The Mummy star Brendan Fraser, 57, looks better than ever in latest appearance

Brendan’s trim appearance comes after he revealed earlier this year that he was preparing physically to step back into one of his most famous roles. More than 25 years after he first played adventurer Rick O’Connell, Brendan is set to reunite with Rachel Weisz for a new Mummy movie. Appearing on The Tonight Show in May, he joked that he was doing his best to “get this 57-year-old gear in shape”, adding: “Wish me luck.”

The still-untitled film, which will also see John Hannah return, is currently scheduled to hit cinemas in October 2027. It marks another high point in a remarkable second act for the actor, who won the Best Actor Oscar in 2023 for his deeply emotional performance in The Whale.

Brendan, however, has resisted describing his recent success as a “comeback”, telling AARP earlier this year: “I never went that far away.” His career slowdown followed years of physical and emotional challenges. Brendan previously revealed that performing demanding stunts in films including the Mummy franchise took a serious toll on his body. By the third movie in 2008, he said he was effectively holding himself together with “tape and ice”.

He subsequently underwent numerous procedures, including spinal surgery, a partial knee replacement and surgery on his vocal cords, telling GQ that he was in and out of hospitals for almost seven years. In the same 2018 interview, Brendan also alleged that former Hollywood Foreign Press Association president Philip Berk sexually assaulted him at a 2003 event – an account Berk disputed. Brendan said the experience contributed to a period of depression and made him retreat from public life.

These days, the actor appears to be enjoying his renewed place in the spotlight – and this week reminded fans exactly why he remains such a beloved Hollywood figure. At the London premiere of Pressure, Brendan went viral after noticing a fan struggling to take a photograph on his phone. Rather than moving on, the actor took the device and patiently showed him how to use the camera before posing alongside him for the picture – a small gesture that prompted an outpouring of praise online.

Away from work, Brendan is dad to sons Griffin, Holden and Leland, whom he shares with ex-wife Afton Smith, and is in a long-term relationship with makeup artist Jeanne Moore. And with The Mummy now beckoning once more, Brendan’s Hollywood renaissance looks far from over.