Hollywood veteran Brendan Fraser has opened up about the enduring difficulties of securing work in the film industry, even after his acclaimed, Oscar-winning comeback in The Whale. The 57-year-old actor, currently promoting his poignant new movie Rental Family, set and shot in Tokyo, described the current climate as "tricky" for getting projects financed.
From Global Childhood to Tokyo's Streets
Fraser, whose father was a foreign tourism official, spent a peripatetic childhood moving between countries like the Netherlands and Switzerland every few years. He credits this upbringing with giving him a deep sense of personal security. "What it did do is just allow me a sense of personal security, to feel comfortable no matter where I was, in my own skin," he reflected during an interview in a London hotel.
That resilience served him well during the four-month shoot for Rental Family in Tokyo, an experience he calls life-changing. He was profoundly touched by Japanese culture, from the polite custom of watching a friend depart until they are out of sight, to the exceptional food. "When I came home, I felt like we don't know how to eat. You can’t get a bad meal in Japan," he enthused, even recommending the humble egg sandwich from a 7-Eleven.
A Bittersweet Love Letter to Loneliness
The film, directed by Hikari (known for Beef), acts as a companion piece to Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation. Fraser plays Phillip, an out-of-work American actor in Japan who takes a job with a company that provides rental family members. The service, based on real businesses in Japan, caters to a society where official statistics note that 40% of people have admitted to feelings of loneliness.
"I think it really shows about how disconnected people are. Sometimes, all we need is somebody to look us in the eye and remind that we exist," said Hikari. She sees the theme as universal, not confined to Japan. Fraser's performance is gentle and nuanced, with moments of comedy, such as when Phillip stars in a bizarre Japanese TV commercial as a plaque-fighting superhero.
The Fragile Nature of Hollywood Success
When asked what his Oscar-winning role in The Whale did for his career, Fraser answered bluntly: "It got me hired to make the film Rental Family!" He elaborated on the industry's precarious state. "Getting projects financed these days is tricky. The industry is in a strange place, caught between worlds of 'Are we consumers of pop culture who only look at screens? Or do we actually make the effort to go back to the theatres?'"
Hikari knew she had found her Phillip after seeing Fraser at a Q&A for The Whale. "He’s got a naiveness to him. He’s so kind, he’s so warm. He is who he is as a human being," she said. Their first meeting over coffee lasted for hours as they bonded over art books.
Fraser, who will next be seen playing President Dwight Eisenhower in the D-Day drama Pressure, holds Rental Family in high esteem. "Hikari directed a film that is a love letter to Tokyo," he said, "and it’s addressed to loneliness anywhere. And she signed it with a cherry blossom kiss."
Rental Family is now showing in UK cinemas from January 16.
