Brendan Fraser is receiving rave reiews and multiple nominations for his role in The Whale. But it almost didn’t happen that way. James Corden told Deadline he was initially offered the role when Tom Ford was the director.
However, Ford dropped out, and the studio went a different way with Darren Aronofsky as the director. But not before George Clooney wanted to produce it with an unknown 600-pound man playing the lead.
All of that had to happen for Fraser to star in the film that is being critically acclaimed because of his performance.
I have not seen the movie, but I did see the play. And there is no way in hell that Corden could’ve done that role. He thinks he was too young, but I say it is because he is not a strong enough actor to win us over as a 600-pound man who just wants to connect with his troubled teenage daughter before he dies.
Sometimes Hollywood gets it right. And this time, they almost got it very wrong. Corden needs to stick to musicals. Oh, wait, no, he doesn’t. He needs to stick to hosting late night TV. Oh, wait, that is coming to an end. He needs to go back to Britain because they gave us Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Fair is fair.
