Helen Mirren Says She Cried in a Restaurant Watching Brendan Fraser Win Oscar: 'He's a Magical Man'
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Araya Doheny/WireImage, Getty Images
Helen Mirren admits to getting emotional while watching Brendan Fraser win his first Academy Award.
The actor, 54, took home Best Actor at the 2023 Oscars for his performance in 2022's The Whale.
Mirren discussed her former Inkheart costar's big moment during an interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Friday.
"I did watch it. I was in a restaurant actually," Mirren, 77, told host Kelly Clarkson who asked if she tuned in on Sunday for the awards show. "I cried when Brendan Fraser got the award. I cried," she shared.
"He's such a lovely person," she added, acknowledging that Clarkson, 40, has had Fraser on her show. "I'm sure you know what a beautiful man he is. He's a magical man — he was clearly very very moved it was a huge moment for him," she continued. "It was the right person for me — the way he responded to it, I just found it very moving. It was the highlight for me out of the whole show."
RELATED: A Timeline of Brendan Fraser's Career and Comeback
Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty
On Sunday, Fraser beat out Austin Butler (Elvis), Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Paul Mescal (Aftersun) and Bill Nighy (Living). He began his speech with a quip: "So this is what the multiverse looks like."
Fraser was visibly tearful and overwhelmed throughout his speech, thanking those who got him to the stage at Los Angeles's Dolby Theatre.
"My goodness, I thank the Academy for this honor and for our studio A24 for making such a bold film. I'm grateful to [director] Darren Aronofsky for throwing me a creative lifeline and hauling me aboard the good ship The Whale," he said. "It was written by Samuel D. Hunter, who is our lighthouse."
Speaking to his fellow nominees, Fraser acknowledged how they "laid [their] whale-sized hearts bare so that we can see into your souls like no one else could do." He also called it his "honor" to be nominated alongside them. He then gave a special shout-out to one of his costars before continuing on, saying, "Only whales can swim at the depth of the talent of Hong Chau."
"Thank you again, each one and all. I'm so grateful to you," he said after thanking the rest of his cast. "Goodnight."
RELATED: Helen Mirren Broke Her Finger Filming 'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' : 'I Was Incredibly Brave'
Fraser's fan Mirren, outside of showing how grateful and proud she is for her friend, has been out doing the rounds promoting her new film Shazam! Fury of the Gods, which opened in theaters Friday.
In the DC Comics flick, Mirren plays Hespera, the daughter of Atlas, who — alongside her demigod sister, Kalypso (Lucy Liu) — tries to take back the god-gifted powers Shazam boasts.
The actress revealed that she chose not to use a stunt double for a few scenes for the upcoming superhero sequel to 2019's Shazam! — though not all of them went smoothly.
"I did some of my own stunts, but I broke my finger," Mirren said during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show last month. "I was incredibly brave and didn't say anything or complain because I wanted to be a real 'stunty' person."
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Getting extra points for her coolness on Clarkson's show Friday, which happened to be St. Patrick's Day, the English Dame participated in a drinking game called "Damed If You Do" with fellow guest Adam Brody. In the "Never Have I Ever"-style game, they drank green beer to signify if the statements were true.
When asked by Clarkson if they've ever gone skinny-dipping, Mirren hesitated for a bit until Brody asked whether it had to have been a public place or in private. "Oh in that case," Mirren said as she sipped the green beer amid cheers from the audience.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods opens in theaters March 17.
