Brendan Fraser, who won the Best Lead Actor award at the Oscars in March for his role in Darren Aronofsky’s drama The Whale, has revealed that he is currently unemployed, despite his recent career renaissance.

Fraser had taken a break from the spotlight to deal with personal issues including divorce, his mother’s death, health problems and an alleged assault by the then-president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Speaking at the Greenwich International Film Festival’s opening Inspiration Talk and award ceremony, Fraser said: “At the moment, I don’t have anything – I’m really being picky right now.”

Fraser joked that he had “read the trades the other day” and “apparently, I’m going to have to pick up a picket sign” in reference to the Writers Guild of America strike.

However, he did mention his involvement in Martin Scorsese’s upcoming crime drama Killers of the Flower Moon, which will premiere at Cannes Film Festival in a few weeks.

Fraser said: “I will tell you that I’m excited to see it myself,” adding, “There’s so many actors in this movie when you see it. I’ll arrive for a scene or two at the end.”

Fraser first rose to fame in the early 1990s with his roles in the comedy Encino Man and the drama School Ties.

He went on to become a household name for his performances in George of the Jungle and The Mummy trilogy.

Fraser has also appeared in dramatic roles, including in Gods and Monsters, The Quiet American and the 2006 Best Picture winner Crash.

The actor has previously spoken about his time away from the industry.

In 2018, he told GQ that he had been in a “period of reinvention” following the breakdown of his marriage, and had taken up roles in theatre and independent films.

The Greenwich International Film Festival runs until 12 May and features screenings of more than 60 films, as well as panel discussions and Q&A sessions with industry figures.

This year’s films include The Killing of Two Lovers, a US drama about a couple going through a separation, and The Lost Leonardo, a documentary about the discovery of a long-lost painting believed to be by Leonardo da Vinci.

The festival’s opening night saw the presentation of the Changemaker Award to Stacey Abrams, the politician and activist who played a key role in fighting voter suppression in Georgia during the 2020 US presidential election.

The award recognises individuals who have brought about positive social change through their work.

Previous recipients include filmmaker Renee Zellweger, actress and activist Mia Farrow and former UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon.

The festival will also feature a number of discussions about environmental issues.

A panel entitled “The Climate Crisis and the Future of Our Planet” will include nature filmmaker and conservationist James Balog and former US secretary of energy Ernest Moniz.

Another panel, entitled “Sustainable Filmmaking: Producing Films with the Planet in Mind”, will feature producer and director Lisa Cortés, who is currently working on a documentary about the impact of climate change on indigenous communities.

The festival was founded in 2014 by Wendy Stapleton Reyes, Carina Crain and Colleen deVeer and aims to celebrate film-making while supporting social causes.

It has previously raised more than $1m for charity.

“We want to create a platform for storytellers and filmmakers to come and share their work,” said Stapleton Reyes.