Brendan Fraser is a beloved Hollywood actor who rose to stardom during the 90s. He has played numerous characters, but many fans of his earlier work know him for his wide range of comedy roles. The Mummy introduced Fraser to a massive audience in 1999, and he quickly captured hearts worldwide for his portrayal of Rick O’Connell.
Many regard The Mummy as a timeless adventure movie, and it goes hand in hand with the 2001 sequel, The Mummy Returns. Before those movies, Fraser starred in numerous projects throughout the 90s, and many of them have since garnered cult followings.
The Mummy: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor marked a notable point in the actor’s career. Several events drove Fraser out of the spotlight, including his health. The actor famously did many of his own stunts as Rick O’Connell. Those physical feats took their toll, and Fraser required multiple surgeries to repair the damage.
Fraser still took acting roles, but they were far less frequent or prominent for years. That changed when he performed the starring role in 2022’s The Whale. It’s a powerful movie tackling sensitive topics, and his performance earned him an Academy Award in 2023. Fans are eagerly awaiting the next Mummy installment, which is confirmed to be in development.
While Fraser’s acting days are hopefully far from over, he starred in numerous movies, particularly during the 90s, that are still worth watching today. If you’re looking to explore Brendan Fraser’s filmography and see if you’ve missed some of his greatest movies, here are 10 of his best films of all time.
10
George Of The Jungle (1997)
Even the most ardent Brendan Fraser fan wouldn’t say George of the Jungle is his best movie. Still, it commits to the wild premise just enough with a solid romance plot, elevating it above a slapstick animal comedy like Furry Vengeance.
Brendan Fraser plays George, a man who grew up in the jungle, raised by animals, including a talking ape called Ape, voiced by John Cleese. He meets Ursula (Leslie Mann), who’s exploring the area. She ultimately takes George to the city in a fish-out-of-water story as he struggles to adapt.
George of the Jungle is a silly film, but it’s laugh-out-loud funny with a great cast. Fraser has great chemistry with Mann, and Thomas Hayden Church plays a great antagonist as Lyle, Ursula’s soon-to-be-former partner.
9
Monkeybone (2001)
Monkeybone is one of the more modern movies on this list, starring Brendan Fraser as Stu Miley. He’s a cartoon creator who falls into a coma after an accident.
Stu ends up in an alternate reality called Down Town. It’s a strange place, and the vivid imagery makes sense considering the movie is directed by Henry Selick. He’s the same person who directed The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Stu also meets Monkeybone in Down Town, one of his cartoon creations. He’s playful at first, but Stu quickly realizes the character has far more sinister intentions. Monkeybone has a wild premise, striking visuals, and Fraser’s manic acting is unforgettable.
8
Encino Man (1992)
Encino Man showcases one of Brendan Fraser’s earliest starring roles in a bizarre but hilarious early-90s comedy. Dave (Sean Astin) and Stoney (Pauly Shore) uncover a frozen caveman while digging a hole in the garden for a swimming pool.
The duo names the caveman Link (Brendan Fraser). They wake him up, dress him like a student, and take him to school. Dave and Stoney explain away his behavior, saying that he is an exchange student. It’s a ridiculous premise, but it works, and Fraser is wonderfully charismatic as a young man seeing so many things for the first time.
Encino Man is full of slapstick comedy and many one-liners you will remember long after the credits roll.
7
Airheads (1994)
Airheads is full of 90s charm with a bizarre story we simply wouldn’t find in comedy movies today. The film stars Chazz (Brendan Fraser), Adam Sandler (Pip), and Rex (Steve Buscemi) as the members of the Lone Rangers band.
The trio is struggling to get their big break, but nobody will take them seriously. They visit a radio station that refuses to play their music, and they take the situation into their own hands in the wildest way.
The Lone Rangers take hostages at the station out of desperation and force them to cooperate using plastic guns. Events rapidly spiral out of control. The band finally gets the publicity they crave, even if it’s for the wrong reasons. Airheads is a hilarious comedy with a great cast, even if the real-world consequences for their actions would be dire.
