“I thought I was going to fucking die” Brenden Fraser discussed the battle with COVID that almost lost him the role of The Whale

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Brendan Fraser’s role in The whale finally gives the acclaimed actor the recognition he has long deserved.

The upcoming film stars Fraser in the title role as a 600-pound man trying to mend his relationship with his estranged teenage daughter. Fraser’s performance in the role is already garnering critical acclaim, although the film’s release date is almost a month away. However, according to a recent GQ interview with the 53-year-old, he almost missed his chance at a redemption arc thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fraser explained in the interview that he contracted COVID in the early days of the pandemic and shortly thereafter secured the role of Charlie in the Darren Aronofsky-directed film. Shortly after receiving confirmation of his casting and just days before filming began, Fraser came down with a vicious bout of COVID. He contracted the virus in the days before vaccines became widely available and as a result suffered brutal symptoms.

The combination of poor timing and debilitating symptoms led Fraser to believe his casting in The whale was doomed before it could begin.

“I thought I was going to lose my job,” he said, before noting that he thought he “was going to fucking die too.” Noting his familiarity with production companies and the casting process, Fraser expressed his initial certainty that the “Bonding Company” would back down out of concern about the timing of his illness or Fraser would “fail an insurance check” for the part lose another actor.

Thankfully, Fraser didn’t miss out on the role and instead delivered a career-defining performance in the upcoming adaptation. Unfortunately, he spent days mourning the loss of a role he had so desperately wanted and reflecting on the series of career disappointments he’d endured over the years. According to GQ, he has made peace with losing his role The whaleonly to find out later that he hadn’t been removed from the cast.

Now audiences will get the chance to experience Fraser in all its long-delayed glory, if The whale hits theaters on December 9th. The film is already sparking Oscar rumors, with Fraser’s stunning performance making it a clear Oscar contender.