The Mummy: Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz’s RARE On-Set Interviews (Flashback)

Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz chatted with ET on the set of 1999’s horror-adventure classic, ‘The Mummy.’ In these behind-the-scenes interviews, the actors explained how they were resurrecting the iconic Universal Pictures monster with a comedy and romance-infused update. Rachel shared her excitement for playing Egyptologist and librarian Evie, which became the British actress’ breakout role after ‘The Mummy’ scared up over $400 million at the worldwide box office. As for Brendan, he offered his retroactively accurate prediction that Rick O’Connell would face off against Imhotep more than once on the big screen. Plus, John Hannah, who plays Evie’s ne’er-do-well brother, told ET why it was important for the ensemble to give 100% to every scene in the fantasy-fueled epic, from escaping ancient scarabs to the climatic final battle at Hamunaptra.

this film incorporates elements of
action adventure uh comedy
and definitely scary moments and mystery
and horror they’re all spun into this
picture it’s a full moon
yeah I think Brandon is incredibly
strong so I bet I just have to hold his
hand and and I’m you know feel very safe
around him he’s you know’s 6′ and he’s
just very strong and I just I trust him
so I feel very safe doing stunts with
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him mummies do a pretty exciting updated
version of The
Mummy I think it’s going to take the
best parts of what made uh mummy film so
popular an enduring legend about a
pharaoh who’s essentially looking for
his lost life I’m just trying to make
the guy go back to sleep he’s just
looking for his girlfriend do you really
want to know
yes then get me the hell out of
here this is a PG-13 movie this is a
family film I’m the librarian he gets
caught up with the wrong people and ends
off in the you know with treasure
Seekers going down the tombs in Kyo
she’s a strong woman and she’s quite Cy
yeah I like her why did you kiss me no I
was about to be hanged it seemed like a
good idea at the time
what what’ I say Rachel Weiss who plays
Evelyn the librarian come adventuress
has just opened up uh the Black Book of
the Dead which is a spell book her
curiosity got the best of her and she
read the spell unbeknownst to us we’ve
awakened the mummy he’s very angry and
he’s sent one of the 10 plagues locusts
barring across the Horizon to well is
trying and have us and
action what have we done and
cut i b lots of books about um
egyptology CU I play in egyptologist I
got one book called how to decipher
hieroglyphics which I’ve actually I’ve
never opened to be honest with you Rick
carel a wering somewhat adventuring
thrill seeking soldier who escaped death
sort of as a a daily ritual he’s in the
French borign legionaire and finds
himself teamed up
with a group of egyptologists and other
Seekers of the Lost Treasure of
hamatra kind of spearheading the
campaign Brandon is incredibly easy to
work with he’s very just really
instinctive very funny he’s got a huge
range I think as an actor he’s just it’s
just been easy really really a pleasure
he’s still
still juy yes it’s a romantic adventure
mummy
movie there’s lots of action and horror
and special effects and comedy John
Hannah is providing our uh definitely
our comic backdrop John’s sense of humor
and Scottish sensibility is been faring
away one of our crowning Assets in this
picture
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I play Rachel’s brother who’s a little
bit of a little bit of a never done well
in his life at anything really character
who finds this key which is he’s the
kind of treasure Seeker really he’s just
over here looking to make some money
once we’ve rised the mommy from the dead
he has to he’s he’s kind of rotting and
he has to regenerate his body and um he
has to
kill a whole bunch of people in order to
regenerate and then he has to sacrifice
me at the end um I will be his final
little sacrifice let me guess spring
clean Nice Shot Kevin J ooc Conor is uh
turning in a really funny and eclectic
and um unpredictable performances Benny
uh my uh my begrudging
sidekick arch nemesis it looks to me
like I’ve got all the
horses hey Benny
looks to me like you’re on the wrong
side of the river PLS are very bad they
don’t want to bring back legs but I I
don’t I’m a scientist I don’t believe
that I don’t believe in curses and stuff
like that thought you said you didn’t
believe in that fairy tales and hulum
stuff you having an encounter with a
3,000 year old walking talking corse
does tend to convert one it’s really
tough work
actually as you can see you deal with
the heat you deal with the exhaustion
you deal with sand and everything it’s
just that’s where we are and at the end
of the day it’s going to make a really
neat movie I think maybe I’ll make a
snow picture soon we had spend about 2
weeks starting to ride camels um at a
camel ranch place in
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mares the secret running Hamel is
leaning back you feel insecure so you
kind of hunch forwards thing is you have
to Le right the way back and just move
with the camel otherwise you will fall
off I mean they they have they don’t
like hes have a graceful stride camels
just kind of like just all over the
place yeah they quite difficult they
comfortable you get real SS on your and
your butt as you call it in America even
be faster patience is a
virtue not right now it isn’t uh I think
I’ll go get the car started it’s been
hard in terms of the day it’s been very
very hot but no it’s been fun I mean the
movie is very very fun it’s like a big
fun Adventure romp you know and it’s
been no we’ve had real fun making it
it’s just hard in in that when it’s 140
Dees it’s as hard as 140° is it’s just
hot hot hot hot hot you have to still
sit very still like a lizard sometimes
just to conserve your energy just
cuz just hot I think you learned
something of every film you make and uh
I think the basics are pretty much what
I’ve uh relied on to see me through this
picture and that is to show up on time
have a good relationship with people and
and uh and work hard that and Q-tips are
really really probably my favorite part
of the day sand everywhere I think I’m
most impressed by the location to tell
you the truth because it’s it’s
conducive to such great cinematography
we’ve got beautiful sunsets and sunrises
dramatic Rocky settings a whole host of
different geographical Landscapes right
here in Morocco to shoot
with I think that the the variety in the
terrain is all endemic in the world of
the film we’re lucky to be here it’s an
exciting
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time part of the the requirements really
for for any character in the film is is
to is to sort of imbue The Passion of
the moment you know via the audience if
if you want the audience to feel that
excited and that thrilled by the moment
then that has to in some way correlate
with how how excited how exciting the
each character is so so when when you’re
on you know you’re on 100% there’s no
there’s no kind of nice comfortable
little sitting in the easy chair having
a chat scenes it’s all it’s all action
it’s all Adventure it’s all high high
energy you know high octane stuff and
that that takes it out of you to to be
like even like my character is a bit of
a bit of a fo
really oh yes I see the person who’s
been doing the most training is the
mommy Arnold cuz he had to get like
really caught you always assume a risk
when you take on a a film
that’s has as many um action elements as
this one does but I think like every
experience it’s been a hard one it
always looks better in the pictures in
the end but you walk away with the best
parts of the
experience and uh I’ve had a very
positive one a very good one and a
rewarding one CU I think that um you
nothing comes easy and if every if this
was easy everybody would be doing it so
that’s why we’re here
death is only the beginning I think that
that watching these films is is such fun
that you know being part of the roller
coaster which was part of the attraction
you know is
um it’s deluding to think that it’s just
like a lot of fun and you’re out here
having a laugh and messing around it
really is quite intense
well I guess we go home
empty-handed again I wouldn’t say
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that
please I think it’s entertainment it’s
fantasy um
it’s enjoyment you know Thrills it’s
like a roller coaster ride with romance
and jokes this could pave the way for
the whole new series of mummy pictures
who knows
oh I hate mummies
[Applause]