Brendan Fraser’s greatest hits (as told by Twitter) and where to stream them

Brendan Fraser is a national treasure.

This is an opinion held by most people with good test, but it’s still a nice thing to remember and actively think about every once in a while — as Twitter did on Sunday. For no other apparent reason than “he’s awesome,” the star of The Mummy picked up a cascade of loving mentions throughout the day as the weekend hours waned.

In the midst of this lovefest there were scores of people digging up long-since-forgotten Fraser favorites. Yeah, a lot of us love The Mummy and are thrilled to discover that he most recently lent his voice to DC’s Doom Patrol. But there’s a lot of other great stuff with Fraser’s name attached and the people of Twitter want us to remember. 

So let’s do that. Here’s a rundown of Fraser faves that are getting the love on this fine Sunday, along with links on where and how to watch those movies. (It’s also worth shouting out this wonderful and at-times-heartbreaking GQ feature from 2018 about Fraser’s career and the circumstances that led to his long absence from Hollywood.)

1. He was on Sesame Street in 2009

Fraser appeared in Season 40 of Sesame Street, in an episode titled “Squirmadega Car Race.”

2. George of the Jungle (1997)

This big screen, live-action adaptation of the classic Tarzan-parodying cartoon arrived about five years after Fraser’s breakout in the 1992 comedy, Encino Man.

George of the Jungle is a Disney release so of course it’s streaming on Disney+.

3. Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)

Looney Tunes: Back in Action struggled to find an audience when it released, with a box office performance that didn’t manage to break even. This is despite it coming from Gremlins director Joe Dante and featuring the talents of Jenna Elfman, Timothy Dalton, Joan Cusack, and Steve Martin, in addition to Fraser, who starred.

Nonetheless, it’s a Fraser movie and therefore worth your time. HBO Max is the official streaming home of Looney Tunes, and so Looney Tunes: Back in Action is available to stream for HBO Max subscribers.

4. The Mummy (1999)

The above thread is too long to share all of it here, but it’s worth a full read for Ms. Stein’s rundown of just how amazing Fraser was in this early breakout, and how much it set the stage for what should’ve been a blockbuster career.  Both The Mummy and its sequel, The Mummy Returns (also starring Fraser), are available to stream on HBO Max.

5. Blast from the Past (1999)

Fraser kept busy in the late ’90s. Released the same year as The Mummy, Blast from the Past is a comic fantasy with Fraser starring opposite Alicia Silverstone as a 35-year-old guy who returns to the modern world after spending his entire life in a fallout shelter watching old timey sitcoms. That kind of childhood is gonna do a number on anyone’s worldview.

Unfortunately, Blast from the Past isn’t available as part of any streaming subscription. You can rent or buy it digitally via a number of storefronts though, including YouTube and Amazon. 

6. Mrs. Winterbourne (1996)

I’ve never even heard of this one, so I’ve got my own Fraser catch-up journey to take now. But the above description for this 1996 rom-com sounds like vintage stuff for fans of the actor. Mrs. Winterbourne is streaming for free on Pluto TV.

7. School Ties (1992)

A classic among classics. In School Ties, Fraser plays a young Jewish man who ships off to boarding school and almost immediately gets a firsthand lesson in anti-Semitism. Featuring a monster cast and a meatier role for the budding star than he’d previously known, this is a must-watch for those who haven’t seen it. Thankfully, School Ties is available to stream for Paramount+ subscribers.

8. Airheads (1994)

First, the bad news: Airheads is criminally unavailable to stream anywhere, and it’s rather difficult to find on DVD or Blu-ray. It’s one of those older catalog titles that tends to cycle in and out of streaming services without warning. 

That’s too bad, because Fraser stars alongside Adam Sandler(!!) and Steve Buscemi(!!!!) as rockers in The Lone Rangers, a struggling young band that just wants to get their record on the radio — and in the process of trying, they accidentally make themselves wanted criminals for masterminding a hostage situation. It’s weird, it makes no sense, and it’s hilarious.

9. Bedazzled (2000)

The above tweet is correct: You can’t delve into Fraser’s enduring excellence without discussing Bedazzled. Directed by the late, great Harold Ramis, Bedazzled is a remake of a 1967 movie bearing the same name and both are comic adaptations of the legend of Faust. Fraser stars as a sadsack middle-aged guy with a dead-end job and no prospects. His life turns around when he meets the Devil (Elizabeth Hurley), who strikes a bargain: Seven wishes in exchange for his soul. Hijinx ensue, but needless to say it’s a happy ending here.

Bedazzled is unfortunately one of those harder-to-find Fraser classics. It’s not available from any subscription services, but you can rent or buy it digitally. Here’s Bedazzled on Amazon and here’s Bedazzled on YouTube.

10. Scrubs (2001-2010)

For a show that had a habit of tugging at the heartstrings in general, it’s notable that Fraser’s multiple appearances, taken together, amount to one of the Bill Lawrence comedy’s most memorable and heart-wrenching story arcs. Most episodes of Scrubs are streaming on Hulu, including all of those Fraser appeared in: The Season 1 episodes “My Hero” and “My Occurrence,” and the Season 3 episode “My Screwup.”

This is just a tiny sampling of Fraser’s greatness. Even in the Twitter chatter, there’s plenty of discussion around other favorites — including the Pauly Shore comedy Encino Man, Fraser’s first major movie role, which sadly isn’t available to stream. (Here’s Encino Man on iTunes.) You should also check out the excessively odd DC Comics TV series Doom Patrol, featuring Fraser’s voice as Cliff Steele (aka Robotman), on HBO Max.

And of course, you should head to Twitter and join the Fraser lovefest yourself. Even if it’s over. There’s never a bad time to celebrate Brendan Fraser.