Brendan Fraser says his diet for George of the Jungle left him with a fuzzy memory
Brendan Fraser has revealed that his brain became foggy during filming for George of the Jungle.
In Variety’s ‘Actors on Actors’ series, the A-lister reunited with his Airhead co-star, Adam Sandler, where he shared the strict diet he had to endure while filming the 1997 classic.
And apparently, there’s a price to pay for having a sick rig.
The 54-year-old revealed that his costume was merely a loin cloth and he was starved of carbohydrates to achieve that toned physique.
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As a result, The Mummy actor experienced temporary memory loss during the shoot and had difficulty completing simple tasks.
He said: “I would drive home after work and stop to get something to eat.
"I needed some cash one day, and I went to the ATM, and I couldn’t remember my PIN number because my brain was misfiring. Banging on the thing.
"I didn’t eat that night.”
But the hard work paid off as the film instantly catapulted Fraser’s career and the movie earned USD $174.4 million (AUD $260.5m or £143.7m) at the box office.
While the Brenaissance is now upon us, Sandler noted that Fraser faced incredible hardship during the early days of his career.
In the same interview, the comedian revealed that he had to fight for the actor to be in his film Airheads.
He said: “Michael Lehmann [the director] was very against you. He was like, 'I don’t get it. I don’t see the caveman being in the movie'. And I just said, 'He can do other s**t, man.'
But Fraser begged to differ.
He told Sandler: “[Lehmann] flew out to Chicago to meet me. He sang a different tune then.”
To which the Billy Madison star responded: “He’s a filthy liar. He didn’t want you. I did, and the rest is pretty good. You had a good life because of me.”
Sandler added: “I’m happy you were the leader of the band, the Lone Rangers. Buscemi, my brother in the movie, loved you. Ultimately, we got our tune on the air. People liked it."
While Airheads didn’t prove to be a huge success, the film at least put Fraser on the map, as shortly after, he starred in George of the Jungle and The Mummy franchise.
You know what they say, behind every great actor is the Sandman.
Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity, News, Brendan Fraser, Health
Charisa Bossinakis