The world premiere of ‘The Whale” happened this labor day weekend at the Venice Film festival. Brendan Fraiser makes his Hollywood return with a standing ovation that left the actor in tears. Fraser plays a 600-pound gay man trapped in a wheelchair. Frasier was given a six-minute standing ovation that left him in tears. His performance in the director’s Darren Aronofsky drama film ‘The Whale‘ now makes him a candidate for best actor at the Oscars.

Inside the premiere were three familiar faces that were Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Nick Kroll, and Hillary Clinton staffer Huma, Abedin who sat behind Fraser. Many people were breaking out into tears to see Frasier’s performance in the film. Frasier was well known for his performance in Mummy in the late 90s and early 2000’s when he played Rick O’Connell. But after his long Hiatus, the popular 90s actor returned this weekend with his biggest comeback.

Fraser went to Aronofsky to hug him for the opportunity to come back to Hollywood. Fraser stars as a man struggling with his obesity and his disconnection from his 17-year-old daughter played by “Strange Things star Sadie Sink. The supporting cast includes Hong Chau, Samantha Morton, and Ty Simpkins. The Whale is based on a stage script by Samuel D. Hunter.

Fraser told journalists at Venice his experience wearing a prosthetic suit that added 50 to 300 pounds. “I developed muscles I did not know I had. I even felt a sense of vertigo at the end of the day when all the appliances were removed: it was like stepping off the dock onto a boat in Venice. That undulating. It gave me an appreciation for those bodies that are similar. You need to be an incredibly strong person, mentally and physically, to inhabit that physical being.”

See The Whale today