Brendan Fraser has made a notable comeback to Hollywood with his performance in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale. His performance received a standing ovation after the film’s premiere at the Venice International Film Festival. Now Fraser has received a nomination for the Golden Globes, which is the first in his three-decade career.
Before the nominations were announced, Fraser, 54, had said in an interview with GQ magazine that he would not be attending the Golden Globes ceremony even if he were nominated. His exact comments were, “I have more history with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association than I have respect for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association,” further adding, “It’s because of the history that I have with them. And my mother didn’t raise a hypocrite. You can call me a lot of things, but not that.”
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In 2018 , Fraser said that the was groped by longtime Hollywood Foreign Press Association member Philip Berk, a former president of the organization behind the Globes. Fraser said the incident took place at a Beverly Hills, California, luncheon in 2003. Berk, a member from South Africa, was expelled from the HFPA last year after calling Black Lives Matter “a racist hate movement.”
Last year’s Golden Globes were all but cancelled after the organization was plunged into scandal over ethical indiscretions and the revelation that the group then included no Black voting members. Many stars, publicists and studios said they were boycotting the Globes. Earlier this year, the HFPA, after reforms, said the 80th Golden Globes will be broadcast January 10 on NBC.
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Regarding the incident between him and Berk, Fraser had said, “His left hand reaches around, grabs my ass cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around”.
The HFPA later released a statement saying that Berk did touch Fraser inappropriately, but it was meant to be taken as a joke.
