Brendan Fraser explains his character in The Whale was inspired by his ‘autistic’ son

• Brendan Fraser’s son Griffin has special needs and is autistic.
• The actor said that living with his son helped him “understand” his part in The Whale.
• Griffin is the “happiest person in his life, and he doesn’t know what cynicism is because of his autism”.

Recently, Brendan Fraser claimed that living with his eldest son Griffin helped him “understand” his part in the upcoming film The Whale.

In an interview with the media, the actor who portrayed an obese parent in a new film revealed, “I have three kids of my own, my oldest son Griffin has special needs – he’s autistic.”

“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,” explained the 53-year-old.

Griffin is the “happiest person in his life, and he doesn’t know what cynicism is because of his autism,” said the father of three.

“And because of the beauty of his spectrum – call it a disorder if you will, I disagree with you – he knows nothing of irony,” commented Fraser.

The Mummy star stated, “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.”

“Being with my kids and their mom and our family has given me such love that if ever I needed to hold something of value up to try and translate that to what was important to Charlie (character in The Whale), I didn’t have to look far,” he added.

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