You’ve watched Brendan Fraser take on roles in different comedy and fantasy films, and he just seems to be the perfect fit for the Rick O’Connell role. Before this successful alter ego match, however, the role had actually been offered to some of the biggest actors in Hollywood.
Rick O’Connell could have been played by Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, or even Ben Affleck. The director, James Jacks, also offered the role to Tom Cruise, who later on starred in the reboot film. They all turned it down, though, and Brendan Fraser became the adventurer who journeyed into the city of the dead.
The Main Star
Brendan Fraser starred as the main character in the box-office movie, George of the Jungle. James Jacks and Stephen Sommers, the directors of The Mummy, saw how George of the Jungle took over the cinemas. Sommers had an epiphany moment and knew that Fraser would bring life to the character of Rick O’Connell.
Fraser seemed to exude the swag and spirit of the character in Sommer’s mind. “Rick O’Connell doesn’t take himself too seriously,” Fraser said about his role. He knew that if the character acted otherwise, the audience wouldn’t get the same thrill out of their journey to Hamunaptra.
The Carnahans and The Carnarvons
Of course, we’ve got to talk about Evie Carnahan. This intelligent Egyptologist was played by English actress, Rachel Weisz, in The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. Did you know that there is a hidden meaning in the characters name?
Evelyn might be an ordinary name, but writers put serious thought into the naming of their characters. Evelyn Carnahan is actually an homage to Lady Evelyn Carnarvon, the daughter of Egyptologist, Lord Carnarvon. The Carnarvons etched their names in history when they opened the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922. Talk about legacy!
Weisz in a Horror Film
Everyone was shocked when it was announced that Rachel Weisz took on the role of Evelyn Carnahan. She wasn’t fond of horror films and no one had really expected her to jump into that genre, at least on the silver screen. She had performed as a theater actress and handled roles in thrillers pretty well, so she wasn’t completely unprepared to make the leap.
So, why would she accept the role offered by The Mummy? Simple. Weisz didn’t think of The Mummy as a standard horror film. She had been pressed with the same question during various interviews and press conferences and offered the same answer every time. “It’s hokum, a comic book world.” No wonder it was a blockbuster.
Arnold Vosloo
So, who was the brave actor who played the mummy? The role was brought to life by none other than the famous South African stage actor, Arnold Vosloo. Vosloo and Sommers had a connection that worked out pretty well for the film.
The actor agreed to play Imhotep, one of the Pharaoh’s adviser, but before taking the job, he said that he would only take the role if he “could do it absolutely straight.” Sommers agreed, and Vosloo did a smash hit job in the role. Vosloo added that coming from Imhotep’s point of view, “The Mummy is a skewed version of Romeo and Juliet.” But the film didn’t come to a tragic end in the cinemas. It was a success.