Here's Why Brendan Fraser Might Finally Win An Academy Award

During the '90s and early noughties, Brendan Fraser was all over the big screen. Movies such as "The Mummy" trilogy and "George of the Jungle" showed that he could be a leading man in popular blockbusters with an adventurous element. However, the actor's oeuvre has always been versatile, as evidenced by credits ranging from "Looney Tunes: Back in Action," to "Bedazzled" to the divisive Oscar-winning drama "Crash."

Unfortunately, Fraser took a step back from the limelight in the mid-2000s. The actor certainly didn't stop working, but movies such as "Journey to the End of the Night" and "Inkheart" didn't set the world on fire. He also played Elvis in the dark comedy "Pawn Shop Chronicles," which will go down in history as one of Fraser's most bizarre roles. 

It can be argued that the actor's popularity waned for a minute, but a comeback appears to be on the cards. A successful stint on television launched Fraser back into the spotlight, but his film career looks set to flourish once again thanks to Darren Aronofsky's "The Whale," which is already being tipped to earn Fraser his first-ever Academy Award.

While it's impossible to predict who will win an Academy Award until the night of the ceremony, the Toronto International Film Festival's TIFF Tribute Award has been a consistently strong indicator in recent years. Actors who have won or been nominated for the prize have found themselves on the subsequent Oscars' best actor lists, with recognition going to performers such Benedict Cumberbatch ("The Power of the Dog"), Jessica Chastain ("The Eyes of Tammy Faye"), Joaquin Phoenix ("Joker"), and Anthony Hopkins ("The Father").

According to Entertainment Weekly, Brendan Fraser is the latest recipient of the award for his performance in "The Whale." The movie sees the 53-year-old play a reclusive English teacher with an eating disorder, a role which has been described as being unlike anything he's done in the past.

It remains to be seen if "The Whale" will add an Academy Award to Fraser's list of career accolades, but the early response to his performance suggests that he'll be a firm favorite when the time comes.