Brendan Fraser needed 5 ice bags daily to cool him in ‘The Whale’ suit

Los Angeles, Dec. 11 (IANS): Brendan Fraser’s transformation in ‘The Whale’ is part of one of the most talked-about performances of the year.

In the Darren Aronofsky-helmed film, Fraser plays Charlie, a house-bound 272 kg English teacher who teaches students virtually with his camera blacked out. He’s also working to salvage his relationship with his estranged daughter, played by Sadie Sink, reports Variety.

Fraser gained some weight for the role, but prosthetics makeup designer Adrien Morot was tasked with transforming the actor much more dramatically. Morot relied on 3D printing technological advancements to print the suit.

According to Variety, the application process eventually whittled down to four hours. For the latest Creative Collaborators, Fraser and Morot discuss their collaboration and how ice bags and a racecar driver cooling suit system kept the actor cool during the intense shoot.

Talking about the cooling system for the suit, Adrien said, quoted by Variety: “It’s those big bags you get at gas stations. I think we went through four or five per day.” Recollecting how the film started, Fraser said: “It started in the early winter of 2021. With a test that took six hours to get into. I had to get the tactile experience of actually wearing the gear. I had to learn how to ambulate because Charlie’s mobility is limited. It informed us a great deal about what was possible, what would work and what wasn’t working.”