Brendan Fraser’s The Mummy would’ve had a different actor playing a crucial role in the film. During a recent interview, director Stephen Sommers revealed that he tried to cast a famous Star Wars actor in the film. The character of Ardeth Bay in the film was initially written for an older actor and Sommers tried to cast Darth Vader actor James Earl Jones in the role. The director also considered Roscoe Lee Browne in the role, but both actors were busy with other projects.
Sommers then had to rewrite the character to be played by a much younger actor and cast Israeli actor Oded Fehr in the role. The character returned once again in the sequel film, The Mummy Returns, in 2001.
The Mummy Director Initially Wanted Star Wars Actor In One Role
In The Mummy, Ardeth Bay is the chief of the Medjai royal bodyguards, who have protected the Hamunaptra for centuries. They are sworn to prevent the resurrection of Imhotep, who is the central villain in both The Mummy films. Director Stephen Sommers revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that he had to make a major casting change for the role of Ardeth Bay.
Sommers shared that he had initially envisioned the centuries-old character as being portrayed by a 70-year-old Black man in the film. His choices for the role were James Earl Jones and Roscoe Lee Browne. For Star Wars fans, Jones will always be the Darth Vader who terrified generations of fans with his voice.
He is also one of the greatest stage actors, having played roles in Shakespearean dramas including Othello, Hamlet, and King Lear. Browne was again another Shakespearean actor who resisted playing the stereotypical Black roles in films.
However, both actors were busy with their schedules. Sommers then made a major change in the character and made him to be a young warrior, which worked in favor of the film. 23-year-old Oded Fehr landed the role and played it to perfection. Sommers shared with THR:
“When I wrote the character of Ardeth Bay, I was trying to get James Earl Jones or Roscoe Lee Browne. He was written as a 70-year-old Black man, but I’m always up for changing things. After James and Roscoe were busy with other projects, they brought in this 23-year-old Israeli guy, Oded Fehr, and he was fantastic.”
The film may have missed featuring Jones’ voice in the narration, as the character Ardeth Bay was also the narrator for the initial parts of both films. However, the audience has no complaints about how the role turned out to be in the film.
Stephen Sommers Debunked Rumors About Approaching Other Actors For The Lead Role
During the interview, Sommers revealed how Brendan Fraser caught his attention after his editor Bobby Ducsay envisioned the actor playing the role. Sommers shared that he read somewhere that Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt were approached for Rick O’Donnell in the 1999 film, but he debunked those claims. He revealed that they only went to Fraser who loved it right away. Sommers shared with THR:
“My editor Bobby [Ducsay] is my main critic, and even before I finished the script, Bob was like, “Oh, this is Brendan Fraser.” I don’t think I’d even seen George of the Jungle at that point. We knew that the hero had to be a tough guy but with a heart. Recently, I read an article saying that we went out to Tom Cruise and then Brad Pitt. I’m like, “No, we only went to Brendan.” Brendan loved it right away.”
He also dismissed the rumor that Sylvester Stallone was offered the role. Sommers explained that Stallone was a huge star and he was a costly one. The studio initially was trying to make the film for $15 million and hence Sommers could guarantee that no one reached out to Stallone.
The Mummy and its sequel are now available for streaming on Peacock.
