'90s Heartthrob Brendan Fraser Is Nearly Unrecognizable Today
Brendan Fraser dominated the Hollywood box office in the '90s and early '00s, from gems like "The Mummy" franchise and "George of the Jungle," to deeper cuts like "School Ties" and "Gods and Monsters." It seemed like everyone wanted a piece of the A-list hunk, until he disappeared from Hollywood for years before later returning in full force.
In November 2025, the father of three sat down with Vanity Fair to discuss his life's work. He's still just as charming as ever, but he looked noticeably different, like many of his fellow '90s heartthrobs. For starters, his hair is much shorter, ditching the middle part style that was popular in the '90s. He also has wrinkles on his forehead. Of course, that's a result of aging gracefully; he was born in 1968, after all.
However, his eyes are still prominent, and he gives off the most wholesome dad vibes. Where he truly looked unrecognizable was when he played a morbidly obese character in the 2022 drama, "The Whale." It took over three hours to turn Fraser into a 600-pound man, something Adrien Morot, the prosthetic makeup designer for the film, said was tricky because of Fraser's star power. "How do you do makeup that's non-distracting while obviously being respectful and has empathy and accuracy, and which people will forget after the initial shock of seeing Brendan Fraser in that state?" Morot asked Entertainment Weekly. Morot figured it out, though, because it wasn't difficult for audiences to forget it was Fraser playing the role.
He's going through a Brenaissance
Since Brendan Fraser returned to Hollywood, he's quickly proven he still has what it takes to be a star. In 2023, he won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Charlie in "The Whale." That same year, he co-starred with Leonardo DiCaprio in the period drama, "Killers of the Flower Moon," and was the lead in the 2025 dramedy, "Rental Family."
While on "The Graham Norton Show," in early 2023, he was asked about his "Brenaissance," a term his fans bestowed upon him, and joked that he wasn't behind that term, but it didn't bother him. "You can call me whatever you want, just as long as you're calling me," he said, presumably referring to roles. A couple months later, Fraser appeared on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," and admitted he was so grateful that people were praising him and recognizing his work.
More recently, Deadline announced that Fraser may be reprising his role in a fourth "Mummy" movie, a claim he seemingly all but confirmed during an interview on the "Happy Sad Confused" in November 2025. The Brenaissance continues to thrive.