Adam Sandler Blames Brendan Fraser For Insane Standards
Adam Sandler playfully teased Brendan Fraser over the star's dramatic transformation for George of the Jungle.
Adam Sandler and Brendan Fraser have been friends for years, since first co-starring together in the underrated comedy Airheads. During an interview with each other for Variety, the pair reminisced on late-night shoots, Steve Buscemi, and how Fraser raised the bar too high for Sandler to ever catch up. While getting into character for the loincloth wearing George of the Jungle, Fraser transformed his body, getting jacked for his tree-smashing role.
Adam Sandler vented, good naturedly to Brendan Fraser, “I was disappointed in how good you looked in that. You weren’t supposed to do that to us; You were supposed to remain like us. You did right by the character. But you did wrong by us, man. You made us feel bad about ourselves.”
While Adam Sandler is right that Brendan Fraser did right by his George of the Jungle character, and that in doing so, became far more ripped, jacked, buff, lean, and muscular than his fellow Lone Rangers. As anyone that has decided to hit the gym in pursuit of improving themselves will say, such a dramatic body transformation comes with a price. The Mummy star lifted weights for an hour a day, for six months, following a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, that had some unforeseen consequences.
“I was disappointed in how good you looked in that. You weren’t supposed to do that to us; You were supposed to remain like us.”
Adam Sandler on Brendan Fraser’s George of the Jungle transformation
Explaining the cost of his amazing physique to Adam Sandler, Brendan Fraser shared a story about being unable to remember his PIN when trying to get cash out of an ATM. The lack of carbohydrates and stress of pushing his body to the point where he had only 6% body fat, caused neurons to misfire. The frustrated star admits that he was unable to eat that night.
Starting with the stunt work in George of the Jungle, the actor’s body started to fall apart, resulting in multiple surgeries to fix long-term damage. By the time of The Mummy 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor in 2008, the star needed ever more frequent back and knee surgeries to keep himself going. While the comic actor transformed himself into an action star, it came at a high price, something Adam Sandler touches on when discussing Brendan Fraser’s latest film, The Whale.
Adam Sandler complimented Brendan Fraser’s amazing acting display in The Whale, while the star of the film explains how important it was to accurately portray obesity. In a complete 180 from his role as George of the Jungle, Charlie in the The Whale has punished himself through a lifetime of overeating, getting to the point where standing up is an act of extreme exertion. The two roles could not be any more different, but each demonstrates the long-term unhealthy nature of going to extremes regarding health and diet.
When Adam Sandler says that Brendan Fraser’s physique created impossible standards, he’s being honest. Fans have mentioned to Fraser that they were inspired by his lean body to work themselves into shape, though the star of Encino Man wonders if those fans have really thought through the commitment, and long-term damage, of such a lifestyle.
Adam Sandler will next appear in Spaceman, a sci-fi drama for Netflix co-starring Paul Dano and Carey Mulligan. Brendan Fraser has a film with Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon, also starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro.
