Golden Globes nominate Brendan Fraser after The Whale star said he won't attend ceremony
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Brendan Fraser has been nominated for Best Actor at the 2023 Golden Globes, despite The Whale star pledging to skip the upcoming ceremony after he previously accused one of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's former presidents of sexual assault.
The actor, who was nominated for Best Actor in a Drama for his portrayal of a 600-pound gay professor struggling to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Sadie Sink) in director Darren Aronofsky's Oscar-buzzed drama, said in a November GQ cover story that he had no intention to participate with the Globes.
"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 the publication. "It's because of the history that I have with them," he continued. "And my mother didn't raise a hypocrite. You can call me a lot of things, but not that."
Karwai Tang/WireImage; Frazer Harrison/Getty Brendan Fraser
In a 2018 profile, Fraser alleged that Philip Berk, a former HFPA president and member of the group, groped and assaulted him in 2003, though Berk has denied the allegation.
The HFPA later issued a statement that partially read, "The HFPA stands firmly against sexual harassment and the type of behavior described in this article."
Fraser said that the HFPA told him they would investigate, though they ultimately proposed a joint statement that the actor refused to sign, after recalling that it said: "Although it was concluded that Mr. Berk inappropriately touched Mr. Fraser, the evidence supports that it was intended to be taken as a joke and not as a sexual advance."
In addition to Fraser's allegation, the HFPA navigated another controversy when, in February 2021, the Los Angeles Times published an exposé that indicated there were no Black members among the HFPA's 87-member votership. The group faced intense backlash from Hollywood professionals, including director Ava DuVernay, actress Scarlett Johansson, and actor Tom Cruise, who returned his three Golden Globe statuettes in protest. NBC later declared it wouldn't air the telecast in 2022, while a band of 102 Hollywood publicity firms issued a joint statement pledging not to working with the HFPA until it took action for equity. NBC eventually recommitted to airing a 2023 ceremony, to be hosted by comedian Jerrod Carmichael.
A24 Brendan Fraser makes an emotional comeback in 'The Whale'
Though he has vowed not to attend the upcoming Globes, Fraser is still a top contender for the Best Actor Oscar, having won equivalent prizes at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
The Whale is now playing in select theaters. Watch EW's Awardist interview with Fraser above, and see the full list of 2023 Golden Globe nominations.
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