4 Movies You Forgot Brendan Fraser Was In

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Brendan Fraser’s recent turn as a morbidly obese man in The Whale earned him critical praised — and an Oscar nomination. But hardcore Fraser fans never forgot the many awesome titles he’s starred in over the years: Encino Man, School Ties, George of the Jungle, the Mummy trilogy… my personal favorite is Mrs. Winterbourne. But for every famous Fraser movie, there may be one you forgot about.

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‘Son in Law’ (1993)

Throughout the 1990s, Brendan Fraser’s face was everywhere. And what a face it was: that strong jawline, those wide eyes, and the gloriously floppy head of hair. His first leading role came in 1992 with Encino Man. The hunky 24-year-old played a frozen — thawed — caveman thrust into modern society. The cult classic put Fraser on the map. But did you know he reprised the role the following year?

In Son in Law, Fraser makes a surprise cameo as his caveman character, Linkovich “Link” Chomovsky. He appears at a party, confusedly interacting with fruit basket and a plastic frog. The Son in Law scene also serves as a little reunion between Fraser and his Encino Man co-star (and fellow ’90s boy) Pauly Shore. Shore, of course, plays the titular son in law.

‘Airheads’ (1994)

Compared to the rest of Adam Sandler’s ’90s oeuvre, Airheads is an overlooked comedy. Especially considering the cast. Sandler, Brendan Fraser, and Steve Buscemi star as The Lone Rangers, a struggling LA rock band. The rest of the cast features Chris Farley, Ernie Hudson, Judd Nelson, and Michael Richards.

Despite big names, though, Airheads bombed at the box office.

‘Now and Then’ (1995)

Brendan Fraser in Then and Now

Now and Then, another ’90s classic, is famous for uniting so much of the decade’s female talent: Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, Gaby Hoffman, Rosie O’Donnell, Melanie Griffith, Demi Moore, and Rita Wilson. But do you remember Brendan Fraser in the mix?

During the ’70s flashbacks, Fraser appears as the Vietnam vet who the girls meet while they’re riding their bikes. He shares a deep talk with the young crew, and it’s easy to see that at least one of the girls develops a major crush. Who could blame her?

‘Blast from the Past’ (1999)

Brendan Fraser’s star-marking turn in Encino Man quickly came to define the actor’s brand. With Fraser, there was always a certain on-screen naiveté. As Fraser himself said to GQ: “The naïf cum babe in the woods cum new guy in town cum man-boy cum…visitor-in-an-unusual-environment conceit was, uh… was very, very good to me.” 

The typecasting continued in 1999 with Blast from the Past. Fraser played a man who was sheltered — literally. The character, a 35-year-old named Adam, emerges from a nuclear fallout shelter where he’s spent his entire life, hidden away by his survivalist father. Above ground, Adam struggles in the modern world… and takes up with another beauty of the era: Alicia Silverstone.

READ MORE: Seriously, Where Has Brendan Fraser Been?

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