Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Read more
Brendan Fraser is known for his legendary career comeback after a years-long hiatus from acting — but the Oscar winner has now revealed a moment that made him question everything.
While speaking with actor Dwayne Johnson during the pair’sVariety & CNN Actors on Actors interview, Fraser recalled realizing that he wanted to tackle other film genres besides action movies.
“There comes a point where you fall apart,” Fraser said in the interview published Monday. The 57-year-old said he was filming a low-budget movie in Ontario during sometime between 2007 and 2009 when he reached that point.
“And I was playing hurt but pretending that I wasn’t. The movie ended and I thought, “I’m getting too old for this s***. It’s starting to catch up with me,” The Mummy actor said.
“If I’m going to continue, I have to have a real reckoning with myself about why I am getting banged around and bruised.”
open image in gallery
‘Rental Family’ is Brendan Fraser’s first leading role after he won the Oscar for ‘The Whale’ (Getty Images)
open image in gallery
Dwayne Johnson stars in UFC biopic ‘The Smashing Machine’ (A24)
Fraser said he then had to ask himself why he was doing such physically challenging projects.
“I was feeling like, unless it hurts, then I’m not earning my keep,” the actor said.
Johnson, 53, said he understood Fraser’s feeling as another action star who began to take on more serious dramatic roles later in his career.
Fraser recently starred in a drama about Japan’s rental family service called Rental Family, while Johnson starred as UFC legend Mark Kerr in the boxing biopic The Smashing Machine.
The two actors were reunited in Variety’s annual series after first working together on The Mummy franchise’s 2001 film The Mummy Returns, which gave Johnson his Hollywood debut after working as a professional wrestler.
At the beginning of the full-circle interview, Johnson thanked Fraser, who starred in the beloved franchise, for welcoming him onto his first ever movie set.
open image in gallery
Fraser stars in a new drama about Japan’s rental family service (Searchlight Pictures)
“It meant something to me, because you took a risk on me, and years later, you and I are sitting here. I want to thank you for really changing my life,” Johnson said.
However, Fraser stayed humble and would not accept too much credit, insisting that Johnson was perfect for the role.
This is not the first time that the Mummy franchise has come up for Fraser recently. The star said last month that he will be reprising his role as adventurer Rick O’Connell in the forthcoming fourth movie of the series.
“I’ve been waiting 20 years for this call. Sometimes it was loud, sometimes it was a faint telegraph. Now? It’s time to give the fans what they want,” Fraser said.