Brendan Fraser will go down in history as a Hollywood icon. Not only was he a 90s heartthrob, but he also has the acting chops to match. That’s the perfect recipe for a real movie star.
The Mummy was his huge break into Hollywood. Almost 30 years later, it has a cult status like no other (thanks to the bisexuals). In fact, that status is a major reason a new installment starring Fraser and Rachel Weisz is on the way.
One of Fraser’s prior projects, the vine rope-swinging George of the Jungle, was the catalyst for him stepping into the boots of Rick O’Connell.
In order to create a franchise as iconic as The Mummy, Director-writer Stephen Sommers knew that he’d not only have to cast someone who looks the part, but someone who had undeniable chemistry with Weisz. After seeing Fraser’s ability in George of the Jungle to fly around half-naked, he knew he had the perfect Rick.
According to Hollywood rumors, several A-list action actors—Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck—were considered for the role.
Not only that, the 90s produced many serious, brooding, and edgy stars. Fraser was the antithesis of this. He wasn’t afraid to poke fun at toxic masculinity, which ironically made him appear more masculine. His comedic timing and unserious (at times) attitude are what make Rick stand out as a beloved action hero.
It helped that George of the Jungle became a box office hit, grossing $174.4 million against a $55 million budget. This was further proof for Sommers and Universal that Fraser was capable of carrying a film and making it a huge global hit. The Mummy raked in over $400 million against an $80 million budget, all thanks to Fraser’s chiseled square jawline.
Unfortunately, when it came time for a second installment of George of the Jungle, Fraser’s stocks were too high. He was worth more than Disney was willing to shell out. At least according to the actor himself.
“I think ‘George’ got a remake, and they built a joke into it that the studio was too cheap to hire me, which wasn’t inaccurate,” he told Entertainment Weekly in 2022.
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