Although Brendan Fraser had small roles in TV movies before his early 90s breakout, it wasn't until his portrayal of a caveman learning to live in the 20th century in the 1992 film Encino Man, that many of us became fans of his.
Fraser went on to star in a string of action-comedy hits throughout the 90s, including George of the Jungle and The Mummy.
The actor's charm, humor, and good looks also helped him land roles in movies like Gods & Monsters, alongside Sir Ian McKellan, and Blast From the Past, a romantic comedy.
Fraser quickly became one of the most popular Hollywood heartthrobs of the 90s, and for a while, he had us all convinced that he would be a leading man for decades to come.
Unfortunately, that's not how the story goes.
Some of Fraser's movies like Monkeybone and Dudley Do-right were not immune to failing at the box-office, and that seemed like the beginning of his career taking a nosedive.
Even starring in the Oscar-nominated movie Crash couldn't help Fraser remain on the A-list. He started to slowly retract from the spotlight in the early 2000s, and did not book any noteworthy roles.
In 2013, reports that Fraser was financially struggling surfaced, claiming that he was no longer able to pay the $900,000 in child support and alimony to his ex-wife.
Instead of being a contender for awards, Fraser became the target of mean jokes. His fans started worrying about the beloved actor's well-being after photos of him looking "unrecognizable" started to spread.
Despite it all, he still managed to land roles in a couple of television shows, including Trust, Condor, Texas Rising, and The Affair.
In December 2016, his appearance on AOL's Build Series to discuss his role on Season 3 of The Affair went viral after viewers noted that the actor appeared to be sad.
Now, once again, people are commenting on Fraser's appearance after photos of his latest family beach vacation were posted online.
The actor is being body-shamed for his obvious change in physique, but if these trolls only knew the sad story behind Fraser's weight gain.
Multiple websites posted photos of Fraser holidaying in Barbados, but some of the headlines took a jab at his look instead of focusing on the fact that he was enjoying quality time with his children.
After years of not addressing the comments about the way he looks, Fraser finally opened up about what drove him to gain weight in an interview with GQ.
The 49-year-old actor blamed his downfall on the fact that he took on any acting job he could get.
"I believe I probably was trying too hard, in a way that's destructive," Fraser said. "By the time I did the third Mummy picture in China [in 2008] I was put together with tape and ice "” just, like, really nerdy and fetishy about ice packs. Screw-cap ice packs and downhill-mountain-biking pads, 'cause they're small and light and they can fit under your clothes. I was building an exoskeleton for myself daily."
The extreme physical exertion that these roles demanded later took a toll on his body, and caused him to spend the last seven years going in and out of hospitals.
He had to undergo multiple surgeries, including a laminectomy, a procedure to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. He explained that the "lumbar didn't take, so they had to do it again a year later."
Fraser also had additional back surgeries, a partial knee replacement, a vocal chord repair, and other procedures that rendered him unable to maintain the athletic figure he once had.
On top of all that, Fraser had to deal with a divorce, his mother's death, and sexual harassment by Philip Berk, a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Berk denies the claims, but Fraser explained exactly what happened to GQ.
"His left hand reaches around, grabs my ass cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around," Fraser recalled the incident, which took place in 2003.
"I felt ill," he continued. "I felt like a little kid. I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry."
Fraser said he became depressed right after and did not want to be seen in public.
"I was blaming myself and I was miserable"”because I was saying, "˜this is nothing; this guy reached around and he copped a feel.'"
He added, "It made me retreat. It made me feel reclusive. I don't know if this curried disfavour with the group, with the HFPA, but the silence was deafening."
Fraser kept the incident a secret from the public after receiving a written apology from the HFPA, but he felt like he has since been blacklisted.
While the body-shamers were busy typing mean comments about Fraser's appearance, he was struggling to get his life back to normal.
It took some time, but Fraser finally started to regain control of his life and is on the verge of making a comeback.
In addition to his recent role on FX's Trust, he is set to appear in two upcoming films later this year, Behind the Curtain of Night and The Field.
No matter what he looks like, some people will always have something negative to say, but it looks like he isn't taking any of it to heart.
I've always been a big fan of Fraser, so I'm glad he is bouncing back and returning to our screens.