Canadian actor Brendan Fraser at the 79 Venice International Film Festival 2022.  Red carpet The Whale e Filming Italy Best Movie Achievement Award. Venezia (Italia), September 4th, 2022 (Photo by Rocco Spaziani/Archivio Spaziani/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
Movies - TV
Brendan Fraser Will Boycott The Golden Globes If He's Nominated For The Whale
By ERIN BRADY
Frankly, it seems as though Hollywood has just placed a bandaid over rampant sexual assault issues in the industry rather than actually getting to the root of the problems at hand. Brendan Fraser seems to agree, at least, according to a new profile from GQ.
While he appreciates the critical praise he's been receiving for his performance in "The Whale," he’s still grappling with how former Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Philip Berk allegedly groped him at a 2003 luncheon.
This assault played a factor in his hiatus from Hollywood, and even if he’s nominated for Best Actor, Fraser will not be attending the Golden Globes ceremony. As he explained, "It's because of the history that I have with them and my mother didn't raise a hypocrite. You can call me a lot of things, but not that."
Fraser's statement shows a sexual assault survivor's courage in disallowing abusive systems to get away with their complacency, and highlights the influence he has in this upcoming awards season. It's uncertain if others involved in the movie will follow his lead, but it’s clear that he won’t be going anywhere after the critical success of "The Whale," despite what the HFPA may respond with.