"I admired his work over the years"- Martin Scorsese defends Brendan Fraser in Killers of the Flower Moon

It was no surprise that Killers of the Flower Moon won over critics around the globe with its heart-wrenching story of the Osage murders, taking a page from the real history of Oklahoma. A long time in the making, this Martin Scorsese film had every element that fans expect from the director, plus a few more that he did not always use, making it a generational work of cinema.

However, amidst the shining stars, i.e., Lily Gladstone, Leonardo Di Caprio, and Robert Di Niro, all of whom nailed their roles, Brendan Fraser's performance could have been more widely praised. Many moviegoers and critics labelled his performance as "over-the-top," leading the director to come out and defend the Killers of the Flower Moon actor.

Despite the criticisms aimed at Fraser, Scorsese emphasized that he loved Fraser's acting in Killers of the Flower Moon and how wonderful it was to work with The Mummy star.

Scorsese said in a recent press conference when asked about Fraser's portrayal:

"We thought he’d be great for the lawyer and I admired his work over the years,...He actually came in for I think a couple of weeks on the picture, particularly when it was in our later shoot. We had a really good time working together, particularly with Leo. Particularly in the scene where he says, ‘They’re putting a noose around your neck, he’s saving you dumb boy.'"

He went on to elaborate more about the role Brendan Fraser played in Killers of the Flower Moon.

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"He’s a wonderful actor and he was just great to work with"- Martin Scorsese on Brendan Fraser's role in Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon had quite a long runtime and featured a long period of time in the story as well. Brendan Fraser only enters the film in the third act, when Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) stands trial for the Osage murders.

Despite this, Fraser added a lot of dynamics while simultaneously pumping in a lot of power through his performance. Martin Scorsese further added:

"Really for us, when we heard that… he brought the whole scene down on Leo. It was perfect...And he had that girth. He’s big in the frame at that time. He’s a wonderful actor and he was just great to work with."

Brendan Fraser also shared Scorsese's feelings about working together, as hinted by the actor when he spoke to Howard Stern back in February. He had said:

"He’s a master cinema creator...He was a regular actor’s director. He moved furniture around himself. He likes to rehearse. He took suggestions and gave credit to the best idea, wherever it came from. He’s brilliant. He can solve multiple problems at the same time in an instant. There were four cameras, quadruple coverage, to shoot a court room scene that’s happening in real time like an opera."

This dynamic between the actors and the director led to the grand success of Killers of the Flower Moon, which has already been termed by many as one of Martin Scorsese's greatest ever.

Killers of the Flower Moon is currently playing in the theatres.