What The Cast Of The Mummy Is Doing Today
In 1922, archaeologists discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, a young pharaoh who once ruled over ancient Egypt. This sparked a public fascination with all things Egyptian — a trend Hollywood quickly caught on to. 1932's The Mummy, starring the one and only Boris Karloff, details the story of a long-dead high priest who comes back to life, searching for his lost love. Decades later, a remake was made: The 1999 mega-hit The Mummy, which whisked audiences back to ancient Egypt once again. The film was so popular that it spawned a bevy of sequels, prequels, and spin-off series including The Mummy Returns and The Scorpion King.
It's been over 20 years since The Mummy was released, and the cast has remained quite busy. For some, The Mummy served as an early springboard to highly successful acting careers. For others, The Mummy proved to be the sort of massive success that allowed them to pursue niche passion projects. Whatever their path, we're here to take a look at what the actors who brought The Mummy to life have been up to since they banded together to take down Imhotep.
Brendan Fraser: Rick O'Connell
Brendan Fraser plays the adventurous Rick O'Connell, who leads an expedition to Hamunaptra, the city of the dead where the high priest Imhotep's corpse resides. When it turns out that the fearsome legends about this mysterious city are true, his travels take a deadly turn.
After starring in The Mummy, Fraser returned to play Rick in The Mummy Returns and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. He was also part of the ensemble cast of the Academy Award-winning film Crash, coincidentally playing another character named Rick, and had an impactful guest role on Scrubs as Ben Sullivan.
Fraser was sexually assaulted in 2003, and has discussed the deep depression he endured in the years following. The death of his mother and a bitter divorce added to the pressures upon him, and he felt that he needed to disappear from the public eye. "I bought into the pressure that comes ... with a professional life that's being molded and shaped and guided and managed," Fraser said in a 2018 interview with GQ. "That requires what they call thick skin ... I just felt I couldn't be a part of it. I didn't feel that I belonged."
Happily, Fraser has enjoyed a career rebirth in recent years. You may have spotted him in Trust, Condor, or Doom Patrol, where he provides a particularly delightful take on the DC Comics hero Robotman.
Rachel Weisz: Evelyn Carnahan
When intrepid librarian Evelyn Carnahan reads aloud from the ancient Book of the Dead, she unknowingly wakes Imhotep from his long slumber, unleashing his fury upon the world. The aspiring Egyptologist, played by Rachel Weisz, has to fight for her life when the crew realizes that Imhotep wants to sacrifice her in order to bring his own lover back from the grave.
Since appearing in The Mummy, Weisz has built an impressive career for herself in film. She reunited with many of her cast members for The Mummy Returns, and later won an Academy Award for her role in The Constant Gardener. Since then, you may have seen her in other critically acclaimed films like The Lobster, The Favourite, or The Light Between Oceans. Her personal life has been just as busy — she married and divorced director Darren Aronofsky, married actor Daniel Craig, and became a mother of two. Weisz' body of work promises to grow even bigger: You'll soon be able to catch her in Marvel's Black Widow.
John Hannah: Jonathan Carnahan
Jonathan Carnahan, played by John Hannah, kicks off the modern-day events of the film when he gives his sister Evelyn a map to Hamunaptra. Eventually, he reveals that he stole it from Rick, who has since been imprisoned. The two set off to set Rick free and travel to Hamunaptra with him.
Hannah came back to wrap up the rest of The Mummy trilogy alongside Fraser, Weisz, and other cast members. Since then, many of his most well-known roles have come from television. He's been a regular on series including Carnivale, Trust Me, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. In addition to this small screen success, Hannah has continued working in film as well. He's named being part of The Hurricane and Ghost Son as two particularly enjoyable experiences from the post-Mummy period of his filmography.
Hannah will next be appearing in the sci-fi comedy The Intergalactic Adventures of Max Cloud. He's currently shooting the historical drama The Auschwitz Report, and is rumored to have a role in the upcoming horror film, Dark Glass.
