Brendan Fraser gets emotional during Venice Film Festival ovation

Sept. 5 (UPI) -- The Mummy alum Brendan Fraser was overcome with emotion by the rapturous applause his movie, The Whale, received at the Venice Film Festival this weekend in Italy.

"Brendan Fraser is back -- and he sobbed during the #Venezia79 six-minute standing ovation for #TheWhale," Variety co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh tweeted Sunday.

"The standing ovation for #TheWhale was so enthusiastic, Brendan Fraser tried to leave the theater but the crowd's applause made him stay," Setoodeh added.

The post included a brief video of Fraser, 53, clearly moved by the audience's response.

The clip already has gotten millions of views.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who co-starred with Fraser in 2001's The Mummy Returns, shared the post on his Twitter feed, along with the message: "Man this makes me so happy to see this beautiful ovation for Brendan.

"He supported me coming into his Mummy Returns franchise for my first ever role, which kicked off my Hollywood career. Rooting for all your success brother and congrats to my bud Darren Aronofsky. #TheWhale."

Although Fraser has been working steadily in television on shows like Doom Patrol, Trust and The Affair and doing voiceover work for animated projects for the past few years, he has not starred in a blockbuster since 2008's Journey to the Center of the Earth and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

He is earning early Oscar buzz for his role of a 600-pound man confined to a wheelchair in The Whale, directed by Darren Aronofsky. Sadie Sink of Stranger Things fame plays the obese man's estranged daughter.

Fraser's other credits include School Ties, Encino Man, George of the Jungle, With Honors, Blast From the Past, Gods and Monsters, The Quiet American and Crash.