Nearly 25 years after The Mummy Returns hit theaters, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson got the chance to publicly thank the person who gave him his first shot at Hollywood stardom. During Variety’s latest Actors on Actors conversation, Johnson sat down with his former co-star Brendan Fraser and delivered what can only be described as a heartfelt tribute to the actor who believed in him when nobody else in Hollywood had reason to.
The exchange happened naturally as the two actors reconnected, but Johnson made it clear he had something important to say. He opened the conversation by giving Fraser his flowers—both literally and figuratively—for the role he played in launching Johnson’s entire acting career. At the time, The Mummy franchise was one of the biggest properties in cinema, and Fraser was its undisputed star. When Johnson was being considered for the role of the Scorpion King, he was still just a professional wrestler with zero acting experience.
#BrendanFraser says he owes #DwayneJohnson "a debt of gratitude" for supporting "The Whale" during the film's awards campaign, calling him "a godfather of sorts of the success of that project."
Watch Variety and @CNN's #ActorsOnActors now at https://t.co/VtzY0g8g9J and on the… pic.twitter.com/Vw2O9C1rhB
— Variety (@Variety) December 8, 2025
When wrestling met Hollywood
Johnson’s casting in The Mummy Returns was far from a guaranteed success. The film’s director, Stephen Sommers, and the team at Universal Pictures needed Fraser’s approval before moving forward with the decision. As Johnson recounted during the interview, there was a very real possibility that Fraser could have shut down the idea entirely. After all, The Mummy Returns was a beloved franchise that Fraser had helped build, and bringing in an unproven wrestler was a significant gamble.
“There was a moment where you could have said, ‘This guy, Dwayne Johnson, he’s never acted before; he’s in pro wrestling,'” Johnson explained. “The word I got back was, ‘Brendan loves the idea. He welcomed you with open arms.’ It meant something to me, because you took a risk on me.”
That risk paid off in ways nobody could have predicted. Johnson’s portrayal of the ancient warrior Mathayus, who becomes the Scorpion King after selling his soul to Anubis, became one of the most memorable parts of the film. His natural charisma translated perfectly to the big screen, and Universal was quick to capitalize on it by green-lighting The Scorpion King spin-off just a year later.
From one scene to superstardom
What makes this story even more remarkable is that Johnson and Fraser barely interacted during the actual filming of The Mummy Returns. Due to the heavy use of CGI for the Scorpion King’s terrifying hybrid form, most of Johnson’s performance was captured separately. Fraser jokingly recalled being in scenes with “a 28-foot-tall dreadlocks-flapping bug-man” rather than Johnson himself.
Despite the lack of on-set interaction, the professional bond between them remained strong. Fraser responded to Johnson’s gratitude with characteristic humility, insisting that Johnson was always the right choice for the role. “When I was told that you were a possibility for it, forgive me, but I didn’t know you from the wrestling world,” Fraser admitted. “And when I was shown, I said, ‘That is inspired casting. We’d be lucky to get the guy.'”
The impact of that decision is now impossible to ignore. Since The Mummy Returns, Johnson has become one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood, appearing in at least one major film nearly every year. From the Fast & Furious franchise to Jumanji to his recent dramatic turn in The Smashing Machine, Johnson’s range and box office appeal have made him a true cinema powerhouse.
Looking back at their reunion during the Actors on Actors interview, it’s clear that both men have nothing but respect and admiration for each other. Johnson’s willingness to publicly acknowledge the role Fraser played in his success speaks volumes about his character, while Fraser’s continued support shows why he was the perfect person to give Johnson that first opportunity.
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