There has been a lot made of Brendan Fraser’s career comeback, noted by his Oscar-winning performance in The Whale. But that movie never truly felt like it belonged to Fraser, the controversy surrounding it soon swallowing up much of the conversation. For me, Rental Family is the first film in ages that truly feels like it belongs to Fraser, and I can’t imagine any other actor starring in his place. It’s an emotional roller coaster; a sweet, sensitive, and surprisingly funny exploration of a Japanese culture in which renting actors to fill the holes in our lives is perfectly normal.
Fraser, looking like an American kaiju stomping through Japan, plays a struggling actor who stumbles into the rental family business, playing at first a “sad American” attending a mock funeral. As the roles he plays grow increasingly complex, he finds that it becomes harder to separate the fake emotions from the real ones.
This was my first time speaking to Fraser, although I’ve been a fan for longer than either of us would care to admit. He’s humble, kind, and eager to talk about his experiences with Rental Family, in particular, taking on a role that is so unique and allows for him to explore the full scope of what acting can be.
You can check out my interview with Brendan Fraser below, and my review of Rental Family here.
