Fresh Air: Brendan Fraser Has Everything & Nothing To Prove

Podcast: Fresh Air
Host: Tanya Mosley (for NPR)
Guest: Brendan Fraser
Date: November 24, 2025
Episode Focus: Fraser discusses his role in the film "Rental Family," his experiences of loneliness, career highs and lows, physical hardship, objectification, and what he has learned about himself and his craft.

Episode Overview

In this engaging and introspective conversation, Tanya Mosley sits down with Academy Award-winning actor Brendan Fraser to discuss his new film, "Rental Family," which explores the surprising business of surrogate relationships in Japan. Fraser thoughtfully reflects on themes of loneliness, connection, his unconventional upbringing, struggles with self-confidence, and his journey through the peaks and valleys of a Hollywood career. The episode is notable for its candid discussion of vulnerability, resilience, and the evolving relationship between an artist and his craft.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. “Rental Family” and Surrogate Connections

• Premise of the Film:

  • The film is based on the real phenomenon in Japan of rental family agencies, where people can hire someone to fill emotional or social needs—often due to stigmas around therapy or the difficulty of forming traditional relationships.
  • Fraser plays a struggling American actor in Tokyo who finds unexpected meaning by acting as a surrogate for lonely clients.

• Fraser’s Understanding & Research:

  • "There are about 300 or so businesses that operate now... since the early 1980s. The model is based on a need for people to fill the absence of loved ones or friends, but they still have a want to connect." [03:51]
  • Explains how the dense population of Tokyo paradoxically heightens feelings of loneliness and solitude.

• On Japanese Stoicism & Isolation:

  • Discusses the Japanese concept of "honne" (private feelings) and "tatemae" (public face), and how these cultural attitudes create both a need for surrogate connections and a taboo around discussing personal struggles.
  • "There's an attitude of... honetataimi... public face and private face. The public face is the mask that prevents what you truly feel." [06:02]

• His Own Experience as an Outsider in Japan:

  • Filmed with an entirely Japanese crew, which heightened his sense of being "othered" and informed his character’s experience.
  • "If ever I was recognized... it's anathema for people to approach you... I was never, ever approached, although I was clearly, obviously who I am." [09:10]

2. Personal Reflections & Vulnerability

• Loneliness, Family, and Grief:

  • Fraser reveals a personal loss—a baby sister who passed away at birth—which left a “vacuum” in his family. He shares that if he could hire someone to fill a role in his life, it would have been "a sister." [11:03]
  • "I didn't want to hang out with my smelly, aggressive, three older brothers all the time." [11:03]

• Sense of Home and Belonging:

  • Growing up as the child of a Canadian tourism official, Fraser moved frequently: "It challenged [my sense of belonging]... You're always the new guy, so it can be a challenge." [15:24]
  • "I was a brochure brat. That was as cool as it got for me, I think." [13:57]

• Acting as a Lifeline:

  • School was difficult due to moving and inconsistent curricula, but theater became his refuge.
  • "I knew the answer… it was with the little theater company." [17:30]

• Early Career and Self-Perception:

  • Fraser describes imposter syndrome and struggles with confidence, even after tremendous success.
  • "I struggle with confidence daily, all the time, and I should... I need to be reminded by myself that I am enough." [26:04]
  • Memorable Quote: "I don't have anything to prove necessarily any longer. And I have everything to prove still." [26:20]

3. Navigating Hollywood, Objectification, and Physical Cost

• Diverse Early Roles:

  • Contrasts the absurd comedy "Encino Man" with the serious drama "School Ties," expressing early ambitions for a versatile career.
  • "I thought it's not beneath me, but not really how I want to introduce myself to the world." [23:24]

• Experience of Objectification:

  • Fraser reflects on being treated as a "walking steak" in Hollywood, compared to how women are objectified.
  • "I can remember feeling being spoken of as if I'm not even in the room and being picked apart..." [37:39]
  • "I could automatically empathize with clearly the women who've always had to contend with this kind of derision." [37:48]

• Physical Toll of Action Roles:

  • Discusses injuries sustained during physically demanding movies like "The Mummy" and the long road to healing.
  • "If I wasn't in pain or bleeding, I wasn't working hard enough... and that's not necessary. I would caution actors to not do that." [36:17]
  • Now feels relief and gratitude for the ability to continue working with proper self-care (and letting stunt professionals do the dangerous work!).

