Maybe the name Arnold Vosloo does not seem familiar, but he was the actor who played Imhotep, better known as The Mummy. This was, without a doubt, Vosloo’s best role in a movie. (Photo: Archive)
The most notorious movie works of Vosloo were Diamond of Blood and G.I. Joe. He has also appeared in several TV shows including Alias, Gotham, Grimm, and Elementary, as well as several episodes of 24, Bones, NCIS, Chuck, and more recently, the Amazon series, Bosch. (Photo: Archive)
Brendan Fraser became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars thanks to his role as Rick O’Connell in The Mummy trilogy. (Photo: Archive)
After his success as manly Rick, Fraser participated in Dudley Do-Right, Monkeybote, Gimme Shelter, and the Oscar-winning movie Crash. Fraser has transitioned to television with his roles in Texas Rising, and The Affair. (Photo: Archive)
Evelyn Carnahan, the librarian turned into adventurer and Rick O’Connell’s love interest, was Rachel Wisz’s most important role at the moment. (Photo: Archive)
After The Mummy, Weisz participated in many blockbuster hits, like About a Boy, Constantine, Enemy at the Gates, The Brother Bloom, The Fountain, The Bourne Legacy, and Oz the Great and Powerful. (Photo: Archive)
John Hannah gave life to Jonathan Carnahan, Evy’s clumsy brother in The Mummy. (Photo: Archive)
After the blockbuster hit of 1999, Hannah was primarily in British films. On television, the actor starred for three years in the show Rebus. Probably his most recognized role after The Mummy was in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Of Marvel, as the scientist Holden Radcliffe. (Photo: Archive)
Kevin J. O’Connor was the treacherous Beni Gabor in The Mummy. (Photo: Archive)
After The Mummy, O’Connor has been cast in There Will Be Blood, and The Master. His most recent work was as Yellow Card Man in the Hulu miniseries 11.22.63, starring James Franco. (Photo: Archive)
Do you remember actor Oded Fehr? No? Ok… what about character Ardeth Bay? Neither? … The guy with tattoos on his face? Yes! Him! The Mummy in 1999 was the beginning of his career. (Photo: Archive)
In 2004, Oded Fehr also starred in the Resident Evil trilogy as Dr. Fate. Later he would participate in Charmed’s seventh season as the main villain. His most recent work was as Jafar in the sixth season of Once Upon a Time. (Photo: Archive)
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson gave life to King Scorpion in The Mummy Returns. This was The Rock’s first major role, which later got its own film in 2002. (Photo: Archivo)
Now Johnson is one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, and has starred in blockbusters such as Fast and Furious, and most recently the new adaptation of Baywatch, followed by the upcoming release of Jumanji. (Photo: Archive)
Jonathan Hyde had already appeared on Titanic and Jumanji before giving life to the archeologist Allen Chamberlain in The Mummy. (Photo: Archive)
Since then, Hyde has had smaller roles. In 2015, he participated in the film Crimson Peak of Guillermo del Toro, and lent his voice to the animated series Trollhunter of Netflix. Hyde also gave life to Captain Hook in the London production of Peter Pan in 2009. (Photo: Archive)
Comedian Omid Djalili participated in The Mummy in the short role of the jailer Gad Hassan. (Photo: Archive)
Djalili also starred in three other blockbuster movies in 1999: Notting Hill, The World Is Not Enough, and Gladiator. He also starred in Pirates of the Caribbean: The End of the World. You can currently find him in Stan Lee’s Lucky Man series. (Photo: Archive)
Corey Johnson is one of the Americans in The Mummy, who eventually dies. And although his role was not the most important, it seems that this film was the one to catapulted his career. (Photo: Archive)
Since The Mummy, Corey Johnson has participated in Saving Private Ryan, Hellboy, Doctor Who, Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, Captain Phillips, Kingsman: The Secret Service, and Ex Machina. What a résumé! (Photo: Archive)
Aharon Ipalé gave life to the pharaoh Seti I in The Mummy trilogy. Prior to this role, Ipalé already had a career of more than 30 years. (Photo: Archive)
After the Mummy, Ipalé participated in films like Charlie Wilson’s War, with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, and The Promise, with Christina Bale. The actor died in 2016 at the age of 74, as a result of cancer. (Photo: Archive)
Model Patricia Velásquez decided to try acting with the role of Anck-Su-Namun, Imhotep’s concubine. (Photo: Archive)
Although Velásquez hasn’t had another role as important as her character in The Mummy, the model and actress has continued to work in the big and small screen. She has participated in Ugly Betty, Arrested Development, and The L Word. In 2014, Velásquez starred and co-produced the drama Liz in September. (Photo: Archive)
Akinnuoye-Agbaje played Lock-Nah, Imhotep’s bodyguard in The Mummy Returns, and although it was one of the biggest films in which he participated, it was not the role that catapulted his career. (Photo: Archive)
Aknnuote-Agbaje was unveiled for his role as Simon Adebisi in the HBO drama Oz. The actor is also remembered for his involvement in Lost, as Mr. Eko. He has appeared in two episodes of Game of Thrones, Thor: The Dark World, and Suicide Squad as Killer Croc. (Photo: Archive)
Tom Cruise in the role of Alex Kurtzman is starring the new reboot of The Mummy. And although this will be the fourth adaptation of the story, Stephen Sommer’s version succeeded in reviving a genre that seemed extinct: that of the cinema starring terrifying creatures without appearing ridiculous or falling into archaic clichés.
In 1999, The Mummy was an evil Egyptian sorcerer who after being buried alive and sleeping for thousands of years, is revived—accidentally, though—to dominate the world and awaken his beloved Anck-Su-Namun. Right in the mid-twenties, in the mist of the Dry Crusade, Mussolini’s dictatorship, and all the rest of the elements of the early twentieth century, the mummy begins sucking people uncontrollably to become what he once was. But not before having to face an intrepid but funny group of archaeologists trying to stop him.
Of course, the film was a blockbuster hit: it gained over $400 million worldwide. The sequel was good, as it was an extension of Imhotep’s story with the original actors. The third movie, however, was not so well received.
Still, The Mummy trilogy catapulted the career of several of its cast members. For some, it was their only major role before going back to secondary characters. For other, The Mummy was just the beginning of their acting career as Hollywood’s A+ stars.
Before the sarcophagus cracks one more time, let’s take a look at the actors and actresses who ventured to explore The Mummy’s tomb…
