Brendan Fraser’s gesture toward a fan with Down syndrome wins praise online

Brendan Fraser was greeting photographers at the UK premiere of “Pressure” when he noticed a fan behind the barriers trying to take a picture of him. Before the young man could attract his attention, the actor moved toward him, took his phone and helped him capture a selfie.

Fraser calmly explained how to take the picture and continued speaking with the fan even as the ceremony presenter began an interlude about the film. The exchange, which ended with the two posing together, drew praise online from followers who described the actor’s conduct as notably kind.

The moment also recalled Fraser’s own experience as a father. His son Griffin, born in 2002, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Fraser has said the diagnosis initially made him think in terms of finding a “solution,” but he later realized he needed to learn how to raise a child with different needs.

At a conference three years ago, Fraser said, “I fought against the instinct to think ‘fix it’; I’m not an expert in the different disorders on the autism spectrum, I’m a father and that’s what I can talk about.” He also said Griffin had experienced speech delay from an early age and that the diagnosis left the family stunned.

“Pressure,” which premiered in the United Kingdom four months before its US release, stars Fraser as Dwight D. Eisenhower. The film focuses on the Second World War and the debate between Eisenhower and meteorologist James Stagg over rain and its influence on the conflict.

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I fought against the instinct to think ‘fix it’; I’m not an expert in the different disorders on the autism spectrum, I’m a father and that’s what I can talk about.