Brendan Fraser reveals he lost Superman role over 'shenanigans and studio politics'
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Brendan Fraser fronted a superheroic Hollywood comeback ahead of his first Oscar nomination for his performance in The Whale, but he says he actually nearly played the role of a caped icon earlier in his career.
The 54-year-old actor reflected on the audition process for the part of the legendary DC Comics character Superman, in a project that was, at the time, being developed by J.J. Abrams.
"Everyone in town was reading for Superman. They were testing six or seven guys in 2002 or 2003," Fraser said in a recent interview with Howard Stern, recalling that the late Paul Walker was also up for the role. "Of course it's a life-changing, amazing opportunity, but I had to reconcile with, 'Okay, say you do get the job to be the Man of Steel. It's going to be chipped on your gravestone. Are you okay with that? You will forevermore be known as the Man of Steel.' There was a sort of Faustian bargain that went into [the] feeling, and I think inherently I didn't want to be known for only one thing, because I prided myself on diversity my whole professional life. I'm not a one-trick pony."
The Mummy actor went on to express disappointment over losing the chance to join the blockbuster series, though he says the reason he didn't get the part "had to do with shenanigans and studio politics, and, probably, inherently, in my screen test. I think that's why you test — they could kind of see I was only there like 98 percent instead."
Representatives for Abrams and Warner Bros. did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment.
John Sciulli/Getty Images; David James/Warner Bros. Brendan Fraser; 'Superman Returns' star Brandon Routh
Fraser has long been open about a turbulent period in his career. In a 2018 GQ profile, he accused former HFPA president Philip Berk of groping and assaulting him in 2003, an allegation Berk has denied. He later vowed not to attend the 2023 Golden Globes over the ordeal, even though he'd received a nomination for his performance as Charlie — a 600-pound recluse struggling to reconnect with his estranged daughter — in The Whale.
"I've kept myself busy. Careers go up and down on a valley-and-peak trajectory, but I believe that it's always in the ascendancy," Fraser told EW. "I've never been that far away, is the short answer. Was I away, or was everyone away from me? I'll give you the answer: It doesn't matter."
He continued, "What's important is that, either by design or accident, the amount of time it took for me to arrive at the place where I could faithfully play Charlie with the dignity, authenticity, and honesty that it demands may not have been at my disposal had I not gone on that journey."
Watch Fraser discuss his potential Superman role above.
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