Brendan Fraser praises Matt Damon for helping him get his big break in School Ties : 'I have him to thank for that'
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The school ties are still strong for Brendan Fraser and Matt Damon.
Fraser, who's in the thick of the awards circuit for his starring role in the Darren Aronofsky drama The Whale, recently credited Damon with helping him land his first leading role in 1992.
"When I did my screen test for School Ties with Matt Damon, I was pretty fresh out of the academy. And it was a test, you know?" Fraser said in a recent interview with IMDb. "You're challenged for a reason, to see if you have a place in this world, in this medium, in this format."
Fraser, 54, said he matched pitch with Damon, 52, during the screen test, and that's what won him the part.
"I just knew inherently, not copy him, but run alongside, shoulder to shoulder," Fraser said. "I think it worked. I got the job, so I have him to thank for that."
School Ties tells the story of David (Fraser), a 17-year-old Jewish boy from a working-class family in the 1950s who lands a scholarship to an elite prep school, where he's bullied by Charlie (Damon) and other students, including Ben Affleck, Chris O'Donnell, Anthony Rapp, and Cole Hauser.
Everett Collection Matt Damon and Brendan Fraser in 'School Ties'
That same year, Fraser starred in Encino Man, then went on to appear in a string of films that ranged from silly (George of the Jungle, Airheads, Son in Law) to awards-bait dramas (Gods and Monsters, Crash, The Quiet American) to action-adventure (The Mummy franchise).
In 2018, Fraser alleged in a GQ profile that Philip Berk, a former Hollywood Foreign Press Association president and member of the group, groped and assaulted him in 2003, though Berk has denied the allegation.
Fraser is now a Golden Globe nominee for The Whale, in which he plays a 600-pound gay professor struggling to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Sadie Sink). But he doesn't plan to attend the HFPA ceremony.
"I have more history with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association than I have respect for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. No, I will not participate," Fraser told GQ. "My mother didn't raise a hypocrite. You can call me a lot of things, but not that."
Despite accusations of fatphobia, The Whale is already feeling the awards show love, with Fraser receiving acting honors from the Toronto International Film Festival and the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. He's also a leading contender for a Best Actor Oscar nomination.
Fraser recently celebrated the holidays while raising money for The Ed Asner Family Center with a charity table read of the 1946 film It's A Wonderful Life. Fraser read the role of George Bailey alongside Christina Applegate, Ken Jeong, Fred Armisen, and Jean Smart.
The Whale is now playing in select theaters. Watch EW's Awardist interview with Fraser above, and catch the full list of 2023 Golden Globe nominations here.
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