Dwayne Johnson Shows Support For Brendan Fraser Amid Hollywood Comeback

Actor Dwayne Johnson is showing support for his former costar Brendan Fraser amid his return to Hollywood.

The two previously starred together in 2001’s “The Mummy Returns,” which saw Brendan Fraser reprise his role as Rick O’Connell from 1999’s “The Mummy.”

The film inspired the prequel film “The Scorpion King,” which was released in 2002. The Rock's breakout role in the movie helped him become a Hollywood A-Lister today.

After his new film, "The Whale," was shown at the Venice Film Festival, the audience gave him a six-minute standing ovation, which reduced the 53-year-old actor to tears.

The "Red Notice" actor retweeted a video of the incident to his Twitter page, adding a thoughtful caption showing support for his former costar.

"Man this makes me so happy to see this beautiful ovation for Brendan," he wrote. "He supported me coming into his Mummy Returns franchise for my first ever role, which kicked off my Hollywood career."

"Rooting for all your success brother and congrats to my bud Darren Aronofsky," he added, praising the film's director as well.

In an interview with Deadline, Fraser said that playing the obese teacher Charlie was “the biggest challenge” of his long film career. However, he had nothing but praise for his character, saying that “Charlie is the most heroic man I have ever played because his superpower is to seek the good in others and bring that out in them. In that process, he’s on his journey of salvation.”

Fraser was forced to wear a prosthetic suit for the film, which required Fraser to change the way he moved and walked to fully commit to the part.

“I needed to learn to move in a new way. I developed muscles I didn’t know I had,” he explained. “I even felt a sense of vertigo at the end of the day when the appliances were removed, that undulating feeling and that gave me an appreciation for those whose bodies are similar. I learned that you need to be an incredibly strong person physically, mentally, to inhabit that physical being.”

Director Darren Aronofsky revealed that he has actually spent the past ten years preparing the film, which included casting the lead role.

“Casting Charlie was a huge challenge. I considered everyone, all types of actors, every movie star, but none of it ever clicked, it didn’t move me,” he explained. “A couple of years ago, I caught a trailer from a low-budget Brazilian movie with Brendan, and a lightbulb went off. We did a reading, and I got chills from the moment these two were interacting.”

The two he was referring to were Brendan Fraser and “Stranger Things” alum Sadie Sink, who plays Charlie’s estranged daughter Ellie in the film.

Aronofsky said he was inspired to create “The Whale” after watching Sam Hunter’s play in New York, which caused him to feel “deeply moved” by the characters. “I knew the seed material of the play could give us the realm to keep the camera moving and keep the audience interested,” he explained.

“Charlie’s physical mobility is limited to his home space, which is his couch,” Fraser explained. “His story is told behind closed doors. He’s a light in a dark space. It’s poetic that the trauma he carries is manifest in the physical weight of his body.”

The “George of the Jungle” star also reflected on his long career, saying, “I looked different in those days. My journey to where I am now has been to explore as many characters as I can. I’m looking forward to how this film makes a deep impression on everyone as much as it has on me.”

“The Whale” will be released in theaters on December 9, 2022.