The Rock pays tribute to Brendan Fraser for helping kickstart his acting career 24 years ago in The Mummy Returns: "I love that man for that"

24 years later, Dwayne Johnson is still paying tribute to his The Mummy Returns co-star Brendan Fraser for helping to kickstart his acting career.

"Brendan Fraser, by the way, I always want to make mention of this," Johnson said on the New Heights podcast. "He was one of the biggest stars in the world. That was his franchise. I am coming in, I have never acted before, I'm excited. He could have easily said, 'I don't know if I want this wrestler.'" Instead, "[he] embraced me. I love that man for that, and he helped kick off my career."

The Mummy Returns was Johnson's first movie and led to his first lead role a year later in 2002's prequel The Scorpion King. He played Mathayus, AKA the Scorpion King, an ancient warrior who sold his soul to the Ancient Egyptian god Anubis in return for the power to defeat his enemies. Thousands of years later, he faces off against Fraser's Rick O'Connell, while he's on a mission to save his wife Evelyn (Rachel Weisz).

Johnson then went on to star in franchises like Fast and Furious, Jumanji, and the DCEU, but now he's turning his sights to more dramatic fare. He can currently be seen in The Smashing Machine, a drama based on the life of MMA fighter Mark Kerr, directed by Benny Safdie, and he's also set to star in Martin Scorsese's next untitled movie as a Hawaiian crime boss.

The Smashing Machine is out now in theaters. For more on what to watch, check out our guide to the rest of 2025's best upcoming movies.