Brendan Fraser starved himself filming ‘George of the Jungle’: ‘My brain was misfiring’

Actor Brendan Fraser revealed the drastic lengths he went to in a desperate bid to achieve his ideal appearance for his role in “George of the Jungle.”

The actor, 54, spoke to Adam Sandler as part of Variety’s “Actors On Actors” series, where he opened up about the effect of starving himself during the filming of the 1997 film.

Despite achieving his goal physique, Fraser said the drastic weight loss measures took a negative toll on his mental well-being.

“I was waxed. Starved of carbohydrates,” Fraser recalled. “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,” he added.

Fraser said it was important for him to achieve a muscular build for his role in the film because “there was no wardrobe” for his character.

“You weren’t supposed to do that to us,” Sandler quipped. “You did right by the character. But you did wrong by us, man. You made us feel bad about ourselves.”

The hit film, which got a sequel in 2003, saw Fraser play George — a man raised by apes in an African jungle. He then falls in love with an American heiress, played by Leslie Mann, during her tour of Uganda.

The movie ended up being a box office smash, generating $180 million globally with a $55 million budget.

Fraser recently issued an apology for the massive traffic jam that brought cars to a complete standstill in San Francisco while filming a scene for the film.

Fraser said the scene, which caused chaos in the city’s Oakland Bay Bridge, spanning over 8.4 miles, involved his character climbing up the bridge to rescue a parachutist, for which a dummy was used.

But worried onlookers were led to think it was a real person stuck up there, subsequently causing a major traffic jam to take place.

“Disney put a mannequin hanging by a parachute from the uprights. It brought traffic to a standstill on either side of the bridge,” the 53-year-old told SFGate. “My trailer was on the other side in a parking lot. I just remember watching the… Bridge.”