Brendan Fraser Revealed How He Almost Died While Making "The Mummy," And It Sounds Like A Close Call

Brendan Fraser has been racking up praise and awards for his performance in The Whale. He's even nominated for the Best Actor Oscar.

Brendan holding up his Screen Actors Guild award backstage at the show
Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

If you're of a certain age, you probably saw him in the classic 1999 action film The Mummy. And if you're like me, you have probably seen it, I don't know, at least 10 times.

Brendan holding two weapons while in a fighting stance in a scene from The Mummy
Universal / courtesy Everett Collection

Well, Brendan recently went on The Kelly Clarkson Show and revealed that he almost died while filming the movie. Really.

Brendan told Kelly that the incident happened while they were filming a scene in which his character, Rick O'Connell, was about to be hung in a public square.

Rick yelling and holding two guns while backed against a wall
Courtesy Everett Collection

While he was "standing on his toes" with the rope around his neck, the film's director, Stephen Sommers, ran over and made a request.

Rick carrying a woman in front of a camel
Universal / courtesy Everett Collection

"'Hey, it doesn't really look like you're choking — can you sell it?'" Brendan remembered. "And I was like, 'All right, fine.' So I thought, 'One more take, man.'"

  Valerie Macon / AFP via Getty Images
Valerie Macon / AFP via Getty Images

"And the camera swooped around and I went up on the toes, and the guy holding the rope above me, he pulled it up a little higher and I was stuck on my toes — I had nowhere to go but down. And so he was pulling up and I was going down."

  Universal / courtesy Everett Collection
Universal / courtesy Everett Collection

"My elbow was in my ear, the world was sideways, there was gravel in my teeth and everyone was really quiet." Y I K E S.

  Universal / courtesy Everett Collection
Universal / courtesy Everett Collection

Obviously, Brendan quite literally lived to tell the tale — but it was a close one, and upon coming to, he was informed that he's not the first one who's experienced such a situation.

  Jeff Spicer / Getty Images
Jeff Spicer / Getty Images

"'Congratulations, you're in the club — the same thing happened to Mel Gibson on Braveheart,'" Brendan says he was told, joking that his response was, "Thanks, I think?! I wanna go home!"

Brendan stands in front of a life-size Oscar statue
David M. Benett / Dave Benett/Getty Images

Watch the whole interview here.