Now that Brendan Fraser is slowly making a comeback in the entertainment industry after his successful performance in The Whale, it is time for him to take on new projects and join popular franchises, just like the good old The Mummy films series that earned him fame during the early 2000s.
Avid fans of Fraser could remember that the actor almost died in a filming accident on the set of The Mummy way back in 1999. It was almost a near-death experience that could have ended his career (and life) early on. Fraser portrayed Rick O’Connell, the protagonist character in The Mummy.
Brendan Fraser Almost Lost His Life And Career On Set
Considered one of the best adventure movies of all time, The Mummy’s production included several set locations, but many scenes were filmed in Morocco and the Sahara. The intense heat almost caused dehydration, sandstorms were huge problems, and the wildlife was truly crazy that people had to be carried up in the air to avoid getting bitten.
Brendan Fraser’s scene where he was hanged almost took his life, literally. The shooting for that scene was ruined by several mistakes. The actor shared this horrible experience in his interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying he “did get fully choked out.” Fraser did the close-up shots while a stuntman was required on most wide-angle shots. Director Stephen Sommer requested a second take with the rope a bit tighter. The stuntman mistakenly tied it a little too tense, and Fraser wanted to make it look realistic, but it choked him until he passed out.
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Filming Set Accidents Happen More Often Than We Know
Advanced technology and safety measures have progressed over the years, but, during Fraser’s time shooting for The Mummy, many scenes had to be performed physically. This is certainly not the first time that actors almost died on set due to mistakes as such. Isla Fisher almost drowned while filming Now You See Me, where her character was doing a magic trick submerged in water. Leonardo DiCaprio too injured himself on the set of Django Unchained which resulted in his hands getting all bloody.
Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between great acting and a call for help, so it is important to have someone always on stand by and recognize signals. But, now that Brendan Fraser is back at his game again and ready to conquer Hollywood with new and upcoming projects, his career will continue to thrive despite the infamous accident that happened to him decades ago.
