The global whirlwind, created by the success of the psychological drama film The Whale, appears to be easing up now that the unofficial awards season has come and gone.
As a result, acclaimed actor Brendan Fraser, 54, appears to be taking advantage of his newfound personal time with girlfriend Jeanne Moore.
The couple, who only just made their first public appearance together this past September, were spotted making their way to a diner in Westchester County in New York State, an area in the Hudson Valley about 35 miles north of New York City.
Moore, 43, has been by Fraser’s side every step of his epic comeback that has shot him back into the Hollywood spotlight, while restoring his A-list status.
Along the way, the leading man scored a slew of Best Actor wins at the many awards ceremonies that have been going off around the world in recent months, that includes an Oscar at the 95th Academy Awards two weeks earlier.
Relaxed: Brendan Fraser, 54, was pictured on a lunch date with his girlfriend, Jeanne Moore, 43, at a diner in Westchester County, New York, on Saturday
Item: Fraser and Moore, who was seen carrying her small pet pooch during their trip to the diner, made their red carpet debut at the Venice International Film Festival in September 2022
With a chill in the air and the temperature hovering between the high 30s and low 40s Fahrenheit, Fraser had his hands burrowed in the pockets of his black denim jeans when he headed from his parked vehicle to the entrance doors.
He also wore a black t-shirt underneath a matching bomber jacket.
The Indianapolis, Indiana native also sported black sneakers and a brown baseball cap over his short dark brown hair.
For the short stroll to the entrance, Moore had her hands full carrying her small, brown furry dog in a carrying case that attached around the shoulder.
Dressed in blue jeans with a light brown sweater over a white t-shirt and brown shoes, the professional makeup artist and hairstylist also carried a white plastic bag in one hand and a small mat, seemingly for her pet pooch, in the other.
Rounding out her casual look, the Los Angeles native had her long blonde tresses pulled back off her face and into a high ponytail.
The couple, who have both been very private about their relationship, made their red carpet debut at the world premiere of The Whale at the 79th annual Venice International Film Festival last September.
But more importantly, Moore was by his side when he received an emotional six-minute standing ovation after a screening of the movie.
Return to glory: The afternoon outing comes on the heels of Fraser’s many Best Actor wins during awards season, including an Oscar at the 95th Academy Awards two weeks ago
Golden moment: Fraser finished up his big score during awards season with his Oscar for his performance in The Whale; he’s seen raising his soaking in is Oscar moment on March 12
Supportive: Moore, a professional makeup artist and hairstylist, has been by Fraser’s side every step of his epic comeback; they are pictured after he won the Best Actor Oscar
In fact, she looked equally moved by the gesture as the happy tears flowed from their eyes in the Italian theater.
Fraser’s so-called comeback performance in The Whale has been hailed by both fans and critics alike, resulting in no less than 10 Best Actor wins this past awards season, which includes his Oscar at the Academy Awards, along with the Australian Academy Of Cinema And Television Arts Awards (AACTA Awards), and Critics’ Choice Awards.
He also won at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Toronto International Film Festival, AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, Satellite Awards, Women Film Critics Circle, Hollywood Critics Association Awards, Las Vegas Film Critics Society and the St. Louis Film Critics Association.
Many film pundits have been calling The Whale Fraser’s comeback film, considering he stepped out of the limelight a number of years ago after being a leading man in Hollywood since the 1990s.
It turns out, Fraser’s absence from Hollywood was due in part to several traumas he went through, including a divorce, the death of his mother, and health problems resulting in several of surgeries, including a partial knee replacement, a laminectomy, and vocal cord surgery.
And then in 2018, the actor confessed that the then-president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Philip Berk molested him in 2003 at the Beverly Hills Hotel after a luncheon hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. While Berk argued it was all a joke, Fraser didn’t see it that that way and felt traumatized, according to Cultura Colectiva.
In The Whale, Fraser had to go through a huge transformation to play a 600 lb. man named Charlie who tries to reconnect with his 17-year-old daughter. The two grew apart after Charlie left his family for another man who later died. Charlie then went on to binge eat out of pain and guilt that resulted in his current appearance.
Along with Fraser, the film also also stars Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Samantha Morton, Ty Simpkins and Sathya Sridharan.
Comeback trail: The Whale is widely considered to be his ‘comeback film’ after having worked on just three movies from 2014 to 2022; Pictured in a still from The Whale
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