Brendan Fraser's 10 Greatest Performances
9. Airheads
Despite the fact that Fraser is an insanely funny man who regularly utilized his comedic chops, he rarely got the chance to appear in big ensemble comedies, which is why Airheads remains such a distinct film for him.
In it, he, Adam Sandler, and Steve Buscemi play a struggling rock band called the Lone Rangers who are desperately trying to make it big. Which, logically, leads to them holding an entire radio station at gunpoint with water guns in order to get their music played on the radio.
It's a ludicrous film full of absurdist comedy, goofy hijinks, and some surprisingly relevant critiques of the music industry at large, but seeing Fraser get to ham it up this much is a ton of fun. As band-leader, Chazz Darby, Fraser gets to rub shoulders with the likes of Sandler, Buscemi, and even the likes of Chris Farley. Yet he more than holds his own, prevailing as the scene-stealer of the entire film.
On top of this, he also delivers a stellar climactic monologue in which he reveals his character's real name is Chester and actively strips away all of the facades he's donned in an attempt to make the Lone Rangers work. It's a fascinating moment of character work from Fraser sandwiched in the midst of this ridiculous movie and it's wonderful.