Brendan Fraser explains why he turned down George Of The Jungle 2
"They built a joke into it that the studio was too cheap to hire me, which wasn’t inaccurate,” Fraser says
Brendan Fraser’s turn as the loin cloth-donning George Of The Jungle remains one of his more salient roles from his early career. Considered a box office success following its theatrical release in 1997, it may come as a surprise that Disney did not shell out enough money to retain Fraser for the sequel.
“I think George got a remake, and they built a joke into it that the studio was too cheap to hire me, which wasn’t inaccurate,” Fraser tells EW.
Fraser says the production company did ask for his involvement in the sequel, but in addition to the salary, the actor wanted to take on a vastly different project than the silly Disney comedy.
“I was approached. I can’t remember what I was doing at the time, but I felt like I wanted to go do The Quiet American instead with Michael Caine, and shoot the first western film in Vietnam ever, directed by Phillip Noyce, to tell an infinitely American story,” Fraser continues. “I’m always making diverse choices, and, hopefully, that keeps me and an audience interested. With a bit of distance, I think they’ve all cumulatively led up to the place I’m in now.”
There was a George Of The Jungle 2 made in 2003, which took the direct-to-video route and earned abysmal reviews. Christopher Showerman replaced Fraser, whose absence was heavily referenced throughout the film. The sequel also starred Julie Benz (taking over for Leslie Mann), Christina Pickles (who took on the role previously played by Holland Taylor), and John Cleese.
Furthermore, it seems like Fraser’s preparation for the role of the shirtless buffoon took its toll. Yesterday, in Fraser’s interview with Airheads co-star Adam Sandler, the actor revealed the extreme diet he went on for George Of The Jungle messed with his cognitive function.
“I was waxed. Starved of carbohydrates,” Fraser 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.”