Martin Scorsese defends Brendan Fraser's “Killers of the Flower Moon ”performance: 'It was perfect'

Devan Coggan

November 3, 2023 at 5:09 p.m.·2 min read

Martin Scorsese has nothing but praise for Killers of the Flower Moon actor Brendan Fraser.

The recent Oscar-winning actor appears in Scorsese's crime drama as bombastic attorney W.S. Hamilton, representing Robert De Niro's William Hale in court. Some online have criticized the actor's performance for being too exaggerated or over-the-top, but Scorsese is defending Fraser's delivery as "perfect."

Apple TV+ Brendan Fraser in 'Killers of the Flower Moon'

"We thought he'd be great for the lawyer, and I admired his work over the years," Scorsese said per LADBible, in quotes confirmed by EW. "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 [DiCaprio]. Particularly in the scene where he says, 'They're putting a noose around your neck, he's saving you, dumb boy.'"

"He brought the whole scene down on Leo," Scorsese continued. "It was perfect. 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."

Killers of the Flower Moon chronicles the Osage Reign of Terror in the 1920s, when a group of white settlers harassed and murdered Osage people in a plot to steal their wealth. Fraser appears late in the film, when Hale (De Niro) and his nephew Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio) are on trial for their connection to the murders.

In one courtroom scene, he turns to Ernest and loudly yells, "This man is my client!" Apple Films, which produced Killers of the Flower Moon, also defended Fraser's delivery with a post on social media, highlighting a relevant passage from David Grann's 2017 book.

"Note the exclamation point," Apple wrote on Twitter/X.

Note the exclamation point. pic.twitter.com/Nw6hENRbUH
— Apple Original Films (@AppleFilms) October 25, 2023

Killers of the Flower Moon is Fraser's first movie since he won an Oscar earlier this year, winning Best Actor for his role in The Whale.

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