On one condition, Brendan Fraser said he’d consider returning to the “Mummy” film franchise.
In a new interview, Fraser discussed his return to acting. He recently appeared in “The Whale” and will be in Martin Scorsese’s next feature “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
Despite the new roles, the actor has stated that he would consider reprising his role as Rick O’Connell in the “Mummy” franchise.
“I’m not sure how it would work,” Fraser said to Variety. “However, if someone came up with the appropriate notion, I’d be open to it.”
Fraser made his film debut in 1999 with “The Mummy.” He returned to the role in 2001’s “The Mummy Returns” and 2008’s “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.”
In 2017, Tom Cruise attempted his own remake of “The Mummy,” which was a big office disappointment.
“It’s difficult to make that movie,” Fraser said. “The element we had for our ‘Mummy,’ which I didn’t see in the new one, was enjoyable. That was missing in that incarnation. It was too much of a straight-up horror film. ‘The Mummy’ should be a thrilling ride, but not horrifying or frightening.”
Fraser has mostly avoided the limelight since dealing with bodily difficulties as a result of completing many of his own stunts on TV. The actor has previously spoken up about his sadness since an alleged sexual assault event in 2003.
In 2018, Fraser claimed that former Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Philip Berk sexually abused him in 2003. The actor also claimed that the incident contributed to his career’s demise.
“I became depressed,” Fraser explained to GQ at the time. “I was blaming myself and depressed because I was thinking, ‘This is nothing; this guy reached around and got a feel.’ For me, [work] withered on the vine. Something had been taken away from me, at least in my mind.”
Berk disputed the charges, however, he did write about the incident in his 2014 biography, stating he did it “in fun.”
In “The Whale,” Fraser returns to the big screen for what many believe will be an Oscar-nominated performance as Charlie, a 600-pound gay man who believes his life is coming to an end.
The part marks a significant comeback for Fraser’s career, as it is his first leading role in nearly a decade.
The “Crash” star says he’s glad to be back in demand.
“I was never that far away,” Fraser said, according to Variety. “You won’t be able to get rid of me that easily. But I’m thankful to have a job. I’m still waiting for someone to approach me, hand me a dish towel, and say, ‘Fraser, get back in the kitchen.'”