Brendan Fraser Biography

Born on: December 3, 1968

Born in: Indianapolis, Indiana

Career: Actor

Nationality: Canadian-American

Brendan Fraser is one of the top notch actors of Hollywood. With a career spanning almost two decades now, Brendan Fraser has proved his might in all the genres of films, be it comedy, romance, drama, horror or even voicing for cartoon flicks. Right from the romantic lover-boy image to the action hero of the adventure horror flick, ‘The Mummy’, this Canadian-American actor has worked hard to give a variety to his audience. Acting has been an integral part of Fraser's career - right from theatre to the mainstream cinema and also silver screen. In 2006, he was introduced into Canada's Walk of Fame.

Childhood & Education

Born on December 3, 1968, Brendan Fraser was the fourth child of Carol and Peter Fraser, after Kevin, Regan, and Sean. While his mother was a sales counselor, his father, a former journalist, worked as a Canadian Foreign Service officer, for the Government Office of Tourism. Though he was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Fraser, along with his family, moved to a number of locations in his early years, such as Eureka, California, Seattle, Ottawa, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Initially, Fraser attended a private boarding school, Upper Canada College, in Toronto. It was during this time that, on a vacation in London, he attended his first professional theatrical performance at the West End. In 1990, he completed his graduation from Seattle's Cornish College of the Arts. Though Fraser had no plans of entering the world of glitz and glamour, it was only on his way to south that he decided to stay at Los Angeles and try his luck in the world of cinema, we know as Hollywood.

Career

Brendan Fraser’s film career started with a few cameo roles. It was only with the 1992-released ‘Encino Man’ that Fraser started as a mainstream actor. He bagged the role of the protagonist for the movie. In the same year, he was seen in 'School Ties', in which he shared the screen space with Ben Affleck and Chris O'Donnell. After establishing himself as an actor, Brendan tried his hand at comedy. 'Airheads', 'Blast from the Past', 'Bedazzled' and 'Monkeybone' are some of the well-known comic flicks that proved Fraser’s might as a full-on entertainer as well.

A proof of his versatility as an actor, Fraser’s career graphs proudly flaunts movies of different genres. Though he was a part of many good and successful films, he never shied from supporting roles. However, his first taste of mega success came with the horror flick, ‘The Mummy’ and its sequel ‘The Mummy Returns’, both of which were huge hits. They gave Fraser’s career the high every actor aims to achieve. Thereafter, he did a couple of voice-overs for cartoon movies like ‘George of the Jungle’ and ‘Dudley Do-Right’. He was also a part of the Oscar-Award winning movie ‘Crash’. Fraser has also made guest appearances on TV shows like 'Scrubs', 'King of the Hill' and 'The Simpsons'.

Other Interests

Apart from being an actor, Brendan is a gifted amateur photographer as well. He has been seen with Polaroid in movies and on TV shows as well. Another ability of Fraser is his mastery over French language. He also serves as one of the Board of Directors of FilmAid International

Personal Life

Fraser got married to actress Afton Smith and had three sons - Griffin Arthur Fraser, Holden Fletcher Fraser and Leland Francis Fraser. The marital bliss, however, did not last long. On December 27, 2007, Fraser's publicist announced that the couple had decided to divorce.

Awards

Nominations

1998: Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor/Actress - Family (George of the Jungle)

1999: Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actor (Gods and Monsters)

2000: Saturn Award for Best Actor (The Mummy)

2000: Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor - Action (The Mummy)

2001: Teen Choice Award Film - Choice Actor (The Mummy Returns)

2002: Blimp Award for Favorite Male Movie Star (The Mummy Returns)

2005: Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble Cast (Crash)

2008: National Movie Award for Best Performance - Male (The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor)

Awards

1997: Golden Space Needle Award for Best Actor (Still Breathing)