'The Whale' star Brendan Fraser claims best actor at the Oscars

Fraser was already touted as an Oscar contender when Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller premiered at last summer’s Venice Film Festival. The film was adapted from Samuel Hunter's 2012 play of the same name.

The role marked his return to the big screen as a leading man after a nine-year absence from major roles. Once the star of big releases like “George of the Jungle” and the action-packed “Mummy” trilogy, Fraser had largely retreated from the limelight in part due to injuries sustained from doing stunts.

The 54-year-old actor took on a new set of physical challenges for “The Whale.” He wore a heavy bodysuit, prosthetics and makeup, which could take up to six hours to apply, to embody the story's obese hero, Charlie. The result left him barely able to walk in his character's cramped home.

"I needed to learn to absolutely move in a new way. I developed muscles I did not know I had," the American-Canadian actor told reporters in Venice in September, saying that it was the most challenging part of his career.

The film drew criticism from some reviewers who said its depiction of Charlie relied on tropes of depressed, obese people. Some spoke out against its use of prosthetics rather than casting an obese actor.