Brendan Fraser Says He Nearly Died While Filming 'The Mummy'

Actor Brendan Fraser shared details of how he nearly died while filming the 1999 hit action-adventure "The Mummy."

During an appearance on Tuesday's episode of "The Kelly Clarkson Show," Fraser said he was "choked out accidentally" during a scene of the film. 

"I was standing on my toes like this, with the rope [around my neck], and you only got so far," Fraser, said, according to People. 

"And [director Stephen Sommers] ran over and he said, 'Hey, it doesn't really look like you're choking — can you sell it?' And I was like, 'All right, fine.' So I thought, One more take, man.

"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."

The next moment, "My elbow was in my ear, the world was sideways, there was gravel in my teeth and everyone was really quiet," Fraser said.

Fraser, a 2023 Oscar nominee, recalled the stunt coordinator saying, "'Congratulations, you're in the club — the same thing happened to Mel Gibson on "Braveheart,"' but he could only respond, "Thanks, I think? I wanna go home!"'"

In 2018, Fraser opened up to GQ about the toll some of his more physical roles. "The Whale" star had to undergo multiple surgeries as a result of his injuries, saying he was "trying too hard, in a way that's destructive."

"I felt like the horse from 'Animal Farm,' whose job it was to work and work and work," Fraser said. "He worked for the good of the whole, he didn't ask questions, he didn't make trouble until it killed him.

"I don't know if I've been sent to the glue factory, but I've felt like I've had to rebuild s**t that I've built that got knocked down and do it again for the good of everyone. Whether it hurts you or not."

• Brendan Fraser Apologizes for 'George of the Jungle' Stunt 25 Years Later
• Brendan Fraser on 'The Whale' Role: 'I Wanted to Disappear Into It"