Brendan Fraser had an emotional response on TV while discussing a topic that is personal to him.
The “Whale” star appeared on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” on Monday to discuss a short film he executive produced, “Saving Superman.” The doc is an 11-minute short that tells the story of Jonathan, a 57-year-old man with autism who has become a beloved figure in the Chicago suburb of Glen Ellyn.
“Each summer he wears his Superman costume, and he knows everything about Superman,” Fraser said of the film’s central subject. “His housing was being compromised. He was effectively not allowed to live in his apartment anymore. So he had friends, and the whole town rallied around him to support him having a lodging, a home.”
While speaking about the premise of the film, Fraser suddenly became sentimental — and quickly revealed the reason as to why he abruptly teared up.
“I’m the dad of a son with special needs,” he shared. “I want to be part of it for that reason.”
“We need to do well by everyone who has a family on [a] spectrum,” Fraser continued. “We need more services available to them.”
Clarkson then got out of her chair to console the actor with a big hug.
“It’s beautiful to watch that, and be a part of that and get to see that,” Clarkson said, reflecting on Fraser’s involvement, and the film’s goal of shedding light on a condition that affects 1 in 31 children and 1 in 45 adults in the United States, according to the advocacy group Autism Speaks.
Fraser is the father of three sons — Griffin, Holden and Leland — and it was his oldest, Griffin, who was diagnosed with autism as a child.
During a 2023 interview with People, the actor got choked up discussing his oldest son and shared why he always tends to hold space for those who he feels needs a little extra love.
“You know that there’s somebody who needs a little more love, a little more time because they’re autistic or they have Aspergers, and this is their world. This is where they belong,” he shared.
