Brendan Fraser will receive the American Riviera Award at the 38th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
The 53-year-old actor, whose critically-acclaimed role in Darren Aronofsky‘s upcoming psychological drama “The Whale” is sparking best actor Oscar buzz, will be honored on Feb. 14, 2023, at the Arlington Theatre in Santa Barbara, California, the festival announced on Tuesday.
Ahead of receiving the award, Fraser is set to participate in an in-person retrospective conversation about his career.
“I’m so elated that we will be celebrating Brendan Fraser at SBIFF. Here’s a performer who has brought us so much joy through the years, given us so many incredible cinematic memories, and now delivered the best performance of his career,” the festival’s executive director Roger Durling said in a statement.
BRENDAN FRASER TRANSFORMS INTO 600LB RECLUSE FOR NEW MOVIE ‘THE WHALE’
He continued, “We are thrilled to honor him.”
The American Riviera Award recognized actors who “have made a significant contribution to American cinema.”
Past recipients include Kristen Stewart Renée Zellweger, Viggo Mortensen, Sam Rockwell, Jeff Bridges, Michael Keaton, and Patricia Arquette. The film festival will be held from Feb. 8-18, 2023.
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Fraser rose to fame after starring in a series of box office hits in the 1990s and early 2000s including “George of the Jungle” and “The Mummy” franchise.
However, he has mostly stayed out of the spotlight in recent years as he dealt with personal issues and underwent several surgeries.
But the Canada native has mounted a major career comeback with his performance in “The Whale,” in which he plays a morbidly obese English teacher who attempts to reconcile with his estranged daughter (Sadie Sink).
Fraser was moved to tears after the film received a six-minute standing ovation when it premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival in September.
The actor went on to receive the TIFF Tribute Award for Performance at the Toronto International Film Festival later that month.
“The Whale” will be released in theaters on Dec. 9.
