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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Scarlett O'Toole

Inside Brendan Fraser's jaw-dropping transformation for comeback film The Whale

Brendan Fraser has been missing from the spotlight in recent years but is now making a sensational comeback after bagging his first leading role in almost a decade.

The actor — best known for being one of Hollywood's leading stars in hits such as The Mummy and George of the Jungle — has undergone a jaw-dropping physical transformation for his new film The Whale.

Nineties heartthrob Brendan, 53, plays Charlie in the upcoming blockbuster, a 600lb recluse hoping to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter. The two lost contact after he told her he was gay.

The movie will see Charlie battle an eating disorder following the death of his partner.

In a first look of the new film, Brendan looks almost unrecognisable. Gone are his chiselled abs and flowing hair, replaced with an almost bald head and a lot of extra weight.

Brendan looks very different in The Whale (A24/PLANET PHOTOS)

Brendan didn't rack up the calories for the new role. Instead, the star wore prosthetics in order to achieve the look. The first time Brendan saw his suit, he is said to have found it both beautiful and "arresting".

"The torso piece was almost like a straight jacket with sleeves that went on, airbrushed by hand, to look identical as would human skin," he told Vanity Fair.

He would wear anywhere from 50 to 300 pounds during filming, depending on the scene. His transformation would take between five and six hours in makeup each day.

He said the transformation for his new role was "extensive, seamless and cumbersome".

The actor is well-known for his role in The Mummy (Universal/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)

"It’s gonna be like something you haven’t seen before," Brendan told Unilad.

"That’s really all I can tell you. The wardrobe and costume was extensive, seamless, cumbersome. This is certainly far removed from anything I’ve ever done."

He also said the film will "make a lasting impression" on audiences.

Brendan has said he wanted to fully immerse himself in Charlie's character and become "unrecognisable".

"I wanted to know what I was capable of. If there’s no risk, then why bother?" he told Vanity Fair.

Brendan attended the Venice Film Festival earlier this week (Luca Carlino/NurPhoto/REX/Shutterstock)
He looked so different back in the day (AFP/Getty Images)

"I want to learn from the people I’m working with at this point in my career.

"I’ve had such variety, a lot of high highs and low lows, so what I’m keen for, in the second half of my time doing this, is to feel like I’m contributing to the craft and I’m learning from it. This is a prime opportunity.

"I wanted to disappear into it. My hope was that I would become unrecognizable."

The Whale, which recently premiered at the Venice Film Festival, also features the likes of Stranger Things star Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Samantha Morton and Ty Simpkins.

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