Brendan Fraser's 10 Greatest Performances
2. George Of The Jungle
We've spoken a great deal about both Fraser's remarkable gift for physical expression in his acting and the endearingly genuine sincerity that so wonderfully allows him to sell the kind of man-out-of-time role he often excelled in. No role in the entirety of Fraser's career exemplifies these traits quite as well as his performance in George of the Jungle.
In this film, Fraser legitimately feels like a man-out-of-time. Not his character, but Brendan Fraser himself, because the comedic acting chops on display here are reminiscent more of the silent greats such as Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin than they are of any of Fraser's contemporaries. As George, Fraser is continuously tasked with insane physical antics and gags to run through and he knocks every single one of them out of the park, every single time.
George of the Jungle is a bit of a cult comedy classic and the only reason this thing works even half as well as it does is because of Fraser. He gives a performance that is incredibly affecting both in its broad comedy overtones and its pathos-filled undertones.
It is an acting masterclass and he does it wearing nothing but a loin cloth.