Los Angeles, Oct 21 : Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson has credited Brendan Fraser with kickstarting his movie career by "embracing" him when he landed a small role in the 2001 blockbuster film 'The Mummy Returns'.

'The Mummy Returns,' is a fantasy action-adventure film directed by Stephen Sommers. It is the sequel to the 1999 film The Mummy. The film follows the mummified body of Imhotep is shipped to a museum in London, where he once again wakes and begins his campaign of rage and terror.

During an appearance on the New Heights podcast, Johnson explained: "The very first movie I ever did was a movie called The Mummy Returns. Brendan Fraser was one of the biggest stars in the world, as he is today '(I was) so excited to be cast in the film, (in) a small part called the Scorpion King. Brendan Fraser, by the way, I always want to make mention of this.

"He was one of the biggest stars in the world. That was his franchise. I am coming in, I have never acted before, I'm excited. He could have easily said 'I don't know if I want this wrestler'...(But he) embraced me. I love that man for that, and he helped kick off my career."

Johnson added the role was small but he was delighted to have been cast in the big budget movie,which also stars Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, and Patricia Velasquez, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

He added: "(It was) five minutes total in the movie ... just in the beginning of the movie and at the end of the movie ... I was just so excited at the opportunity."

Talking about his latest release, Johnson was recently seen in The Smashing Machine, a biographical sports drama film by Benny Safdie. It stars Johnson as former amateur wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr, alongside Emily Blunt as Kerr's girlfriend Dawn Staples. The film also stars Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten and Oleksandr Usyk.

/IANS