Brendan Fraser: First image of actor as obese character in Hollywood comeback The Whale released

Film will be Fraser’s first leading role in nearly a decade

The first image of Brendan Fraser in his Hollywood comeback film The Whale has been released.

In the film, the former 1990s heartthrob plays a man who “lives with obesity”. To inhabit the role, Fraser underwent a significant physical transformation.

Darren Aronofsky, the filmmaker best known for Black Swan and The Wrestler, directs the film, which is an adaptation of Samuel D Hunter’s 2012 play The Whale.

In order to portray the character, Fraser employed the use of prosthetics. The first image can be seen below.

The film’s official synopsis reads: “A reclusive English teacher suffering from severe obesity attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.”

Fraser previously described the film as being “like something you haven’t seen before”.

Brendan Fraser in ‘The Whale' (A24)

The Whale will see Fraser tackle his first leading role in nearly a decade, following 2013’s straight-to-DVD thriller Breakout.

In 2018, Fraser alleged he had once been sexually assaulted by ex-HFPA president Philip Berk, who denied the claim.

He also spoke about how injuries from performing his own stunts, the resultant surgeries, as well as his divorce, contributed to him removing himself from the Hollywood limelight.

As well as his highly anticipated role in The Whale, Fraser will also feature in Martin Scorsese’s forthcoming drama The Killers of Flower Moon.

The Whale does not yet have a release date.