Darren Aronofsky Had 'No Idea' About The 'Deep Love' Fans Have For Brendan Fraser Before Casting Him In The Whale [Exclusive]

Brendan Fraser is back in a big way thanks to Darren Aronofsky's latest feature "The Whale," in which the beloved actor makes an undeniably inspired turn in as the film's 600-pound leading man. We've missed him for many years now, since he completely disappeared from Hollywood in 2014. In an exclusive interview with /Film's own Ryan Scott, Aronofsky revealed that he wasn't actually aware of Fraser's vast fanbase before casting him in the role of Charlie in his adaptation of the Samuel D. Hunter play.

"I've said this in front of Brendan. I had no idea about the Brenaissance [laughs] or any of the deep, deep love for the human being that he is," Aronofsky explained. "I think I was a little older than the generation that watched those big '90s movies, so I missed a lot of them." The filmmaker, who is perhaps best known for directing "Requiem for a Dream" and "Black Swan," also noted that the Fraser dramas that he'd missed out on ahead of the dawn of the millennium were the missing pieces that reshaped his view on the actor — and eventually what made him sat down with the former "The Mummy" heartthrob.

"I hadn't seen any of the dramatic work," Aronofsky continued. "I still haven't seen 'Gods and Monsters.' I did watch 'School Ties' while we were in post. It's like, 'Whoa. What the? Matt Damon in a supporting role? The world is insane!' But he fit the bill. When I saw him in that trailer, a light bulb went off. I was like, 'I've got to meet him,' because I had been thinking for years and years who could do it."

Fraser's career had been rocky since his work in the "The Mummy" franchise, but he managed to continue working through the 2010s, even if the roles weren't always deserving of him. Aronofsky wasn't necessarily positioning himself to help Fraser return to screen in a role that he could do something extraordinary with, but he had seen a lot of other folks give the role a try already. Fraser had something they didn't, and it clearly had been bubbling up inside him for years.

"I had watched tape on so many actors, famous and non-famous, and nothing ever really made sense to me," the director added. "But then, I was like, 'All right. Let me meet him,' because it just felt right. Then, when I met him, he clearly had a lot to prove, and clearly hadn't been given opportunities in a long time."

Aronofksy also revealed that the film's production company, the trendy and undeniably bright A24, backed the movie every step of the way, which led to him casting Fraser through the unmarred creative vision the studio allowed him to have. "It's a really small film, and there was a lot of faith from A24. They're definitely a director's company," the filmmaker told /Film's Ryan Scott. "I think my first meeting, first pitch of it to [A24 co-founder] Dave Fenkel, there wasn't a blink. He was like, 'Okay.' It was very easy, and I was relieved. I didn't know how he would react."

"The Whale" is in theaters now.