Why Brendan Fraser Says He Has to 'Work a Little Bit Harder' Since Winning an Oscar (Exclusive) Kimberlee Speakman, Polly StrammOctober 31, 2025 at 2:18 AM 0 Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Brendan Fraser holding up his Oscar after his win. Brendan Fraser tells PEOPLE that he has had to "work a little bit harder" since winning an Oscar for Best Actor in 2023 He noted that he now pays "closer attention to finding material that's innovative" when choosing roles Fraser stars in his first leading role since The Whale in Rental Family, which premieres in theaters on Nov.
- - Why Brendan Fraser Says He Has to 'Work a Little Bit Harder' Since Winning an Oscar (Exclusive)
Kimberlee Speakman, Polly StrammOctober 31, 2025 at 2:18 AM
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Rodin Eckenroth/Getty
Brendan Fraser holding up his Oscar after his win. -
Brendan Fraser tells PEOPLE that he has had to "work a little bit harder" since winning an Oscar for Best Actor in 2023
He noted that he now pays "closer attention to finding material that's innovative" when choosing roles
Fraser stars in his first leading role since The Whale in Rental Family, which premieres in theaters on Nov. 21
Brendan Fraser isn't slacking off now that he has an Oscar.
The Mummy star, 56, tells PEOPLE that winning an Academy Award for Best Actor in 2023 has changed his approach to acting and made him more intentional about the roles he takes on.
"The thing that has changed is now I have to work a little bit harder," Frasier says at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
The actor, who is promoting his new film Rental Family, which is his first starring role since his Oscar-winning run in The Whale, noted that he has become particularly selective and strategic about the projects he pursues.
Cindy Ord/Getty
Brendan Fraser at the Savannah Film Festival
"I've got to feel like I still have a great deal to challenge me," Fraser explains.
"I have to pay closer attention to finding material that's innovative, new, interesting, unique, and diverse from whatever I did before so that I always feel like I'm learning something," he adds.
In his new film directed by Hikari, Fraser stars as an "American actor who struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese 'rental family' agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers," according to a synopsis.
"As he immerses himself in his clients' worlds, he begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality," the synopsis adds. "Confronting the moral complexities of his work, he rediscovers purpose, belonging and the quiet beauty of human connection."
The project represents a new chapter for Fraser, one that contrasts sharply with The Whale — a performance he described as the "most emotionally demanding" of any film he's ever taken on. It's a sentiment he touched on during his Oscars acceptance speech, in which he reflected on the ups and downs of his decades-long career.
"I started in this business 30 years ago, and things didn't come easily to me, but there was a facility that I didn't appreciate at the time until it stopped," he said. "And I just want to say thank you for this acknowledgment."
Kevin Winter/Getty Brendan Fraser accepts the Best Actor award for 'The Whale' during the Academy Awards in 2023.
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As of now, he's looking forward to the release of his new film, which Fraser revealed at the movie's TIFF premiere in September made him rethink the concept of family.
"This is a movie that I think is gonna satisfy everyone's need to feel like [they] belong somewhere in the world, even when they're at their lowest," he shared at the time. "And I know I'm not supposed to say it's a good movie, but it really is a good movie. Hikari is an incredible new director on the scene, and I have bragging rights to say, 'Well, I knew her when.' Just watch, in years to come."
Rental Family releases in theaters Nov. 21, 2025.
on People
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: October 30, 2025 at 11:00PM on Source: GL MAG
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