Brendan Fraser says his son inspired his character in 'The Whale' because the 20-year-old also 'lives with obesity'

• Brendan Fraser opened up about his inspiration for his character Charlie in "The Whale."
• Charlie is a reclusive English teacher who's nearly immobile due to his weight.

Brendan Fraser opened up about his inspiration for his new role in "The Whale" during a recent interview with Freddie Prinze Jr.

During his chat with longtime friend Prinze Jr. for Interview magazine, Fraser spoke about his process of transforming into reclusive, obese English teacher Charlie, who struggles to connect with his estranged daughter throughout the critically-acclaimed film.

As Fraser explained, it wasn't just prosthetics that allowed him to get into Charlie's mindset.

"I have three kids of my own. My oldest son Griffin has special needs. He's autistic," Fraser told Prinze Jr. "He just turned 20. He's a big kid. He's six foot five. He's got big hands and feet, a big body."

"I understand intimately what it is to be close to a person who lives with obesity," the "Mummy" star continued.

Fraser went on to praise his children — 20-year-old Griffin, 18-year-old Holden, and 16-year-old Leland — whom he shares with ex Afton Smith.

"Being with my kids and their mom and our family has given me such love that if ever I needed to hold something of value up to try and translate that to what was important to Charlie, I didn't have to look far," the "Bedazzled" actor explained in the interview.

Fraser has previously spoken about the challenges of wearing heavy prosthetics to portray Charlie.

During a September interview with Vanity Fair, the actor compared the torso piece he wore for several scenes to a "straight jacket."

"I learned quickly that it takes an incredibly strong person inside that body to be that person," the actor said of his character. "That seemed fitting and poetic and practical to me, all at once."

"The Whale" premieres December 9. You can watch the trailer below.