Brendan Fraser’s One Line in Rental Family Left Dwayne Johnson in Tears Over His Family’s Dementia Battle

Brendan Fraser has a new one in Rental Family, and it hit Dwayne Johnson hard enough to make him cry. Yes, The Rock cried over a single line. He explained why during their Variety Actors on Actors chat, and it makes total sense once you hear the scene.

The moment that cracked The Rock

Fraser plays Phillip Vandarploeug, an American actor in Tokyo who takes gigs as a stand-in family member. There’s a scene where Phillip consoles an older man with dementia. Johnson, who said he’s dealing with dementia in his own family, zeroed in on that one line and absolutely lost it.

He loved how Fraser and his scene partner, veteran actor Akira Emoto, connected in the moment and how the movie lets the character create a peaceful memory even if it won’t stick.

"What you say to him rocked me, because it’s what I said to my dad. It’s your version of 'I’ll see you again, my friend.' It just moved me. I was getting emotional — I was crying!"

Johnson’s take on the movie (and Emoto)

Johnson didn’t just praise Fraser. He called the movie "amazing," said the premise is genuinely different, and singled out Emoto as "a legend." His read on Emoto’s presence is dead on: "You feel his power onscreen."

So what is Rental Family?

It’s directed by Hikari and follows Phillip, who takes jobs from a Japanese agency to play fill-in roles for strangers — son, boyfriend, whatever someone needs for a day. As Phillip steps deeper into his clients’ lives, the lines between acting and real connection blur. The work is ethically messy, sometimes tender, and ultimately pushes him toward purpose and belonging without tipping into cynicism.

• Release year: 2025
• Director: Hikari
• Key cast: Brendan Fraser, Akira Emoto
• IMDb: 7.9/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 86% Tomatometer, 96% Audience Score
• Status: In theaters now

Why Fraser said yes

Fraser was blunt: he was looking for a job, the title made him double-take, and Hikari’s approach — leaning into both the thorny and soft parts of the premise — sold him. He read the script before The Whale Oscars run and says he would have done it regardless. Winning didn’t change his choices so much as it sharpened his focus: earn the momentum, don’t coast, keep working at a high level.

Bottom line: it’s a deceptively simple premise that sneaks up on you. Fraser underplays it, Hikari keeps the tone honest, and Emoto quietly breaks your heart. If it made Johnson cry, that’s a pretty strong endorsement.