Brendan Fraser Receives His First Oscar Nomination For 'The Whale,' Says It "Profoundly Changed My Life"

Brendan Fraser appreciates his most recent nomination. The actor received his first Oscar nomination on Tuesday when he was selected as one of the top five contenders for the Best Actor category, in recognition of his work in the film The Whale. Additionally, Hong Chau, Fraser's co-star, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in the drama, while the makeup and hairstyling crew that turned Fraser into his 600-pound character Charlie were nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. In a statement that PEOPLE was able to acquire from Fraser, 54, in response to the announcement, he expressed he is "absolutely overjoyed and deeply grateful to The Academy for this recognition and for recognizing Hong Chau's beautiful performance and Adrien Morot's incredible makeup." [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1500"] Image credit: People.com[/caption] "I wouldn't have this nomination without [director] Darren Aronofsky, [writer] Samuel D. Hunter, A24, and the extraordinary cast and crew who gave me the gift of Charlie," the actor added. "A gift I certainly didn't see coming, but it's one that has profoundly changed my life. THANK YOU!" Furthermore, Austin Butler (Elvis), Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Paul Mescal (Aftersun), and Bill Nighy (Living) are the other nominees for the award in this category. Also read: Reports: Madonna Biopic Starring Julia Garner Halted For Now

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Brendan Fraser, who was nominated for a SAG Award and a Golden Globe, also won the Critics Choice Award earlier this month. In addition, he was visibly moved as he accepted the award. He said The Whale is a movie "about love," and added, "It's about redemption. It's about finding the light in a dark place, and I'm so lucky to have worked with an ensemble that is incredible." [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="1981"] Image credit: The New Yorker[/caption] Fraser continued, "And Darren Aronofsky, I was in the wilderness — and I probably should've left a trail of breadcrumbs — but you found me, and like all the best directors, you merely just showed me where to go to get me where I needed to be." "If you — like Charlie, who I played in this movie — in any way, struggle with obesity, or you just feel like you're in a dark sea, I want you to know that if you, too, can have the strength to just get to your feet and go to the light, good things will happen," the Mummy actor said.