Brendan Fraser: Difference between revisions
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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Fraser was born in [[Indianapolis]], [[Indiana]],<ref name="CBS" /> the son of Canadian parents Carol, a sales counselor, and Peter Fraser, a former [[journalist]] who worked as a Canadian foreign service officer for the Government Office of Tourism.<ref name="HoF" /><ref name="USA">{{citation|date=October 26, 2003 |title=In tune with himself |url=http://www.usaweekend.com/03_issues/031026/031026brendan_fraser.html |first=Lorrie |last=Lynch |publisher=USA Weekend |accessdate=2007-12-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/22/Brendan-Fraser.html |title=Brendan Fraser Biography (1968-) |publisher=Filmreference.com |date= |accessdate=2008-11-02}}</ref> Fraser has three older brothers: Kevin, Regan, and Sean. His family moved often during his [[childhood]], living in [[Eureka, California]], [[Seattle]], [[Ottawa]], the [[Netherlands]] and [[Switzerland]]. Fraser attended the private boys' boarding school,<ref>{{citation|date=June 21, 1992 |title= UP AND COMING: Brendan Fraser; A Man Schooled for Success |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE7DE103AF932A15755C0A964958260 |first=Jamie |last=Diamond |publisher=New York Times|accessdate=2008-01-08}}</ref> [[Upper Canada College]], in Toronto. While on vacation in London, Fraser attended his first professional theatrical performance at the [[West End theatre|West End]]. He graduated from Seattle's [[Cornish College of the Arts]] in 1990.<ref name="USA" /><ref>{{citation|date=February 10, 2005|title=Fraser's Edge |url=http://www.cornish.edu/news/2005/05/frasers_edge.html |first=Lisa |last=Halpern |publisher=Cornish College of the Arts |accessdate=2007-12-27}}</ref> He began acting at a small acting college in New York. He originally planned on attending graduate school in [[Texas]] but stopped in [[Hollywood]] on his way south and decided to stay in Los Angeles and work in |
Fraser was born in [[Indianapolis]], [[Indiana]],<ref name="CBS" /> the son of Canadian parents Carol, a sales counselor, and Peter Fraser, a former [[journalist]] who worked as a Canadian foreign service officer for the Government Office of Tourism.<ref name="HoF" /><ref name="USA">{{citation|date=October 26, 2003 |title=In tune with himself |url=http://www.usaweekend.com/03_issues/031026/031026brendan_fraser.html |first=Lorrie |last=Lynch |publisher=USA Weekend |accessdate=2007-12-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/22/Brendan-Fraser.html |title=Brendan Fraser Biography (1968-) |publisher=Filmreference.com |date= |accessdate=2008-11-02}}</ref> Fraser has three older brothers: Kevin, Regan, and Sean. His family moved often during his [[childhood]], living in [[Eureka, California]], [[Seattle]], [[Ottawa]], the [[Netherlands]] and [[Switzerland]]. Fraser attended the private boys' boarding school,<ref>{{citation|date=June 21, 1992 |title= UP AND COMING: Brendan Fraser; A Man Schooled for Success |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE7DE103AF932A15755C0A964958260 |first=Jamie |last=Diamond |publisher=New York Times|accessdate=2008-01-08}}</ref> [[Upper Canada College]], in Toronto. While on vacation in London, Fraser attended his first professional theatrical performance at the [[West End theatre|West End]]. He graduated from Seattle's [[Cornish College of the Arts]] in 1990.<ref name="USA" /><ref>{{citation|date=February 10, 2005|title=Fraser's Edge |url=http://www.cornish.edu/news/2005/05/frasers_edge.html |first=Lisa |last=Halpern |publisher=Cornish College of the Arts |accessdate=2007-12-27}}</ref> He began acting at a small acting college in New York. He originally planned on attending graduate school in [[Texas]] but stopped in [[Hollywood]] on his way south and decided to stay in Los Angeles and work in movies. |
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His surname is properly pronounced "Fray-zer," though some pronounce it "Frasier". The correct pronunciation of his surname is a running gag in ''[[Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star]]'' in which he has a cameo. |
His surname is properly pronounced "Fray-zer," though some pronounce it "Frasier". The correct pronunciation of his surname is a running gag in ''[[Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star]]'' in which he has a cameo. |
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Revision as of 13:07, 17 September 2009
Brendan Fraser | |
|---|---|
 Brendan Fraser, April 2007 | |
| Born | Brendan James Fraser |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1991 – present |
| Spouse | Afton Smith (1998 – 2007) |
| Website | http://www.brendanfraser.com |
Brendan James Fraser[1] (born December 3, 1968) is a Canadian-American[2][3] actor of stage and screen. He has starred in many major Hollywood films, including The Mummy film series, Crash, Dudley Do-Right, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, George of the Jungle and Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Early life
Fraser was born in Indianapolis, Indiana,[1] the son of Canadian parents Carol, a sales counselor, and Peter Fraser, a former journalist who worked as a Canadian foreign service officer for the Government Office of Tourism.[2][4][5] Fraser has three older brothers: Kevin, Regan, and Sean. His family moved often during his childhood, living in Eureka, California, Seattle, Ottawa, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Fraser attended the private boys' boarding school,[6] Upper Canada College, in Toronto. While on vacation in London, Fraser attended his first professional theatrical performance at the West End. He graduated from Seattle's Cornish College of the Arts in 1990.[4][7] He began acting at a small acting college in New York. He originally planned on attending graduate school in Texas but stopped in Hollywood on his way south and decided to stay in Los Angeles and work in movies.
