American actor and professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson credits Brendan Fraser for “changing his life”.
In his interview with Variety, Johnson explained his reason for being eternally grateful for the Oscar winner, approving him in the 2001 movie The Mummy Returns. The picture that marked The Rock’s big-screen debut.
In conversation with Fraser for Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series, Johnson said: “You and I first connected on The Mummy Returns. That was one of the biggest franchises in the world at that time. I was ready to make my transition into Hollywood.
“And there was a moment where you could have said, ‘This guy, Dwayne Johnson, he’s never acted before, he’s in pro wrestling’. The word I got back was, ‘Brendan loves the idea. He’s welcomed you with open arms’.
“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”.
Brendan recalled how he thought that Dwayne would be “inspired casting” as antagonist The Scorpion King.
The 57-year-old actor, who played the role of Rick O’Connell in the fantasy flick, told the WWE icon: “You were always the right guy for the job. When I was told that you were a possibility for it, forgive me, but I didn’t know you from the wrestling world. And when I was shown, I said, ‘That is inspired casting. We’d be lucky to get the guy’.
“You need a stadium persona to play a villain you love to hate. It’s going to take a lot of confidence and belief. In the wrestling world, you were painting with a 10-inch brush – you need to have big energy. And your paintings are getting better all the time. I’ve seen The Smashing Machine”.
Fraser won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in 2022 movie The Whale and Johnson has reflected on his feelings he felt seeing the applause for his friend’s psychological drama at the Venice Film Festival.
The Black Adam actor said: “That moment rocked me and it moved me. I had not experienced Venice until The Smashing Machine. I’ve watched it from afar.
“And then I see this long applause for you. You’re emotional; I’m emotional watching you get emotional. But I felt such joy for you because I felt like that’s what you work for.
“The other stuff that comes our way – if it does well, great. If it flops, OK, we move on. But that ceremonial applause for something that you ripped yourself open and you went elsewhere. I was so happy for my friend and even more inspired. I want to do that. I want to find that role”.