‘Bedazzled’: Brendan Fraser Reveals He Made 1 Comedy Legend Laugh
Brendan Fraser appeared in iconic films from the beloved Mummy franchise to slapstick comedies like George of the Jungle. Now, the actor is in the midst of a career renaissance. While discussing some of his old hits, Fraser touched on Bedazzled. The actor recalled a notable moment from filming, involving a famous comedy legend.
‘Bedazzled’ was a hit for Brendan Fraser
Fraser was a big star by 2000, when the movie Bedazzled was released. According to IMDb, the movie tells the story of the Devil, played by Elizabeth Hurley, who runs a computer simulation in order to find human weaknesses to exploit. After the Devil settles on Elliot, a nerdy man played by Fraser, Elliot’s life turns topsy-turvy.
Upon its release, Bedazzled was a hit for Fraser. It did well at the box office and solidified not only Fraser’s status as a versatile comedy star but helped Hurley’s acting career, too. These days, Bedazzled might not be as iconic as some of Fraser’s other projects. But it still stands as a hilarious film with a lot to offer fans looking for a laugh.
What did Brendan Fraser say about making John Cleese laugh during the making of ‘Bedazzled’?
Recently, Fraser sat down with GQ to discuss some of his most iconic roles — including the role of Elliot from Bedazzled. “Harold Ramis directed this movie as a (symbol) of a man’s journey towards redemption,” Fraser said. “He signs a deal with the devil. All right, Devil’s gonna trick him. Devil does. He goes through these seven different incarnations of himself trying to better himself and be someone that he isn’t.”
Fraser related the joy of filming Bedazzled. He described how one day, where they were filming in Montecito, California, a comedy legend happened to be on hand. “And at lunch break, John Cleese, who was at that time living there…he came to visit Harold at lunch,” Fraser shared. “He was like,’ What are you filming today?’ And so Harold explained, well it’s a joke about a man who speaks Spanish but doesn’t know he speaks Spanish until he speaks Spanish.”
Fraser smiled, remembering how Cleese laughed. “It was like a relief because if we can make John Cleese laugh, he’s like ‘I’ve never heard that joke before.’ [We got] the Monty Python seal of approval.”
Brendan Fraser admitted that he loves how ‘Bedazzled’ is a ‘morality tale’
Cleese wasn’t the only person to be charmed by Bedazzled. Fans everywhere loved the film and appreciated Fraser’s contributions to the unique, yet time-tested story. The actor himself still appreciates the film and has a lot of good things to say about the storyline and the characters.
“I love this movie because it was, it was almost like it was a morality fable in the end,” Fraser said. The actor noted that he appreciates Elliot’s journey of “self-discovery” in Bedazzled and the way that the film expertly combines comedy and deep storytelling, crediting Ramis for much of the film’s power.
With a star-studded cast, clever jokes, and an immersive storyline, Bedazzled holds up as a great example of an early 2000s comedy that highlights Fraser at the height of his fame.
