Brendan Fraser takes home Best Actor Oscar for The Whale

Brendan Fraser won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in The Whale at the Academy Awards on Sunday.

The 54-year-old triumphed over formidable competition including Austin Butler (Elvis), Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Paul Mescal (Aftersun) and Bill Nighy (Living).

Directed by Darren Aronofsky and adapted by Samuel D. Hunter from his own play, The Whale features Fraser in the role of a morbidly obese teacher.

Following his win, a visibly moved Fraser took to the stage and exclaimed, "So this is what the multiverse looks like!"

He went on to pay tribute to Aronofsky and Hunter, sharing, "I'm grateful to Darren Aronofsky for throwing me a creative lifeline and hauling me aboard the good ship The Whale. It was written by Samuel D. Hunter, who is our lighthouse."

Fraser, making his Hollywood comeback, concluded his speech by reflecting on his early days in the industry, explaining, "I started in this business 30 years ago. Things didn't come easily to me, but there was a facility I didn't appreciate at the time until it stopped."

He then expressed gratitude towards his girlfriend Jeanne Moore, calling her his "first mate", and his three sons.

During this awards season, Fraser has also won Best Actor at the Screen Actors Guild and Critics Choice Awards, among others.

The 2023 Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, took place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday.