What Dwayne Johnson Really Thinks About Brendan Fraser's Career Comeback

Brendan Fraser has been generating major buzz for his comeback performance in "The Whale." The film revolves around the relationship between a reclusive English teacher and his teenage daughter, who's played by "Stranger Things" star Sadie Sink. Fraser went through a dramatic physical transformation for the character, who weighs 600 pounds. He told Newsweek, "The wardrobe and costume was extensive, seamless, cumbersome."

Fans are delighted to see Fraser gracing the big screen once again. The actor has been candid about his past personal struggles, including his story of alleged sexual abuse. He also has been open about needing numerous surgeries after incurring multiple injuries from doing movie stunts. In a 2018 article for GQ, called "What Ever Happened to Brendan Fraser?," he revealed just how taxing filming was, saying, "By the time I did the third 'Mummy' picture in China, I was put together with tape and ice — just, like, really nerdy and fetishy about ice packs."

Though Fraser has had his share of challenges in Hollywood, he's still holding strong. And one former co-star is thrilled to see the beloved actor thriving.

On September 4, "The Whale" screened at the Venice International Film Festival. To say attendees enjoyed Brendan Fraser's performance would be an understatement, as he was met with an exuberant standing ovation. Following the premiere, Variety's co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh tweeted, "The standing ovation for #TheWhale was so enthusiastic, Brendan Fraser tried to leave the theater but the crowd's applause made him stay." And one star was quick to comment on Fraser's triumph. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who previously acted with Fraser, jumped in with some positive words for the actor. Johnson wrote, "Man this makes me so happy to see this beautiful ovation for Brendan. He supported me coming into his Mummy Returns franchise for my first ever role, which kicked off my Hollywood career. Rooting for all your success brother and congrats to my bud Darren Aronofsky."

Along with the tweet, Setoodeh shared a video of the emotional Fraser getting a big round of applause. According to NPR, the standing ovation lasted six minutes. The heartfelt clip of Fraser immediately went viral, receiving more than 15 million views in just a matter of days. The anticipation is building for "The Whale," which is set for a theatrical release on December 9.