This Was Brendan Fraser’s Diet to Gain Weight to Play Charlie in ‘The Whale’

Although Brendan Fraser has been criticized for not being exactly like his character in ‘The Whale’, his performance not only marked his return to cinema, but was also loved by fans and critics alike.

Brendan Fraser has received everything from standing ovations to Academy Award recognition and it’s that all the effort the actor put into portraying Charlie was worth it.

During filming, Brendan Fraser had to carry a 300-pound prosthetic, spend many hours in the makeup chair, and also gain weight to get as physically close to the character as possible.

• Brendan Fraser also stars in movie “Risky robbery”, which you can watch for free and in Spanish on ViX.

Brendan Fraser’s Diet for 600 Pound Man in ‘The Whale’

While it’s common knowledge that Brendan Fraser had to resort to make-up, prosthetics and a so-called ‘fat suit’ to play Charlie, part of his transformation included gaining weight of course.

As reported by The Sun from June 2021, while the film was in pre-production, Fraser went on a diet to gain weight and get as close to the character as possible.

The effort was worth it, and as seen in photos from the time, Fraser gained about 66lbs (30kg), although it was clearly a far cry from the 600lbs (250kg) Charlie weighs in ‘The Whale’.

Makeup artist Adrien Morot and his team were used to complete the transformation, who fitted the actor with prosthetics and a special “fat suit”.

During filming, Brendan Fraser spent 5-6 hours in the make-up area, although the location workers gradually reduced the time to 2-3 hours.

The physical transformation into ‘The Whale’ for Brendan Fraser was very arduous

Speaking to “Newsweek” in June 2021, the actor confessed that the transformation was the furthest thing he had ever done before, and that using the prosthetics and acting in the costume was a time-consuming and painstaking process.

Playing someone who is obese, Fraser responded to criticism from some actors and said he always wanted his portrayal to be realistic and respectful.

The actor also revealed to “Entertainment Weekly” in December 2022 that although he was unable to gain weight to the point of reaching 600 pounds, his experience with weight changes helped him portray Charlie.

It’s not the first time he’s undergone a drastic body transformation, even Brendan Fraser’s ‘George of the Jungle’ diet caused him health problems as he had to look muscular and without an ounce of chiffon.

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