Brendan Fraser was a hot young actor in the 1990s, with hits like George of the Jungle, Encino Man, and Bedazzled. He made the leap from comedy to serious action in The Mummy. He always played characters who had hearts of gold and didn't take themselves too seriously. The actor himself was regarded pretty much the same way, a genuinely good guy. But then Fraser stepped away from acting in 2010.
After ten years living a very private life, Fraser is back in movies and on TV. And the public who loved him before loves him all the more now. Of course, we all love a comeback story. And the reasons he pulled away from Hollywood will make you empathize with him. But most of all, Fraser as a mature actor is still an all-around good guy, and just as lovable as ever. Plus, he overcame physical problems and depression, which all makes him a real-life hero.
From Collider:
But an even more pressing issue was Fraser's allegations that he was sexually groped by Philip Berk in 2003. In the wake of this, Fraser was overcome with depression and self-doubt, and he began to remove himself from the entertainment industry.
It’s always devastating to hear somebody suffering from the psychological aftermath of an alleged sexual assault. In the case of Fraser, there’s an extra layer of sadness because of the kind of roles and public persona he gave to the world. A man known for wacky slapstick and playing dudes who would rather be kind than punch people was grappling with crippling self-criticism for countless years. The dissonance there is shocking, a reminder that experiences of abuse can happen to anyone.
(Update 2/8/2023) David Henderson over at Quora added another reason:
Despite his financial troubles, he donated his entire salary from the 2013 film ‘Gimmie Shelter’ to the woman’s shelter featured in the film, he always seems to have time for fans and no one ever seems to have a bad word to say about him, which is quite an accomplishment for someone who has spent 30 years in Hollywood.
(Update 3/13/2023) Brendan Fraser won the 2023 Oscars for Best Actor for his role as Charlie in The Whale (2022) as directed by Darren Aronofsky and written by Samuel D. Hunter.
In his acceptance speech, Fraser was clearly overwhelmed with emotion when he humbly thanked Aronofsky and Hunter for "throwing [him] a creative lifeline."
Fraser noted that "[he] started in this business thirty years ago ... and there was facility that [he] didn't appreciate at the time. Until it stopped" referencing the pause of his acting career until his very recent comeback.