Patricia Velasquez played the role of Anck-Su-Namun, who was the Pharaoh’s mistress, a woman so precious that no other man was allowed to lay a finger on her. To display her value on the screen, she had to wear an alluring costume.
It took four long hours in every shoot for costume designers and makeup artists to finish her ensemble. She wore jewelry, a sexy loincloth, and everything else was body paint. We wonder which was the more arduous task: having all that gold paint applied, or trying to get it off?
Irreplaceable
When it came time for the third installment of the film’s franchise – The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor – Rachel Weisz rejected the offer. It was said that she had issues concerning the script. Maria Bello took Weisz’s place.
With her previous horror film experience, Bello’s adjustment to the freaky franchise was smooth. But for the fans, the replacement didn’t sit well. To say that they were saddened is putting it mildly. Fans all loved how Weisz portrayed the character and couldn’t imagine Bello, or anyone for that matter, taking her place.
Near-Death Experience
Being in the film industry can be a definite health risk. Just ask Brendan Fraser, who almost died while making The Mummy. In fact, he barely made it past the opening sequence. In these early scenes, Fraser’s character is being hanged.
While actors often employ method acting, in which they fully embody the reality of their character, it’s generally not their preferred way of making death scenes look real. Yet Fraser ended up unintentionally stuck in just this predicament: he was hanged for real. Weisz was in the scene and was horrified at what she witnessed. “Fraser stopped breathing and had to be resuscitated,” Weisz said. And people say action movies aren’t realistic.
Beni and the Camels
Kevin J. O’Connor was the character everyone loved to hate: the self-serving coward, Beni. He spent a lot of time working with camels, as his character was always looking for a way to escape with swindled treasures and, in The Mummy, camels were the vehicles of choice.
One time, while working on a scene, Kevin tried to pull the reins, but his camel refused to move. The answer is as adorable as it is funny. Reportedly, none of the camels in the film liked Kevin J. O’Connor. Camels are choosy about who they befriend and Kevin, it seems, didn’t measure up to their high standards.
The Phone Call
Stephen Sommers already felt laid-back when The Mummy was released in theatres. All the hard work seemed to have paid off and the film was receiving commendations from audiences. The morning after the film was released, Sommers received a phone call that would shock him.
It was from Universal Studios. And, thankfully, the news was good. They told Sommers in no uncertain terms, “we need another one.” At first, Sommers couldn’t believe what Universal just told him. He’d only just let his breath out after completing the first one, it would take a lot of effort to gather the right people together to make the next project work. In the face of all his doubts, Sommers thought of the fans, and then he knew what had to be done. He immediately began preparations for the sequel.