NSFW (But Frankly Hilarious) Reason Brendan Fraser Hated His George Of The Jungle Monkey Co-Star
Brendan Fraser's renaissance has been a fan-favorite storyline over the past few years, with late-night talk shows and audiences alike revisiting his beloved late-'90s work amidst the hype for his new movie, The Whale.
Fraser appeared on The Graham Norton Show a few weeks ago talking about his George of the Jungle years and why he still hates his monkey co-star.
Norton had Fraser on the couch alongside the cast of Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg 's recent film nominated for seven awards at the upcoming Oscars. Norton mentioned that there was an "odd link" between Fraser and the Fabelmans.
Actress Michelle Williams guessed that it was Crystal, the monkey actor.
Norton confirmed, which sent Fraser into a tizzy. "It was that b***h!" Fraser shouted, his eyes filled with two-decades-old rage. "I knew it was her!"
According to Fraser, Crystal had a boyfriend named Mr. Binks, the monkey Fraser normally worked with on 1997's George of the Jungle.
Mr. Binks would "throw a fit" and climb to the rafters when he didn't get the perfect take, Fraser said. Mr. Binks wore a boy's bikini for the movie, and he'd tear it off in a fit of anger.
"This is late night television, right?" Fraser asked before getting to his next point.
Fraser revealed that the monkey would start pleasuring himself in his fits before the trainer would step in to yell at him.
Channeling his inner Mr. Binks, Fraser mimicked a monkey's howl and threw some prop fruit off the stage, much to the delight of his fans.
Even 25 years after the release of George of the Jungle, Fraser still holds a (somewhat sarcastic) grudge.
Norton said that George of the Jungle was the first acting experience for Crystal, Mr. Binks' "girlfriend."
It was also an early appearance for Fraser, who'd starred in Encino Man and Airheads in the years prior.
George of the Jungle was only two years before his breakout role in 1999's The Mummy, which certified him among Hollywood's top stars.
George of the Jungle was one of the many campy, family-friendly, action-packed comedies that defined the 1990s.
It was a little off-beat, featuring gorillas singing show tunes, narrator interruptions, and constant breaking of the fourth wall.
Its box office gross tripled its budget and the film spawned a poorly-received sequel in 2003. Fraser didn't appear in the sequel, with George recast to Christopher Showerman.
Fraser has long said he would have loved to reprise the character and didn't know why he wasn't asked to, though he later implied that Disney couldn't afford him.