Though there has been significant drama in Venice—and the issue surrounding Don’t Worry, Darling continues—there have also been moments of extraordinary light. As an example, consider Brendan Fraser’s really sweet reaction to The Whale’s enormous success. The Tarzan actor plays a 600-pound guy as he confronts the limits of his reclusive life, alongside Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink, who plays his daughter.

Following the global debut on September 4 at the Venice Film Festival, Fraser was obviously moved to tears as the audience gave him a six-minute standing ovation. According to Variety, the part will “place him at the forefront of this year’s best actor Oscar competition.” (The BBC’s Nicholas Barber mirrored this assessment, calling Fraser’s portrayal “captivating.”)

Fraser wasn’t the only one who cried. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Nick Kroll, and Hillary Clinton staffer Huma Abedin were among those in attendance at the Darren Aronofsky premiere. According to Metro, Fraser was seen hugging Aronofsky numerous times throughout the ovation and even tried to leave the theater at one point, but stayed longer to take a bow and “soak up the plaudits.”

Fraser had to spend 6 hours a day in prosthetics and makeup for the job. “The torso piece was almost like a straight jacket with sleeves that went on, airbrushed by hand, to seem identical as human flesh, even down to the hand-punched hair,” Fraser told media at the Venice press conference, “and it gave me appreciation for others whose bodies are similar.”

Aranofsky’s film is his first starring part in nearly a decade, and it is a far cry from the early films that helped him become a household figure, such as George of the Jungle, The Mummy, and Dudley Do-Right. In an interview with GQ in 2018, Fraser highlighted how his career had become too hard, resulting in him having time off to reflect on the toll action-packed sequences placed on his body. So far, critics agree that The Whale has made an incredible comeback. The Renaissance has arrived.