Brendan Fraser was one of the biggest Hollywood stars during the late 90s and early 2000s. His charismatic personality and incredible acting skills landed him leading roles in a wide range of movies, such as The Mummy, Encino Man, Blast From the Past, and Gods and Monsters. With such a promising career, fans were shocked when this actor’s career took a turn for the worst.
By the late 2000s, Fraser only seemed to be cast in box-office flops in the following years. And he was even replaced in the sequels of movies such as George of the Jungle and The Mummy. And, while his career sunken, the actor was also going through some personal issues, including a messy divorce from Afton Smith. And things only got messier when the actor tried to renegotiate the amount he had to pay Smith for monthly child support.
Brendan Fraser Was One of Hollywood’s Most Popular Actors In the 90s and 2000s
Brendan Fraser’s first professional acting gig was a small role as an unnamed sailor in Dogfight (1991). But, a year later, the actor landed his first leading role in the comedy film Encino Man, where he played a defrosted pre-historic caveman who has to learn to adapt to the present day. Following the success of this cult classic, Fraser began landing roles in a wide range of movies and TV series, including School Ties (1992), With Honors (1994), and Fallen Angels (1995).
In 1997, Fraser got his first major box office success with Disney’s George of the Jungle, co-starring Leslie Mann. This beloved children’s film grossed out over $170 million at the box office worldwide. The following year, Fraser landed a role in Gods and Monsters, a movie based on the like of director James Whale. Although the movie only grossed $6 million at the box office, it received plenty of critical acclaim, as well as multiple award nominations.
In 1999, Fraser starred in The Mummy, another box office hit. The film was such a huge commercial success that Fraser and his costars, Rachel Weisz and John Hannah, reprised their roles for the following sequels, The Mummy Returns (2001) and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008).
Brendan Fraser’s Career Seemed To Came To An End Following A Scandal
Despite starring in numerous successful movies, by the late 2000s, Brendan Fraser’s career seemed to cool off. At this point, the actor only seemed to be cast in box office flops, such as Monkeybone, Dudley Do-Right, and Looney Tunes: Back in Action. In 2013, Fraser starred in Gimme Shelter, but after that, he completely disappeared from Hollywood.
It wasn’t until years later that fans would learn the real reason behind Fraser’s break from Hollywood. Turns out that the actor was sexually assaulted by the then-president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Phillip Berk. But when he tried to talk about the incident, Berk used his influence to blacklist Fraser from Hollywood.
Additionally, at the time, the actor had to deal with health issues caused by the stunts he did for movies like The Mummy and he was going through a rough divorce. “After that, Fraser explained that everything "withered on the vine for me. In my mind, at least, something had been taken away from me."
Fortunately for Fraser and his fans, the actor managed to make a comeback to Hollywood. In 2018, the actor managed to book a number of TV roles, including HBO's Doom Patrol. And most recently, he starred in the critically acclaimed movie, The Whale. His performance even earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role.
Brendan Fraser’s Divorce From Afton Smith Was Rather Complicated
Afton Smith, Brendan Fraser's ex-wife, used to be an actress. She appeared in movies such as Less Than Zero, Reality Bites, Fried Green Tomatoes, and even George of the Jungle.
However, the pair met at a barbecue at Winona Ryder's house in 1993. The pair were married for nine years. Until 2007, when Fraser’s publicist announced that the couple was getting a divorce. Fraser and Smith share three children: Griffin Arthur, Holden Fletcher, and Leland Francis.
Although Fraser’s publicist stated that the pair "continued to maintain a close and caring friendship,” back when they first announced their divorce, things got messy quickly. After two years of legal disputes, Fraser and Smith finally divorced in 2009.
At the time, the George of the Jungle actor agreed to pay his ex-wife $50,000 a month in spousal support. However, in 2013, Fraser sought to change this, given that he wasn’t landing enough roles to cover such expenses.
However, Smith accused the actor of hiding that he was set to make $9 million from movie deals. In response, Fraser denied her claims and stated he didn't have big money contracts on the horizon.
Years later, the actor would reveal that this was one of the hardest times of his life, leading to him losing most of his $45 million net worth.