Brendan Fraser had a revival in his career recently with his movie The Whale earning him the Best Actor award at the Oscars. During his speech, he made sure to mention his eldest son Griffin who was not present at the occasion.
Fraser recently opened up about his firstborn and shared what he had been through over the years with him…
On Wednesday Fraser was honored at the Greenwich International Film Festival’s Inaugural GIFF Inspiration Talk and Award Ceremony. While he has inspired many around the globe, the actor shared who inspires him; his son Griffin.
The actor’s firstborn is his 20-year-old son Griffin who he shares with his ex-wife Afton Smith. When Griffin was younger he had a verbal delay which prompted his parents to seek help. His son was then diagnosed as being Autistic.
“I’m no expert on the varieties of spectrum disorders. I’m a dad, and that’s what I can talk about. My son Griffin has a verbal delay, he had a verbal delay at an early age,” Fraser said. “He got a diagnosis, and we were thunderstruck, as I imagine many of you in the audience here can comprehend or understand because of the surprise that came with not knowing what to do.”
Fraser recalled how frustrated him and his wife had been at the time, “No matter which medical text or source you consult, it’s like trying to get a straight answer out of a leprechaun. The answer is for reasons unknown.”
While Fraser had to urge to ‘fix it,’ he said he fought it in order to make sure that he gives his son what he needs. Fraser said as a result, the child was able to show his parents what he wanted from them.
“What that let me know and what let his mom know too is that there are so many people who are there to help, and it’s up to us, their parents, their families, their loved ones, to just have the courage to ask for it,” Fraser shared. “And we can all do this together.”
In his years parenting a child on the spectrum and meeting others on the same boat, Fraser said he learned the same thing over and over again, “Of all the individuals I’ve met over the years who have so much more experience in working with families and kids, they all say the same thing. We’re all learning concurrently at the same time.”
While his younger sons Holden and Leland accompanied their father to the 2023 Oscars, Griffin was not present. But this did not stop the actor from giving a shout-out to his firstborn. In his acceptance speech for Best Actor, Fraser added, “Griffin, love you buddy.”
In November last year, the actor talked about his son, “He just turned 20, he’s a big kid, he’s six foot five, he’s got big hands and feet, a big body. I understand intimately what it is to be close to a person who lives with obesity,” Brendan Fraser said as he discussed the parallels between his oldest son and his character in his award-winning film.
The actor said how his son is the happiest person he knows because he is unaware of cynicism. He said, “And because of the beauty of his spectrum — call it a disorder if you will, I disagree with you — he knows nothing of irony. He doesn’t know what cynicism is. You can’t insult him. He can’t insult you. He’s the happiest person and is, in my life and many others’, also the manifestation of love.”
The actor clearly adores his children and talks of them so fondly! It truly warms your heart.
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It is so heartwarming to see how much Brendan Fraser loves his children. This family is always in our thoughts. Share this piece with other fans of the actor.
