Brendan Fraser surprised fans by coming to a Mummy screening in costume
Brendan Fraser is riding high from his very first Oscar nomination for his role in The Whale. Everyone is happy for him because we love Brendan and want good things for him. It turns out, Brendan wants good things for us too (which is part of the reason we love him) and he makes them happen. Over the weekend, there was a special double bill for fans of The Mummy at the Prince Charles Cinema. Before the films, the organizers announced a special guest, the star, Brendan Fraser, who walked to the stage dressed as his Mummy character, Rick O’Connell.
Brendan Fraser took a break from his Oscar press tour for “The Whale” to give his fans the surprise of a lifetime at a recent double feature screening of “The Mummy” and “The Mummy Returns” in London. The Prince Charles Cinema screened Fraser’s original two “Mummy” movies on 35mm on Jan. 20, an event that Fraser couldn’t resist the opportunity to show up to himself. Fraser stopped by the event and was met by a big standing ovation.
“I am proud to stand before you tonight,” Fraser told the audience. “This is a film that was made in Britain. You should know that! Even the second one, too. Be proud. Thank you for being here.”
“We had no idea what kind of movie we were making when we shot this,” Fraser added. “We didn’t know if it was a drama or a comedy or an action or a horror picture or a romance… all the above. We had no idea until it tested in front of British audiences. Thank you for that.”
I posted the video below. The best part is the audience sounds excited, but like they don’t truly believe it’s happening until they see him. When they realize Brendan is really there and this isn’t a prank, their applause becomes fevered. Some jump up and others get up but don’t know if they should and get stuck in that half-crouch, should I stand? applause position. Brendan broke the audience. He looked good, too. Just goes to show you the power of a good costumer. Rick’s scarf is still melting knees 24 years later. You know I’m a sucker for someone who remembers their fans. I’m a Brendan fan in general, but I love that he’s returning the love he’s getting. Like, we all showed up to remind him we had his back and he’s telling us he remembers why we fell for him. Or, maybe he’s just as big a fan of The Mummy as we are.
I saw someone on Twitter say we have to get Brendan a decent film so we can stop pretending The Whale isn’t a problematic film. Good actors are frequently given Oscars they should have won earlier for roles that weren’t their best. I’m sure Brendan does a decent job in The Whale, and I know it’s autobiographical for the screenwriter but wow. I, too, wish we could find Brendan something we didn’t have to skirt around all the issues to discuss in a good way.
Photo credit: Getty Images
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