Oscar Winning Actor’s Cornish Roots

From goofy comedies to leading a hit action franchise to deeply dramatic roles including one that resulted in an Academy Award, Brendan Fraser has had a varied but unquestionably successful acting career.

Some may recognize Fraser, a 1990 Cornish College of the Arts graduate, from his early comedies like Encino Man and George of the Jungle. Others may know his as Rick O’Connell, hero of the smash Mummy trilogy. And others may think of Fraser from his dramatic roles in movies such as Crash and The Whale, the latter for which he won the 2022 Academy Award for Best Actor.

But regardless of the role, there’s no question Fraser is one of the most notable working actors with ties to Seattle.

His connection to the Emerald City predates his time at Cornish, though. Born in Indianapolis, Fraser’s family moved frequently, including time in the Puget Sound area where he attended Bellevue’s Sacred Heart School. After high school he made his way to Cornish. In 1997, when Fraser visited a class of Cornish students, he described the school as “unique.”

“The education you’re getting here exceeds that of most master’s programs,” Fraser told the students.

His first Hollywood break came in the 1992 comedy Encino Man, the same year he also starred with fellow up-and-comers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in School Ties. A series of comedy roles followed, including the lead role in 1997’s George of the Jungle, which debuted at No. 2 at the box office and earned almost $175 million. That was followed by a critically acclaimed role in Gods and Monsters, then the first of three Mummy movies, which established him as one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. The first Mummy debuted at No. 1 and earned $418 million worldwide while the sequel was also No. 1, earning $435 million.

In 2004, Fraser was part of the star-studded ensemble of Crash, which won Best Picture at the Oscars. Much of the 2010s saw Fraser appear more often on TV, including superhero shows Titans and Doom Patrol, leading up to his award-winning performance in The Whale, where he became the first Canadian actor to win Best Actor. Most recently he appeared in Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-nominated Killers of the Flower Moon.

In all, Fraser has appeared in 58 films, 18 TV programs including Scrubs and The Simpsons and on stage three times, including a West End production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

When visiting the Cornish class in 1997, he said he carries lessons learned in school into his professional life, including how to take direction, stay calm under pressure and perform a scene as if it’s the first and last time you’ll ever do it.

“There are times when something I learned at Cornish is the key thing that gets me through the day,” he said.