Actor and all around stand-up guy, Brendan Fraser, is undergoing a career renaissance
Case in point-: Fraser left the internet chuckling after apologizing to the city of San Francisco for a stunt gone—even though it happened a full quarter-century ago. It's never too late to make amends!
The moment happened while talking to SFGate during Fraser's red carpet walk before a screening of his new film The Whale at the Mill Valley Film Festival in nearby Marin County, across the San Francisco Bay.
Fraser remembered an incident while filming George of the Jungle, one of his biggest roles in the 90s, that ruined lots of Bay Area residents' day back in 1997.
\u201cBrendan Fraser was in attendance at last night's screening of the new Darren Aronofsky film \u201cThe Whale\u201d at the Mill Valley Film Festival, and he had some words of apology for the city of San Francisco and the broader Bay Area. #MVFF45\nhttps://t.co/43AVbY1gGm\u201d— SFGATE (@SFGATE) 1665772733
In the film, Fraser had a stunt in which his character was dangling from the top of the Bay Bridge, which connects San Francisco to Oakland and the miles and miles of suburbs surrounding it.
But it seems nobody told the people of the Bay Area this was happening, and so you can probably imagine what ensued. Fraser (who misremembered the incident as having happened on the Golden Gate Bridge) told SFGate:
"I have almost an apology to make."
"When we were doing 'George of the Jungle,' George goes to rescue a parachutist tangled in the Golden Gate Bridge. That means Disney put a mannequin hanging by a parachute from the uprights."
"It brought traffic to a standstill on either side of the bridge."
Being that the Bay Bridge is the only drivable route between the Bay's two biggest cities, you can imagine the stir this caused. Fraser described watching the furor unfold on the news from his trailer that day.
"I had the TV on, and 'Oprah' got interrupted because there was a special news report with helicopters saying a parachute is dangling on the bridge."
"And I'm going — wait a minute, I'm looking at the helicopters and TV — somebody didn't pull a permit, somebody's going to get in trouble with the mayor's office. So I can only apologize for that."
Fraser told the story again later in the night while accepting an award, and the crowd was delighted.
\u201cWhile accepting the Tribute Award from the Mill Valley Film Festival, Brendan Fraser apologizes to Bay Area crowd for George of the Jungle shoot. #brendanfraser #mvff45 #thewhale #darrenaronofsky\u201d— DA in a scarf (@DA in a scarf) 1665776326
On Twitter, Fraser's anecdote only added to the tide of goodwill people have been feeling for the actor since The Whale began its film festival tour.
\u201c@Dannosphere @A24 @MVFilmFest He deserves the best of everything.\u201d— Dan Gentile (@Dan Gentile) 1665771365
\u201c@Dannosphere @A24 @MVFilmFest absolutely love this actor! I'm so happy he's back in the surge, I missed him terribly up until a couple years ago I started seeing him again in movies, they were small parts but watching Brendan again put a smile on my face. He's an awesome human\u201d— Dan Gentile (@Dan Gentile) 1665771365
\u201c@Dannosphere @A24 @MVFilmFest So funny, and I sincerely hope he gets among Oscar for The Whale!!\u201d— Dan Gentile (@Dan Gentile) 1665771365
\u201cNever have related to anything more than Brendan Fraser being presented with a lifetime achievement award and using his acceptance speech to apologize for something microscopic that happened decades ago\u201d— \u2728 Tara Wine-Queen Writes \u2728 (@\u2728 Tara Wine-Queen Writes \u2728) 1666023035
\u201cThe only thing Brendan Fraser needs to apologize for is not giving us more Brendan Fraser. Looney Tunes: Back in Action was my favorite film of all time growing up.\u201d— Alex Madore (@Alex Madore) 1666038943
\u201cI was about to be so mad like \u201cWho\u2019s making Brendan Fraser apologize?!\ud83d\udd2a\u201d, but all\u2019s good, it was just him being wonderful as always. \ud83d\udc96\ud83e\udd70\u201d— CooCooCoco (@CooCooCoco) 1666001676
\u201cThought he made a gaff or something but nope - just Brendan continuing to be the most precious human being on the planet. CARRY ON \ud83e\udd79\u201d— Coral Rivera \ud83d\udcab SHIFT is out now! (@Coral Rivera \ud83d\udcab SHIFT is out now!) 1666015040
\u201c@daina_scarf\u201d— DA in a scarf (@DA in a scarf) 1665776326
\u201c@daina_scarf Brendan Fraser is a national treasure \u2728\u201d— DA in a scarf (@DA in a scarf) 1665776326
\u201cBrendan Fraser\u2019s comeback has been so incredible that he actually apologized to the City of San Fran for a scene that was shot on the GG Bridge many years ago.\n\nBut for real, I want this guy to win at the Oscars for The Whale.\u201d— Shawn (Hawk) Hawkins (@Shawn (Hawk) Hawkins) 1666008140
Now if we can just get the people of the Bay Area to forgive him for mixing up the Bay and Golden Gate bridges, he'll be all set.