{"id":9216,"date":"2023-01-24T09:50:58","date_gmt":"2023-01-24T14:50:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/?p=9216"},"modified":"2023-03-16T14:59:58","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T18:59:58","slug":"brendan-fraser-encourages-those-struggling-to-find-the-light-in-his-critics-choice-awards-acceptance-speech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2023\/01\/brendan-fraser-encourages-those-struggling-to-find-the-light-in-his-critics-choice-awards-acceptance-speech.html","title":{"rendered":"Brendan Fraser Encourages Those “Struggling to Find the Light” in His Critics Choice Awards Speech"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Joe Seer\/Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Actor Brendan Fraser, who recently made a comeback with his stellar performance in \u201cThe Whale,\u201d used his acceptance speech at the Critics Choice Awards to encourage anyone struggling to find \u201cthe light in a dark place.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the 28th annual Critics Choice Awards, Fraser won the Best Actor award for his role in \u201cThe Whale,\u201d a drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky. Fraser stars as Charlie, a 600-pound man nearing the end of his life who tries to build a relationship with his estranged daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink).<\/p>\n

\u201cThis movie, \u2018The Whale,\u2019 is about love. It\u2019s about redemption. It\u2019s about finding the light in a dark place, and I\u2019m so lucky to have worked with an ensemble that\u2019s incredible,\u201d Fraser said after accepting his award. \u201cIf you, like a guy like Charlie, who I played in this movie, in any way, struggle with obesity, or you just feel like you\u2019re in a dark sea, I want you to know that you, too, can have the strength to just get to your feet and go to the light, good things will happen,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The 54-year-old Canadian actor beat out Austin Butler (\u2018Elvis\u201d), Tom Cruise (\u201cTop Gun: Maverick\u201d), Colin Farrell (\u201cThe Banshees of Inisherin\u201d), Paul Mescal (\u201cAftersun\u201d) and Bill Nighy (\u201cLiving\u201d) for the Best Actor award.<\/p>\n

Fraser was once one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood throughout the \u201990s and 2000s, known for blockbuster hits including \u201cThe Mummy,\u201d \u201cSchool Ties,\u201d and \u201cEncino Man.\u201d However, he hadn\u2019t been seen on the big screen for several years until his 2022 performance in \u201cThe Whale.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his speech, Fraser thanked director Darren Aronofsky for giving him a chance to make a comeback after his lengthy hiatus from Hollywood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in the wilderness, and I probably should have left a trail of breadcrumbs, but you found me, and like all the best directors, you merely just showed me where to go to get me where I needed to be,\u201d Fraser said, his voice cracking.\u00a0The Critics Choice Awards aired on The CW with Chelsea Handler as the host. Other big winners of the night used their platform to honor God, including Angela Bassett, who won Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”<\/p>\n

After again\u00a0thanking God for the win, she shared her prayer for the film: \u201cWe showed the world that we could create and lead a billion-dollar box-office success. And my prayer is that that door remains open and the sky is the limit for other black creators and storytellers around the world to join us,” she said.<\/p>\n

The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 600 media critics and entertainment journalists. The Critics Choice Awards are held annually to honor the finest cinematic and television achievements.<\/p>\n

Other notable winners of the night included \u201cEverything Everywhere All At Once\u201d with Best Picture, Cate Blanchett for Best Actress for her role in \u201cT\u00e1r\u201d and Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert for Best Director for \u201cEverything Everywhere All at Once,\u201d and Guillermo del Toro\u2019s\u00a0\u201cPinocchio”\u00a0for Best Animated Feature.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Actor Brendan Fraser, who recently made a comeback with his stellar performance in \u201cThe Whale,\u201d used his acceptance speech at the Critics Choice Awards to encourage anyone struggling to find \u201cthe light in a dark place.\u201d At the 28th annual Critics Choice Awards, Fraser won the Best Actor award for his role in \u201cThe Whale,\u201d…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":657,"featured_media":9222,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[983,12,917],"tags":[1833,1836],"class_list":["post-9216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiring-events","category-inspiring-people","category-testimony","tag-brendan-fraser","tag-critics-choice-awards"],"yoast_head":"\nBrendan Fraser Encourages Those "Struggling to Find the Light" in His Critics Choice Awards Speech<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Actor 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