel like my life doesn’t have to be a metaphor for someone else’s pain.”
Branum also disagrees with Fraser’s casting in the lead role, suggesting that choosing the George of the Jungle star about an obese gay actor takes away the authenticity of the film.
“I also have a real problem with them casting a straight actor who isn’t very fat, and [who] prosthetics used to represent fatness, in the movie. I think it allows people to talk about that character as an object in a way that wouldn’t be possible if you had to look a really fat person in the eye.”
Others have criticized the casting of Brendan Fraser
Recent, mean girls and Looking actor Daniel Franzese also spoke out about the casting of Brendan Fraser in The whale. Franzese was a bit more king when he spoke of Fraser, making it clear that he has a lot of respect for the actor and is happy that he is getting credit for his role in the film. At the same time, Franzese felt belittled for not having had the chance to read for such a role, thinking he might have handled it better. Franzese told People:
“I love Brendan Fraser, [so] I’m very confused… He’s a nice man. And it’s great. But why? Why go up and wear a thick suit to play a 400lb. weird man? To finally have a chance to star in a prestigious film that might be an award-nominated, where stories are told about people who are like us? That’s the dream. So when they go over and over and cast someone like Brendan Fraser, me and the other big gays, we’re like, ‘What the…?’ We can’t handle it! I would have loved to read this. I mean, who knows more about being an obese queer man than an obese queer man?”
Fraser’s casting was not a decision Darren Aronofsky took lightly. He had actually spent ten years thinking about various options for the role, but no matter what Hollywood star he looked at, no one seemed to click. As Aronofsky told Varietyhe was sold to Fraser when he happened to catch the actor in a Brazilian movie trailer, and from there the casting fell into place.
“I considered everyone – all kinds of different actors, every movie star on the planet. But none of them ever really clicked. It just didn’t move me, and it didn’t feel right. A few years ago I caught a trailer for a Brazilian movie , a low budget [movie], and I saw Brendan in the trailer and a light bulb went out. I hadn’t seen Gods and Monsters or George of the Jungle. When I saw him in there, it just clicked. I asked Brendan to meet me… it just kept clicking.’
You will not see Guy Branum in The whalethough you can see Brendan Fraser in that movie when it hits theaters on December 9, 2022. As for where you can see Branum, he’s currently on the big screen in brotherswhich is now playing in theaters everywhere.