Martin Scorsese defends Brendan Fraser’s acting in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’

Brendan Fraser’s bombastic performance in “Killers of the Flower Moon” has gotten criticism online, but he’s got one powerful defender. 

Director Martin Scorsese, 80, proclaimed that Fraser, 54, was “perfect” in his film.

The Oscar-winning actor has been slammed by some viewers who thought his scenery chewing turn in the movie was over the top. 

Currently in theaters, the movie – which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone – is a Western crime drama based on real events, set in 1920s Oklahoma, about the murders of a series of Osage Nation members after oil was produced on tribal land. 

Fraser plays attorney W. S. Hamilton. 

He enters the movie near the end, when – spoiler alert – Hale (De Niro) and Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio) are on trial for the murder of Osage members. When Ernest is about to testify, Hamilton stands and interrupts by yelling, “This man is my client!”

“Brendan Fraser’s presence in Killers Of The Flower Moon is similar to that of the Kool-Aid Man in any given Kool-Aid commercial,” one fan scoffed on X, formerly known as Twitter, referring to the commercials where the character burst through walls suddenly.

Another outraged fan stated, “As someone who admired brendan fraser’s acting in the movie the whale, his acting in killers of the flower moon was one of the worst acting performances i have ever seen in my life.”

Apple Original Films took to X to defend Fraser, as the account tweeted a page from the book that the movie is based on. “Note the exclamation point,” Apple said. 

“We thought he’d be great for the lawyer and I admired his work over the years,” Scorsese defended Fraser, at a recent press conference. 

“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,’” Scorsese said of Fraser’s line readings, which have gotten slammed online. 

“Really for us, when we heard that… he brought the whole scene down on Leo. It was perfect,” Scorsese said. “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.”