Criticism is an inevitable consequence for many actors and filmmakers. However, among the din, there are stories of resilience that deserve to be heard. One such story involves Oscar winner Brendan Fraser, whose performance in Martin Scorsese’s last month’s release, Killers of the Flower Moon, drew harsh online criticism.
Nevertheless, the Canadian-American actor has prevailed and gained the respect and admiration of none other than the legendary Goodfellas director. Fraser, who won the Academy Award for his critically acclaimed role in The Whale, received support from Scorsese in the fight against online trolls who were targeting the former for his work in Killers of the Flower Moon.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone are among the ensemble cast members of the acclaimed director’s latest movie, which hit theaters on October 20.
Brendan Fraser’s Killers of the Flower Moon Performance Is Getting Trolled Online
Killers of the Flower Moon is Brendan Fraser‘s first theatrical release since winning an Oscar for his performance in The Whale, which catapulted the actor back into the spotlight. Fans’ opinions of the movie’s many big stars are understandable given the performances of Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, and many others. However, viewers have been particularly critical of Fraser’s cameo in the movie, with some praising his performance and others criticizing him.
One said he was “over the top” with his performance:
He was over the top, but it’s not necessarily horrible.
— Beto Orellana (@betomex) November 2, 2023
While another shared that Fraser is “far from a bad actor” and that he enjoyed him in this film:
Really don’t get this recent narrative that Brendan is an awful actor.
I get it if you wanted Austin or Colin to win that Oscar last March.
But Brendan is far from a bad actor, and I really liked him in this movie.— Mark Gorrow (@MARKGOR26) November 3, 2023
Another person expressed a different opinion and added:
He was god awful
— Dan Town (@DanTown22) November 2, 2023
One person compared him to a “Yu-GI-Oh anime duelist”:
He did sound like a Yu-GI-Oh anime duelist, but he is a great actor for sure.
— jimmy.taylor (@PlayaTaylor) November 2, 2023
One viewer tried to claim that Fraser is “bad”, saying:
It’s ok Marty, he’s bad.
— Movie Mad Motto (@Rob_Motto) November 2, 2023
However, Brendan Fraser Earned Martin Scorsese’s Praise
In an interview with LADbible, Martin Scorsese, 80, defended Brendan Fraser’s role in Killers of the Flower Moon. The latter’s “perfect” performance was praised by the director, who defended him as “wonderful” and called the actor “great to work with.” To quote him:
“We thought he’d be great for the lawyer and I admired his work over the years. He actually came in for I think a couple of weeks on the picture, particularly when it was in our later shoot.. And had that girth, he’s big in the frame at that time. He’s a wonderful actor, and he was just great to work with.”
Fraser, for his part, said that working with the “brilliant” director had brought him great joy. He discussed working with Scorsese with Howard Stern back in February.
“He’s a master cinema creator. He was a regular actor’s director. He moved furniture around himself. He likes to rehearse. He took suggestions and gave credit to the best idea, wherever it came from. He’s brilliant. He can solve multiple problems at the same time in an instant. There were four cameras, quadruple coverage, to shoot a court room scene that’s happening in real time like an opera.”
There is no set date for Killers of the Flower Moon‘s Apple TV+ streaming release. It is Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio’s sixth feature film collaboration. The movie has made $88 million worldwide and won praise from critics.
Killers of the Flower Moon is currently available in theaters.
