Watch out for that tree — er, mannequin hanging from a parachute? This is the startling reality citizens of San Francisco faced 25 years ago while filming was underway on 1997's George of the Jungle. Now, certified sweetie Brendan Fraser has graciously offered an apology on behalf of the film for causing a traffic jam big enough to make the news.
Of course, traffic in the '90s is something to laugh at now, but it was real back then and Fraser's not here to deny the reality of anyone's experience with the movie's biggest stunt. While promoting his Oscar buzz-laden (and standing ovation-garnering) new film The Whale, the Brenaissance man issued a light-hearted apology to the people the production inadvertently made late. Oh, and Oprah Winfrey.
"When we were doing George of the Jungle, George goes to rescue a parachutist tangled in the Golden Gate Bridge," Fraser told SFGATE on the red carpet at the Mill Valley Film Festival — despite the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge being the one that was actually featured in the film. (All bridges look the same!) "That means Disney put a mannequin hanging by a parachute from the uprights. It brought traffic to a standstill on either side of the bridge."
He continued:
My trailer was on the other side in a parking lot. I just remember watching the Golden Gate Bridge. There's this dummy parachutist hanging from it. I had the TV on, and Oprah got interrupted because there was a special news report with helicopters saying a parachute is dangling on the bridge. And I'm going — wait a minute, I'm looking at the helicopters and TV — somebody didn't pull a permit, somebody's going to get in trouble with the mayor's office. So I can only apologize for that.
Later that same evening, the actor referenced the incident while accepting the event's lifetime achievement award, adding, "So, that said, my bad. It won't happen again."
People are going to hold you to that, Bre — although they might be keener on him keeping his word about being open to another Mummy sequel.
Of course, traffic in the '90s is something to laugh at now, but it was real back then and Fraser's not here to deny the reality of anyone's experience with the movie's biggest stunt. While promoting his Oscar buzz-laden (and standing ovation-garnering) new film The Whale, the Brenaissance man issued a light-hearted apology to the people the production inadvertently made late. Oh, and Oprah Winfrey.
"When we were doing George of the Jungle, George goes to rescue a parachutist tangled in the Golden Gate Bridge," Fraser told SFGATE on the red carpet at the Mill Valley Film Festival — despite the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge being the one that was actually featured in the film. (All bridges look the same!) "That means Disney put a mannequin hanging by a parachute from the uprights. It brought traffic to a standstill on either side of the bridge."
He continued:
My trailer was on the other side in a parking lot. I just remember watching the Golden Gate Bridge. There's this dummy parachutist hanging from it. I had the TV on, and Oprah got interrupted because there was a special news report with helicopters saying a parachute is dangling on the bridge. And I'm going — wait a minute, I'm looking at the helicopters and TV — somebody didn't pull a permit, somebody's going to get in trouble with the mayor's office. So I can only apologize for that.
Later that same evening, the actor referenced the incident while accepting the event's lifetime achievement award, adding, "So, that said, my bad. It won't happen again."
People are going to hold you to that, Bre — although they might be keener on him keeping his word about being open to another Mummy sequel.
