Long before he became a top Hollywood star, the world knew Dwayne Johnson as WWE wrestling champion. The actor knew he wanted to make his transition to acting and got his first big break as the Mathayus the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns (2001), headlined by Brendan Fraser. During an interview with Variety for their Actors on Actors series, Johnson started the conversation by thanking Fraser for playing a pivotal role in launching his acting career.
Heaping praise on the actor, Johnson expressed his gratitude to him for not turning him away when he wanted to star in the sequel to The Mummy (1999). He said that he heard back from the George of the Jungle actor that he "loved the idea" and was ready to "welcome you with open arms".
"I’d love to start off our conversation by giving you flowers. OK? I’m going to deliver a lot of flowers to your doorstep right now. You and I first connected on The Mummy Returns. That was one of the biggest franchises in the world at that time. I was ready to make my transition into Hollywood. And there was a moment where you could have said, 'This guy, Dwayne Johnson, he’s never acted before; he’s in pro wrestling.' The word I got back was, 'Brendan loves the idea. He welcomed you with open arms.' It meant something to me," he said, noting that despite the risky idea of casting a newcomer who hasn't acted before, he and the production team were onboard with the decision.
"...Years later, you and I are sitting here. I want to thank you for really changing my life," he shared. On his post on Instagram, Johnson said, "I'll love and respect him for life and I'll always be in his corner rooting him on."
Replying to his words, Fraser acknowledged his kindness and asserted that he was "always the right guy for the job."
He added, "When I was told that you were a possibility for it, forgive me, but I didn’t know you from the wrestling world. And when I was shown, I said, “That is inspired casting. We’d be lucky to get the guy.” You need a stadium persona to play a villain you love to hate. It’s going to take a lot of confidence and belief. In the wrestling world, you were painting with a 10-inch brush — you need to have big energy." Further, he praised Johnson's acting in his recent film The Smashing Machine.
The Mummy Returns marked Johnson’s transition from wrestling to mainstream acting. Directed by Stephen Sommers, it was the second film in The Mummy film series. Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, and Patricia Velásquez reprised their roles from the previous film. A third film The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor was released in 2008.
After The Mummy Returns, Dwayne Johnson played his first leading role in the action fantasy film The Scorpion King. He has since starred in several films, making his name as a leading actor in the industry.
After The Smashing Machine, where he essayed the role of UFC fighter Mark Kerr, he will star as Maui in the upcoming live-action Moana film. He has previously voiced the character in the Disney animated film and its sequel Moana 2. He also has Jumanji 3, which is currently in production.
Meanwhile, a fourth Mummy film, starring Fraser and Weisz is currently in the works, announced the makers recently.
