Brendan Fraser gets emotional as he tells fans he didn't know they loved him so much

Editor's note: This article was originally published on March 10, 2022. It has since been updated.

Trigger warning: This story contains themes of sexual assault that some readers may find distressing

Brendan Fraser is a "pure soul," as his ardent fan puts it, and we couldn't agree more. The actor has seen a resurgence in his career and during a virtual meet-and-greet last year, one of his fans, Lindley Key, reminded him of the support he has online. Key got to speak to Fraser and told him there was a whole world of people who were rooting for him, and the actor was visibly moved. Recently, during an appearance at the FAN EXPO Boston, a fan asked Fraser, “How does it feel to have all these people kinda worshiping you?” The actor said he is "feeling the love," before addressing the video. "A nice little chat with this lovely woman called Lindley—I learned her name. And it was big, I’m told,” he said.

The person followed up and said, “You were kind of choking up.” Fraser responded, “Yeah I backed into that—was I? I was like, I don’t know, I felt like… she was so sincere.” Fraser was choking up again while recollecting details of that call. “I appreciate it and it let me know that, I guess, I just wasn’t aware that there’s that much support. I appreciate it very, very much.”

Key was overwhelmed after seeing her favorite actor respond to their chat. She took to TikTok and said, “We’re thrilled to see him happy and back to work.” She got very emotional watching Fraser's bit at FAN EXPO. “It makes me cry and smile every time I watch it,” she said, before adding that it meant the world to her that he learned her real name and not just her username.

In the original interaction from last year, Key told Fraser, "There are so many people out there who love you. And we're rooting for you, and we can't wait to see what you do next." A visibly emotional Fraser tipped his cowboy hat and took a sip of water before saying, "Shucks, ma'am." The video went viral immediately and Twitter was flooded with positive messages from many who had grown up watching Brendan Fraser as the lead in 'The Mummy' franchise. Key later explained what the actor meant to her. "Fraser was such a huge part of our childhoods," she told Insider. "His movies were, and still are, loved by so many out there. And after all he has been through these past years, his fans are thrilled to see him happy and back to work."

After the video went viral, she alerted her parents, warning them that she might turn up on TV before assuring them she didn't cause any trouble. She has seen her following grow rapidly. She told Bored Panda that it helped her connect to “many new friends, so many amazing, kind, and creative folks who not only share a love for Mr. Fraser and his films, but also are themselves pure souls in their own right.”

Brendan Fraser was once the toast of Hollywood and delivered some blockbusters in 'The Mummy' franchise, 'George of the Jungle,' 'Looney Tunes: Back in Action' and the Oscar-winning film 'Crash'. Fraser revealed he had taken a step back from showbiz after an incident of sexual harassment. Fraser accused Philip Berk, a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, of physically groping him. Berk admitted to "pinching" Fraser in the buttocks after an event, but Fraser said it was more violent than what Berk had described. "I felt ill. I felt like a little kid," he told GQ. "I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry."