Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson reflects on his Hollywood beginnings and thanks this star for changing the trajectory of his life.
On a recent episode of CNN’s Actors on Actors, Dwayne Johnson sat down with his The Mummy Returns co-star, Brendan Fraser. During their conversation, the WWE Superstar expressed his sincere gratitude to Fraser for welcoming him into his franchise and changing the trajectory of his life.
“You and I first connected on The Mummy Returns. And that was one of the biggest franchises in the world at that time, in our industry, beloved around the world. You were the face of that franchise,” The Rock said. “And the flowers I want to give is, I was ready to make my transition into Hollywood, and I was excited, and I had this opportunity to be casted in your movie as the Scorpion King.
“I remember meeting with Steven Summers, our director, and met with all the folks at Universal. And I was so excited, but I knew, because they told me, you know, we’re just gonna talk to Brandon. Because I said, hey, how was it? Is it okay? And they said, well, we’re gonna talk to him.
“And so there was a moment I feel like, where you could have said, Hey, listen, I love this idea of a character called the Scorpion King, but this guy, Dwayne Johnson’s never acted before. I know he’s in pro wrestling. I’m not quite too sure. This is a beloved franchise. It felt like Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the word that I got back was Brandon loves the idea. He welcomes you with open arms, and it really meant something to me.
Brendan Fraser took a risk on The Rock
“Because not only was it your franchise, and you took a shot and a risk with me, who had never acted back then, but also that kicked off my career, and it went from the Mummy Returns to then The Scorpion King. To years later, you and I are sitting here, and I, just as always, but now here I want to say thank you, man. And thank you for for in a way, in a big way, really changing my life because the trajectory that you allowed to happen led me to be here.”
Fraser was emotionally moved by Johnson’s words and told him he was too kind. He also admitted that The Rock was always the right guy for the job.
The Rock has been nominated for a Golden Globe
Today has been a big day for The Rock. In addition to this interview dropping, he was also nominated for his first-ever Golden Globe Award for his performance in The Smashing Machine.
Johnson is up for Best Performance by a Male Actor (Drama). However, he’s facing some incredibly stiff competition in that category.
The following names are nominated for this Golden Globe:
- Joel Edgerton (Train Dreams)
- Oscar Isaac (Frankenstein)
- Dwayne Johnson (The Smashing Machine)
- Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
- Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)
- Jeremy Allen White (Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere)
Johnson’s co-star Emily Blunt has also been nominated for a Golden Globe. She finds herself in the category of Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.
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What do you make of The Rock’s comments? Do you think Johnson would have been able to successfully break into Hollywood if not for The Mummy Returns? Let us know your overall thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
If you use any of these quotes, please credit Actors on Actors with a link to this article for the transcription.
