Advertisement

Brendan Fraser Says He Was 'Starved of Carbohydrates' for George of the Jungle : 'My Brain Was Misfiring'

Editorial use only. No book cover usage. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Marsha Blackburn/Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock (5880676d) Brendan Fraser, Leslie Mann George Of The Jungle - 1997 Director: Sam Weisman Disney USA Scene Still Family George de la jungle
Editorial use only. No book cover usage. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Marsha Blackburn/Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock (5880676d) Brendan Fraser, Leslie Mann George Of The Jungle - 1997 Director: Sam Weisman Disney USA Scene Still Family George de la jungle

Marsha Blackburn/Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock

Brendan Fraser went to great lengths to play the titular role in George of the Jungle.

The 54-year-old talked about his experience getting ripped for the 1997 comedy during Variety's Actors on Actors series. On it, he reunited with Adam Sandler, his costar in Airheads, a 1994 film about a rock band who holds a radio station hostage while they're seeking their big break.

"I was waxed. Starved of carbohydrates," Fraser said of doing George of the Jungle. "I would drive home after work and stop to get something to eat. I needed some cash one day, and I went to the ATM, and I couldn't remember my PIN number because my brain was misfiring. Banging on the thing. I didn't eat that night."

RELATED: Adam Sandler Reunites with Brendan Fraser 28 Years After 'Airheads': 'Remember When I Discovered You?'

Sandler joked that he was disappointed by Fraser's good looks in the movie.

"You made us feel bad about ourselves," Sandler quipped. "Were you oiled up at all during George?"

RELATED VIDEO: Brendan Fraser's Amazing Career and Inspiring Comeback: Thank You for "Keeping Me in the Job That I Love"

In the film, Fraser plays George, a Tarzan-like comedic character taken from his jungle home and introduced to modern society. For much of the movie, Fraser wears nothing but a small loin cloth.

RELATED: Brendan Fraser Reacts to Elizaveth Hurley Calling Him a Favorite Costar: 'She's a delight'

"The wardrobe was there was no wardrobe," Fraser told Sandler.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The movie follows Fraser's character as he meets the new world and finds himself falling in love with Leslie Mann's character Ursula, eventually choosing his jungle home over San Francisco.

During their Actors on Actors conversation, Fraser and Sandler, who star in the 2022 films The Whale and Hustle, respectively, reminisced about making the 1994 comedy Airheads, directed by Michael Lehmann (Heathers).

"Remember when I discovered you? You were just a kid," Sandler, 56, jokingly told Fraser. "I stole you from Pauly [Shore] and said, 'Get over here.' "

"Is that how it shook out? Get out of here," Fraser responded.

"I was like, this guy shouldn't just be a caveman — he should be in a band," Sandler told Fraser, referencing the actor's breakout role in 1992's Encino Man, in which he played a caveman named Link.