Canadian-American actor whose starring role in The Whale (2022) earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor and acclaim as the first Canadian to win this category. Easily shifting between the genres of comedy, drama and adventure, Fraser has admitted that he has a preference for playing “fish-out-of-water” types.
The youngest of four sons born to a Canadian tourism official, Brendan’s family moved frequently when he was growing up. After living briefly in Holland, Switzerland, Great Britain, Italy, and the U.S., the family finally set up residence in Toronto, Canada where Brendan attended high school.
Having become interested in theater while living in London and reportedly a “victim” of the same wanderlust that drove his father to move so often, Fraser moved to Seattle, Washington where he entered the theater department of the Cornish College of the Arts. He pursued a degree in fine arts, specialized in physical performance, and found work at the Intiman Theater.
He eventually headed to Hollywood where he appeared in two made-for-TV movies before he was cast in a bit part in Dogfight (1991). After several years of supporting work, the versatile and charming Fraser began receiving offers for lead roles with true “star” salaries. In 1999, he filmed The Mummy, followed by Bedazzled (2000), and The Mummy Returns (2001).
On 27 September 1998, he married his girlfriend of four years, Afton Smith. Fraser has dual American-Canadian citizenship, speaks French fluently, and collects vintage Polaroid cameras. Their son Griffin was born in 2002 and on 16 August 2004, they welcomed their second son Holden Fletcher, born in Los Angeles. The actor and his wife of nine years announced the end of their marriage in early January 2008.
Link to Wikipedia biography