‘Makes Me So Happy’: Dwayne Johnson Praises Brendan Fraser’s Comeback in ‘The Whale’

Dwayne Johnson piled on the plaudits for Brendan Fraser after the latter received a six-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival on Sunday. The former wrestler, then known as “The Rock,” made his film debut opposite Fraser in the 2001 adventure film The Mummy Returns. Fraser has struggled with health issues, including multiple surgeries for injuries acquired during stunts, and depression in the last decade. His performance in The Whale, directed by Darren Aronofsky, has received praise from critics after debuting at the festival over the weekend. The movie has favorable scores of 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and 69 on Metacritic. “Man this makes me so happy to see this beautiful ovation for Brendan,” Johnson tweeted. “He supported me coming into his Mummy Returns franchise for my first ever role, which kicked off my Hollywood career. Rooting for all your success brother and congrats to my bud Darren Aronofsky.”