Dwayne Johnson has shared a sentimental Instagram post regarding his “Mummy Returns” co-star Brendan Fraser.
On March 16, the “Black Adam” actor reflected on reuniting with Fraser the night of Fraser’s big win at the Academy Awards.
“Very cool full circle moment here with my longtime buddy Brendan Fraser and his sons,” Johnson captioned the post. “My very first film of my Hollywood career was THE MUMMY RETURNS, which Brendan was the star.”
In 2001, the two actors starred alongside each other in the sequel to the 1999 adventure horror film “The Mummy.” Fraser played the part of Rick O’Connell, a treasure hunter and adventurer, while Johnson portrayed one of the film’s primary antagonists, an ancient warrior known as the Scorpion King.
In his post about Fraser, Johnson described working on “The Mummy Returns” during a time when there were “lots of critics and cynics betting against” him. In contrast, he wrote, “Brendan welcomed me with open arms and was very supportive.”
“I never forget kind people,” he added. “Now, years later, Brendan wins his Oscar for BEST ACTOR in ‘The Whale,’ and I went on to become famous for wearing a fanny pack. Congratulations, brother — enjoy your flowers.”
Johnson, aka The Rock, cocked an eyebrow in his peach silk tuxedo jacket, while Blunt mugged for the camera in her white Valentino dress.
The Oscars posted a photo of the pair’s playful pose to their Twitter account on March 12, prompting a big response from fans.
“A casual moment backstage between Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson,” the caption said.
One Twitter user pointed out the resemblance to a scene in the 2003 movie “Elf,” where a giant Will Ferrell sat on tiny Bob Newhart’s lap.
“Love this completely random photo/tweet in the middle of all the official nominees. Need more of this,” another fan said.
The duo presented the award for best animated feature. Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” was the category’s winner.
Johnson, 50, and Blunt, 40, had reportedly never met before their roles in Disney’s “Jungle Cruise,” which came out in 2021.
But Johnson thought Blunt would be perfect for the movie, and he even sent her a heartfelt video as a persuasion tactic, he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021.
“I must have shot it about five or six times because I had not communicated with Emily yet,” Johnson told THR. “I had not even met her. And I wanted to let her know via this video just how important she was to this movie and how I only wanted her in this movie.”
Speaking to Parade in 2021, the actress remarked she had imagined Johnson to be a “larger-than-life person with a personality to match,” and was surprised to learn she was wrong.
“I soon realized he was this gentle soul,” she said. “He’s also wise and funny. The antithesis of what you’d expect. I knew we were going to buds just after that one night.”
source:today.com