6
Blast From The Past (1999)
Blast from the Past is arguably a typecast role for Brendan Fraser. He stars in the movie as Adam, a man from a paranoid family who stayed in a nuclear bunker for 35 years, believing a nuclear bomb had dropped. He emerges from the shelter in the present day, not realizing that the catastrophe never occurred.
Adam is seeing so many things for the first time, including the sky, which sets up some hilarious scenes. Naturally, most people quickly dismiss him, but his life changes when he meets Eve (Alicia Silverstone), who bonds with Adam after spending time with him.
Blast from the Past is a fun romantic comedy that feels tonally similar to George of the Jungle in many ways.
5
The Mummy Returns (2001)
The Mummy Returns is the sequel to the 1999 classic The Mummy and sees Fraser reprise his role as Rick O’Connell. Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Oded Fehr, and Arnold Vosloo also return for an adventure movie that expands upon the lore of the original.
The 2001 movie retains much of what audiences adore about The Mummy. Fraser and Weisz have incredible chemistry, and the film retains its lighthearted tone while remaining serious enough to keep viewers invested.
Our heroes’ adventure is far more diverse in its locations this time around. There are also new foes. Most notably, Dwayne Johnson plays the Scorpion King. The Mummy Returns is a superb, action-filled sequel, even if the special effects for the Scorpion King himself have not aged well.
4
School Ties (1992)
School Ties is another of Brendan Fraser’s earlier roles, with a surprisingly serious story compared to what some fans may be used to. The movie stars Fraser as David Greene. He’s a promising quarterback at a prestigious school, admired by his peers.
Greene is Jewish in School Ties, and issues arise when his schoolmates discover his religion. He’s ostracized from his social circles and ultimately bullied by people he used to call friends.
The movie is an uncomfortable watch as the resolution isn’t what you may expect. Fraser plays a character many fans will be unfamiliar with, but he comfortably fits into a more grounded role. School Ties proved he has range, even if he took on more lighthearted projects through the 90s.
3
Bedazzled (2000)
Bedazzled received a mixed reception when it was released in 2000, but has since garnered a cult following. The movie stars Brendan Fraser as Elliott. He’s an awkward young man unable to express his feelings to his co-worker, Alison (Frances O’Connor).
Liz Hurley plays the Devil in Bedazzled and offers Elliott seven wishes to make his dreams come true. The catch is that the Devil twists those desires and will claim his soul after the wishes are fulfilled.
Bedazzled is an easy watch, and the Devil manipulates Elliott’s wishes in creative ways. It’s a lighthearted movie full of dark humor and superb performances from the entire cast.
2
The Whale (2022)
The Whale marks a huge milestone in Brendan Fraser’s career. It’s a powerful movie in which he plays an obese English teacher named Charlie. He’s very unwell and unable to leave his apartment owing to his declining health.
The movie focuses on Charlie’s fractured relationship with his daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink). Charlie is desperate to make amends before it’s too late, but some actions are not forgiven so easily.
The Whale is a tough film to watch at times, and it approaches some very mature, sensitive subjects. Opinions about the movie are mixed overall, but most would agree that Fraser’s portrayal of Charlie is exceptional and more than worthy of the 2023 Best Actor Academy Award he received.
1
The Mummy (1999)
Even readers unfamiliar with Brendan Fraser’s filmography likely saw this coming, but The Mummy is arguably the actor’s greatest movie. It’s a timeless 90s adventure with a phenomenal cast, turning Fraser into a charming action hero you cannot help but root for.
Fraser is Rick O’Connell, a charismatic, rugged former soldier. He meets Evelyn (Rachel Weisz), who rescues him from prison under the condition that he helps her find the ancient Egyptian city of Hamunaptra. The pair unwittingly awaken Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), an undead priest with such incredible power that he threatens to destroy the world.
The Mummy offers a fast-paced action-adventure with witty characters that takes itself just seriously enough to create real stakes. One of the best elements of the film is Fraser’s chemistry with Weisz. The two are incredible together, which is why her recasting in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor felt so jarring, despite Maria Bello’s best efforts.
Many audiences would agree that Brendan Fraser is the perfect fit for the character of Rick O’Connell. Fans are now eagerly awaiting the return of his and Weisz’s characters in The Mummy 4.