Notoriety for any actor typically comes from the iconic roles that they play throughout their careers. For Daniel Craig, the James Bond movies have seen the star recognized as the longtime face of 007 himself. That notoriety comes with perks, as noted by Academy Award winning actor Rachel Weisz, who has seen her husband noticed for his work first-hand. Strangely enough, she also feels her own notable role as adventurer and librarian Evelyn in The Mummy never reached that level of contemporary recognition. With that, she mentioned an interesting circumstance that contributed to the scenario.
The ‘Tremendous Privilege’ Of Daniel Craig’s James Bond Recognition
While promoting her new Prime Video series adaptation of Dead Ringers, Rachel Weisz spoke with The Guardian about the advantages that come with being married to the 007 icon. While Weisz doesn’t speak much about her marriage, she did offer this peek behind the curtain into her home life:
Of course there’s tremendous privilege that comes with it [with fame]. You know, we get really good seats in the theatre. It doesn’t really exist to me. I’m used to it now. Like, if someone recognizes my husband, it’s just part of life – they’re normally really nice and go, ‘Best Bond ever!’ or whatever. It’s not in a place where it’s difficult, or oppressive.
Though Daniel Craig’s run of James Bond films ended with 2021’s No Time To Die, the 007 legacy has shown us that every actor to have stepped into that tuxedo tends to carry the brand throughout the rest of their life. From the sound of things, that fact doesn’t seem like it’s going to bother Rachel Weisz anytime soon. Of course, if history had panned out a bit differently, she would have had a lot of first-hand experience with this phenomenon, thanks to the massive hits that were The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. And the lack of such fanfare, in her opinion, may have come from a very specific occupational hazard.
Why Rachel Weisz Feels Her Role In The Mummy Wasn’t Recognized In Its Time
While appearing as a guest on Geist on Today, the Oscar winner was asked about the effect the 1999 Universal blockbuster had on her recognition in the world. She co-starred with Brendan Frazer and, though she had her own apprehension regarding how the world would react to The Mummy, it’s now been acknowledged as Weisz’s breakout role. That sort of prospect usually carries a lot of cred but, in her own view, that recognition was stymied by the following recurring dilemma:
It didn’t really happen like that. I remember I couldn’t go to either of the premieres of The Mummy or The Mummy Returns, because I was doing plays. And they wouldn’t let me out of the play, so I never got recognized from it really.
Time eventually corrected that error, as the world recognizes Rachel Weisz as one of the many players that made those first two movies in the franchise so special. So perhaps people should start asking if she shares Brendan Fraser’s excitement about a potential Mummy legacy-quel, as a revival of this franchise wouldn’t be nearly as exciting without her presence. The proof to that claim is evident when looking back at the worldwide reaction to Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, in which the role of Evie was recast as Maria Bello. Let's hope she gets to reprise that role one day and gets the same kind of flowers that husband Daniel Craig receives.
A blockbuster star in her own right, Rachel Weisz continues to wow audiences through films like Black Widow, and will continue to do so with her new take on David Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers. The series will be available to anyone with a Prime Video subscription starting April 21st, with the original source film currently streamable with an HBO Max subscription.