Patricia Velasquez: Anck-su-namun
Patricia Velasquez played Anck-su-namun, Imhotep's illicit lover and Pharaoh Seti's mistress. She and Imhotep embarked upon an affair behind the ruler's back, eventually killing him to keep their secret ... only to face the fatal consequences of their mistake.
The actress and model has continued working in TV and film, with roles in series like Arrested Development, American Family, and The L Word. Velasquez also played Patricia Alvarez in the horror film The Curse of La Llorona.
In addition to her acting career, Velasquez is also a committed activist. In 2002, she founded The Wayuu Taya Foundation, which works to support indigenous communities in Latin America. In 2015, she published her autobiography Straight Walk, in which she officially came out as a lesbian. "As my daughter started growing up and I was teaching her to be honest and proud, I knew it was time for me to set an example — and that meant facing my truth, " Velasquez remarked at the time of publication. "For me, living life with truth and honesty is the one thing I want to make sure she understands."
Arnold Vosloo: Imhotep
Arnold Vosloo played the absolutely terrifying Imhotep in The Mummy. Not only does he wipe out a group of American treasure hunters, he also brings back the ten plagues of ancient Egypt. This is not a man you would want to cross in any lifetime.
Naturally, Imhotep had to come back for The Mummy Returns, but he did not return for the final installment of the trilogy, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Instead, Vosloo moved on to other TV and film roles. He was a regular on 24 as Habib Marwan, and went on to play Zartan in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and its sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation. He also had a supporting role as Colonel Coetzee in thriller Blood Diamond, which was nominated for several Oscars. Most recently, he played the soldier Jost Van Der Byl in Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, a soldier who tries to help Jack save his boss from prison. Vosloo is also a prolific voice actor: He's appeared in everything from All-Star Superman to Voltron: Legendary Defender.
Jonathan Hyde: Dr. Allen Chamberlain
Dr. Allen Chamberlain, played by Jonathan Hyde, hopes to strike it rich on his expedition to Egypt. He heads to Cairo with a group of French treasure hunters, led by Beni Gabor ... and promptly seals his doom by opening the chest containing the Book of the Dead. This act marks him with the curse of Imhotep, who eventually consumes his life energy, killing him.
Hyde has kept a packed schedule since The Mummy. In addition to roles in series like The Strain and films like Crimson Peak, Hyde has also earned praise for his work on the stage. He has appeared in a wide variety of productions, including King Lear, Peter Pan, and Julius Caesar. Hyde's most recent theater work was his 2018 performance as Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon at the Sheffield Crucible Theatre, while his most recent screen work was in Guillermo del Toro's animated Tales of Arcadia series, in which he plays Walt Strickler.
Kevin J. O'Connor: Beni Gabor
Kevin J. O'Connor played Beni Gabor, a treasure hunter who's only out for himself. In the end, karma comes back around for him: In promising to serve Imhotep, he ends up in the path of the undead priest's wrath. Remember, kids — don't promise to do the dark bidding of ancient Egyptians.
Besides playing Beni in The Mummy, O'Connor is probably best known for playing Igor in Van Helsing and Henry in There Will Be Blood. He had a supporting part in the intriguing mini-series 11.22.63, which centers around a high school teacher who travels back in time in an attempt to stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He also played Lt. Colonel Korn in the television adaptation of Joseph Heller's novel Catch-22, and most recently played Roger Penland in On Becoming a God in Central Florida. Right now, O'Connor is set to play Willie in the upcoming film Unicorn.
Oded Fehr: Ardeth Bay
Ardeth Bay, the warrior who leads the Medjai in Hamunaptra, was played by Oded Fehr. The Medjai are descendants of Pharoah Seti's palace guards, who guard Imhotep's tomb. He warns the foreign explorers to leave on several occasions, but they choose not to heed his warnings — little do they know, he was only looking out for their safety. Eventually, they must turn to Ardeth for help in finding out what Imhotep wants from them.
Shortly after The Mummy was released, Fehr appeared in Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo as Antoine, a male escort. Just a few months later, Fehr married producer Rhonda Tollefson. The couple now has three children.
