Brendan Fraser responds to critics who accuse ‘The Whale’ of having a fat phobia: ‘At least people are talking about it’

One of the most talked about films of 2022 and this awards season was The whale hero Brandan Fraser. While the film received many award nominations, including a Best Actor nomination for the star, it faced some criticism, with some calling the film “phobic.” Brendan, 54, addressed the concerns, though he said he was glad he sparked an argument, during an interview on Intuition Monday 6 March. “At least people are talking about it,” she said. “I’m thankful for that.”

When asked about critics calling the film insensitive, Brendan took a long break, saying he believed the film did more to publicize obesity than harm it. “A lot of the plot – personal opinion – feels a bit selfish in some way. I don’t know if this argument speaks for everyone affected by the disease of obesity, and I’d like to think we’ve taken more steps to alleviate the problem than dividing and separating another,” he said.

At the beginning of the interview, Brendan also said that many people have been inspired to seek help after watching The whale, and that was better than the prizes. “Watching this film and knowing that the number of people who have asked for help who otherwise wouldn’t have had the courage to do so has increased dramatically since last December when the film came out,” she said. “In many ways this feels like a victory to me.

co-host Sarah Haines she also said the actor had worked with the Obesity Action Coalition and had spoken to people living with severe obesity, likewise saying he was happy to strike up a conversation. “These are people who deserve our empathy, and these are people who have thoughts and feelings, and this is a story that’s behind closed doors everywhere,” he said. “If you accept the invitation to watch this film without prejudice, you will be presented with stories and questions to challenge some previous beliefs.”

Brendan has been praised for his portrayal of a lonely teacher living with obesity in the Darren Aronofskydirect image. In addition to being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, he won a Critics Choice Award and a SAG Award for his portrayal of him.

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