Brendan Fraser Hoped He'd Be 'Unrecognizable' in 'The Whale' Transformation

For Brendan Fraser, one of the appeals of taking on the role of Charlie in Darren Aronofsky's The Whale was becoming unrecognizable onscreen.

The Mummy star has already received early Oscar buzz for his performance as a morbidly obese English teacher, who is trying to reconnect with his daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink) years after abandoning her and her mother for his male lover.

As well as being tipped for a Best Actor nod, the film received a six-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, where the film had its world premiere, which led to Fraser crying onstage.

Brendan Fraser Hoped He'd Be 'Unrecognizable' in 'The Whale' Transformation

In the film, Charlie weighs 600 pounds after having become obese from binge eating as a way to deal with his grief following his partner's death. Nearly at the end of his life, Charlie tries to find a way to make amends with Ellie.

To become the character, Fraser was required to wear a prosthetic body suit that saw him carrying from 50 to 300 extra pounds on set, and sometimes it became so "cumbersome" that he would need help to move around in between takes, according to Vanity Fair.

Speaking to the publication about the drama, Fraser reflected on taking the part and how he felt it presented an interesting challenge in his career.

"If there's no risk, then why bother? I want to learn from the people I'm working with at this point in my career," he told Vanity Fair. "I've had such variety, a lot of high highs and low lows, so what I'm keen for, in the second half of my time doing this, is to feel like I'm contributing to the craft and I'm learning from it."

"This is a prime opportunity," Fraser added. "I wanted to disappear into it. My hope was that I would become unrecognizable. I wanted to know what I was capable of."

The mechanics of the body suit, Fraser said, included a torso piece that he described as feeling "almost like a straight jacket" and sleeves that were made to look as close to real skin as possible.

Fraser even felt vertigo once the suit was removed, he explained, and it made him realize that "it takes an incredibly strong person inside that body to be that person."

The No Sudden Move star claimed that he wasn't sure if he'd get the chance to take on a role like Charlie again, and so he felt he had to give it his all. Given the acclaim he has already garnered ahead of the film's official release, it seems critics believe he has done so too.

In an interview with Newsweek, Fraser said of the prosthetic suit he uses in the film: "The wardrobe and costume was extensive, seamless, cumbersome.

"This is certainly far removed from anything I've ever done but not to be coy, I haven't seen any of it yet but I do know it's going to make a lasting impression."

The Whale is set to be released in theaters across the U.S. on December 9.