Brendan Fraser broke into tears as he delivered a powerful speech at the Critics Choice Awards.

The beloved 54-year-old actor won the Best Actor award for his role as a morbidly obese English teacher in the 2022 drama film The Whale.

Visibly shaken by the honor he received, The Mummy star opened his speech with a line from Herman Melville as he said “there are only five critics in America, the rest are asleep.”

While the actor admitted he wasn’t sure what exactly this means, he expressed gratitude to the critics who woke up for him.

“This movie, The Whale, it’s about love, it’s about redemption. It’s about finding the light in a dark place and I’m so lucky to have worked with an ensemble that is incredible,” Brendan added.

He went on to praise his co-stars including “incredible” Sadie Sink, who played his estranged daughter in the movie, and Hong Chau, who portrayed a nurse and his close friend.

Brendan also applauded Ty Simpkins for winning “the game ball every day” and Sam Hunter for being his “lighthouse.”

“Darren Aronofsky, I was in the wilderness, and I probably should have left a trail of breadcrumbs, but you’ve found me. And like all the best directors, you merely just showed me where to go to get to where I needed to be,” the actor added in a tribute to the movie’s director.

Earning a standing ovation, Fraser concluded his emotional speech by sending a message to everyone who’s struggling with obesity saying:

“If you, like a guy like Charlie, who I played in this movie, in any way, struggle with obesity, or you just feel like you’re in a dark sea. I want you to know that if you too, can have the strength to just get to your feet and go to the light. Good things will happen.”

After leaving the stage, emotional Brendan admitted that the award meant more to him than he was able to express as he shared his hopes that the movie will help do a lot of good.

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