4. Insights on Craft & Collaboration

• Growth as an Actor:

  • Relates collaborative experiences with directors such as Martin Scorsese and Darren Aronofsky.
  • "What I learned... is that they're just people... Scorsese pushes furniture around himself to block scenes. He wants to solicit ideas from actors.” [27:00]

• Role Preparation – “Killers of the Flower Moon”:

  • Describes his process for playing a bombastic, morally compromised lawyer in Scorsese’s "Killers of the Flower Moon."
  • "He absolutely directed me to be large, and I was carrying some extra pounds on my own body at that time... but that was useful to him." [29:17]
  • On set, the atmosphere felt like “living in an opera” due to the immersive period set and presence of Osage Nation members. [33:01]

• Desire for Impactful Work:

  • "I want to make movies that people genuinely want to see... In this landscape of so much clutter and noise... I have to look for projects that can dominate in that very crowded place." [39:15]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Loneliness:
  • "Sometimes all we need is someone to look us in the eye, remind us we exist." – Brendan Fraser [08:04]
• On Japanese Stoicism:
  • "[Honne and tatemae] speaks to a certain demeanor of stoicism that is just inherent in the culture." – Brendan Fraser [06:02]
• On Being an Outsider:
  • "I do look a lot like Brendan Fraser. So I may have attracted some attention... but it’s anathema for people to approach you." – Brendan Fraser [09:10]
• On Childhood Loss:
  • "I did have a baby sister, and she did pass away at birth. And in our family, that was a... a hole, that was a vacuum." – Brendan Fraser [11:03]
• On Acting as Refuge:
  • "I knew the answer, it was with the little theater company..." – Brendan Fraser [17:30]
• On Self-Confidence:
  • "I struggle with confidence daily, all the time, and I should..." – Brendan Fraser [26:04]
  • "I don't have anything to prove necessarily any longer. And I have everything to prove still." – Brendan Fraser [26:20]
• On Being Objectified:
  • "I felt like a walking steak or a piece of meat... And I could automatically empathize with the women who’ve always had to contend with this kind of derision." – Brendan Fraser [37:39]
• On Getting Older:
  • "It does [feel like a relief to get older]… I care about bigger issues now... and I don't let things that really are superfluous bother me as much as I did." – Brendan Fraser [38:32]
• On Artistic Ambition:
  • "At the end of the day, I really just want to make movies that people see." – Brendan Fraser [39:51]

Chronological Breakdown with Timestamps

| Timestamp | Topic / Quote | | --------- | ------------ | | 00:16–05:36 | Introduction to "Rental Family" & the rental family agency concept | | 06:02 | Deep dive into Japanese cultural concepts (“honne/tatemae”) and stigma around therapy | | 08:12 | Loneliness, being a lifelong outsider, Japan as a formative experience for his character | | 11:03 | Fraser shares the loss of his baby sister and yearning for a sister connection | | 13:57 | On being a "brochure brat," his family's frequent moves | | 15:24 | Impact of moving around on sense of belonging and roots | | 17:30 | School struggles & theater as salvation; early passion for acting | | 23:24 | Contrasting breakout roles ("Encino Man" & "School Ties"), early career self-image | | 26:04 | Openness about insecurity, confidence struggles, and persistent ambitions | | 27:00 | Working with top directors, lessons in humility and collaboration | | 29:17 | Preparation & process for "Killers of the Flower Moon" | | 33:01 | Authenticity and immersion in the acting environment, presence of Osage Nation members| | 35:46 | Physical toll of action roles, body image, injuries, and recovery | | 37:39 | Objectification of men in Hollywood, empathy for women’s experiences | | 39:15 | Current aspirations: meaningful, impactful film work |

Tone and Final Impressions

The episode is warm, insightful, and marked by Fraser's humility and vulnerability. Tanya Mosley’s empathetic questioning allows Fraser’s thoughtful and honest reflections to shine, touching on both the complexities of show business and universal human experiences of connection, loss, and self-discovery.

Fraser’s closing words capture his gratitude and intent:
"At the end of the day, I really just want to make movies that people see." [39:51]

Recommended Segments to Hear

• 03:51 – Fraser describes the reality and origins of rental family agencies in Japan
• 08:04 – Discussion about the need for human connection ("remind us we exist")
• 11:03 – Fraser’s personal story about family loss and longing
• 26:04 – His moving reflection on self-confidence and never feeling finished with growth
• 37:39 – Honest talk about body image and male objectification in Hollywood

Summary prepared for listeners who seek an in-depth, thematic recap of Brendan Fraser’s Fresh Air interview, highlighting both the professional and deeply personal threads of his conversation.