Brendan Fraser says 'cumbersome' fatsuit 'helped enormously' in The Whale

Brendan Fraser has told how the fatsuit he wore for The Whale was so "cumbersome" that it helped him get into character.

The actor, 54, donned prosthetics to play an obese teacher trying to reconnect with his teen daughter in the film, which has been a huge hit with audiences and is an awards season favourite.

Speaking on The Graham Norton Show, he said the role "was like nothing I had ever done before".

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"The prosthetic costume helped enormously because it was designed to obey physics and gravity," said Fraser.

"It was cumbersome and appropriately heavy which made the experience of playing the part a lot closer to what it would be like to live in the body of a man that size."

The star went on: "When the costume came off, I could still feel the undulation and I grew to appreciate how strong physically and emotionally a person of that size has to be.”

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Fraser — who has been acting in films since the early 90s — has already won a string of awards for the film, and was yesterday nominated for a Best Actor Bafta.

He is being tipped for success at the Oscars too with nominations to be announced next week.

During his interview on the talk show he was asked about the fact that people are calling his performance in The Whale his "Brenaissance".

Read more: Brendan Fraser transforms into 42-stone man for leading role in new movie The Whale

“They can call me whatever they want as long as they call me!” he quipped.

The Graham Norton Show is on BBC One on Friday 20th January at 10.40pm and is also available on BBC iPlayer.

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