In the ensuing years, Fehr played Carlos Olivera in three Resident Evil movies, specifically Apocalypse, Extinction, and Retribution. In addition to his work in film, he has also landed regular roles in several TV series including The First, When Heroes Fly, and Once Upon a Time. In 2019, he wrapped up a stint as Karim Farouk in Blood & Treasure, and is now working on the upcoming horror film Lair.
Erick Avari: Dr. Terrence Bey
Evelyn's employer, Dr. Terrence Bey, is the curator of the Cairo Museum of Antiquities. Played by Erick Avari, he is also keeping a big secret: He's actually working hand-in-hand with the Medjai to prevent Imhotep from returning to life to terrorize the modern world.
Today, Avari is probably best known for his role as Cecil Anderson in the 2002 romantic comedy Mr. Deeds. He also appeared as Tival in the 2001 remake of Planet of the Apes. As far as the small screen goes, he had a minor role as Chandra Suresh on the popular 2000s TV show Heroes, and enjoyed guest appearances in productions as varied as The Middleman, Leverage, and Hung. In 2015, he directed his first film, Chasing Eagle Rock. More recently, he played Hasan on the comedy series The Brink, and played Nicodemus on the historical drama show The Chosen in 2019. Avari has also worked as a voice actor, most prominently portraying Master Rahool in the Destiny series of video games.
Stephen Dunham: Mr. Henderson
Dr. Isaac Henderson, played by Stephen Dunham, tags along with Gabor's expedition to Hamunaptra, hoping to return home much wealthier than he had left. But when Henderson and a few other members of the crew open the chest that contains the Book of the Dead, that dream goes up in flames.
Besides The Mummy, you may also remember Dunham from his supporting role in the 2008 comedy Get Smart, or for playing Dr. Paul Chamberlain in the romantic comedy Monster-in-Law. Sharp-eyed viewers might also have noticed him in the background of Anger Management. His career extended to the small screen as well: Dunham played Peter on the TV series What I Like About You, and went on to land a role on the short-lived comedy series, Hot Properties. In 2012, Dunham played Doug in Paranormal Activity 4, acting alongside his wife, Alexondra Lee. Sadly, Dunham passed away at the age of 48, after suffering a heart attack in his home. Paranormal Activity 4 would be his last role.
Corey Johnson: Mr. Daniels
David Daniels, played by Corey Johnson, is another member of Gabor's ill-fated crew of treasure hunters. Although he sets out for Egypt with dreams of uncovering riches in the ancient pyramids, he doesn't manage to escape Imhotep's murderous wrath.
Johnson's role in The Mummy may have been cut short, but he's proven that he has staying power as an actor: In the years following The Mummy, Johnson appeared in a variety of acclaimed films, including The Bourne Ultimatum, Captain Phillips, and Ex Machina. He's also worked in theater, enjoying a particularly positive reception for his performance as Mitch in A Streetcar Named Desire. Johnson has several new projects coming up, including roles in the short film Swept Under the Rug and the movies Prisoner 760 and Morbius. You'll even be able to see him acting alongside his former Mummy co-star Oded Fehr in Lair.
Tuc Watkins: Mr. Burns
Tuc Watkins played Bernard "Bernie" Burns, one of the American treasure hunters who meets an untimely end on his trip to Cairo. He thought that once he and his crew had their hands on the treasures of Hamunaptra, they'd make history — but clearly, things did not pan out according to this vision.
If you're a fan of soap operas, you may recognize Watkins from his role as David Vickers on One Life to Live, which he returned to after shooting The Mummy. He's also known for playing Bob Hunter on Desperate Housewives. It's not all heartbreak and high drama for Watkins, however — he's also known for his peformances on the mystery web series Where the Bears Are, and his portrayal of Congressman Roger Harris on the second season of Black Monday.
In 2013, Watkins came out as gay on an episode of Marie, and announced that he had recently become the father of twins, via a surrogate. While telling his story, he stated that when he was young, he realized two important things: "I knew I was gay [and] I knew one day I was going to be a dad."