His surname is properly pronounced "Fray-zer," though some pronounce it "Frasier". The correct pronunciation of his surname is a running gag in Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star in which he has a cameo.
Career
Fraser's first film role was a brief cameo in an America's Most Wanted Reenactment (1988) he played friend to Rodney Mark Peterson, who was murdered. He has since garnered over 30 film credits. He had his first lead role in Encino Man (1992). That same year, he starred opposite Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Chris O'Donnell in School Ties. In 1994, he co-starred alongside Steve Buscemi and Adam Sandler in the comedy Airheads. He went on to play supporting roles starring alongside Viggo Mortensen and Ashley Judd in Philip Ridley's The Passion of Darkly Noon (1995), and Jennifer Beals in The Twilight of the Golds (1997). He got his breakthrough role with the hit comedy film George of the Jungle (1997). He went on to appear in several comedy films such as Blast from the Past (1999), Bedazzled (2000) and Monkeybone (2001).
Fraser also played a dramatic role in Gods and Monsters (1998),[8] alongside Ian McKellen. The film was based on the life of the filmmaker James Whale (McKellen), who made the 1931 film Frankenstein. This film was written and directed by Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) and was a story about the loss of creativity, ambiguous sexuality and unlikely bonds between a heterosexual gardener and a gay, tortured and ailing filmmaker.
His biggest commercial success came with the action adventure horror film (co-starring Rachel Weisz) The Mummy (1999) and its sequel The Mummy Returns (2001), both of which were hugely successful at the box office. He has starred in two films based on Jay Ward creations, George of the Jungle and Dudley Do-Right although he did not reprise his role in the former's sequel.
In 2004, he appeared in the Academy Award-winning film Crash. He has also made guest appearances on the television shows Scrubs, King of the Hill, and The Simpsons.
In March 2006, he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame,[2] the first American-born actor to receive the honor. However, as of 2008, he does not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. After a six year hiatus in the franchise, Fraser returned for the second sequel to The Mummy released in August 2008 and titled The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Filming started in Montreal on July 27, 2007 and the movie also starred Jet Li as Emperor Han. The last Mummy film grossed over $102 million in the USA and over $400 million worldwide.
Fraser also starred as "Brick" in the West End production of Tennessee Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in September, 2001, directed by Anthony Page. Castmates included Ned Beatty, Frances O'Connor, and Gemma Jones. The show closed on January 12, 2002, with Fraser garnering many excellent reviews.[9]
Personal life
Fraser met actress Afton Smith while attending a barbecue at Winona Ryder's house on July 4, 1993, after his arrival in Los Angeles.[4] Fraser married Smith on September 27, 1998, and they have three sons: Griffin Arthur Fraser,[1] born September 17, 2002, Holden Fletcher Fraser born August 16, 2004 and Leland Francis Fraser born May 2, 2006. On December 27, 2007, Fraser's publicist announced the couple had decided to divorce.[10][dead link][11]
He is fluent in French.[12] Fraser also serves on the Board of Directors for FilmAid International.[13]
Fraser is also an accomplished amateur photographer.[2] He has used several Polaroids in movies and on TV shows, most notably on his guest roles on Scrubs. In his first appearance he used a folding pack camera (possibly a Model 450); and on his second appearance he used a Holga with a Polaroid back, a Japanese-only model. The book "Collector's Guide to Instant Cameras" has a dedication to Fraser.
Filmography
Audio book narration
- Dragon Rider (2004)
- Inkspell (2005)
References
- ^ a b c "Brendan Fraser's Looney Adventure". CBS. November 13, 2003. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
- ^ a b c d "2006 Inductees - Brendan Fraser". Canada's Walk of Fame. 2006. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
- ^ Beale, Lewis (November 1, 1998). "In The Know Brendan Up To Buff In 'Gods And Monsters'". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
- ^ a b c Lynch, Lorrie (October 26, 2003), In tune with himself, USA Weekend, retrieved 2007-12-27
- ^ "Brendan Fraser Biography (1968-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
- ^ Diamond, Jamie (June 21, 1992), UP AND COMING: Brendan Fraser; A Man Schooled for Success, New York Times, retrieved 2008-01-08
- ^ Halpern, Lisa (February 10, 2005), Fraser's Edge, Cornish College of the Arts, retrieved 2007-12-27
- ^ "Gods and Monsters Credits". Gods and Monsters Official site. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
- ^ "Albemarle - Archive". Albemarle-london.com. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
- ^ "Brendan Fraser and Wife to Divorce". The Insider. December 27, 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
- ^ "Mummy Star Brendan Fraser, Wife Split After Nine Years". US Magazine. December 27, 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
- ^ "BBC - Films - Brendan Fraser". BBC. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
- ^ "filmaid.org Newsletter". FilmAid International. 2006. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
External links
- Official web site
- Please use a more specific IMDb template. See the documentation for available templates.
- Articles with dead external links from August 2008
- 1968 births
- Living people
- Canadian Americans
- American film actors
- American television actors
- Canadian film actors
- Canadian television actors
- Canadian voice actors
- Actors from Indiana
- People from Indianapolis, Indiana
- People from Ottawa
- Upper Canada College alumni