Brendan Fraser almost played Superman at one point — though he was never really sure if he wanted the part.
During the Academy Award-nominated actor's guest spot on The Howard Stern Show Tuesday, host Howard Stern recalled reports that Fraser, 54, was up for the role while J.J. Abrams was developing the project that ultimately became 2006's Superman Returns.
"Everyone in town was reading for Superman. Again, [they were] testing maybe 6 or 7 guys in 2002, 2003," Fraser said, after Stern, 69, asked whether the part was "the role that got away."
The Whale star recalled that the late Paul Walker auditioned for Superman "before me" amid a group of "usual suspects" at the time before admitting he felt hesitant to fully commit to the iconic superhero role.
"Of course it's a life-changing, amazing opportunity, but I had to reconcile with, 'Okay, say you do get the job to be the Man of Steel. It's going to be chipped on your gravestone. Are you okay with that? You will forevermore be known as the Man of Steel,' " Fraser told Stern.
Fraser admitted that his own thought process regarding the role "was a sort of Faustian bargain" because he knew he "didn't want to be known for only one thing because I prided myself on diversity my whole professional life."
"I'm not a one-trick pony," the actor told Stern.
Asked how he felt when he didn't win the part — Brandon Routh ultimately played Superman in Superman Returns — Fraser opined that the studio could "probably" see he would not have fully committed to the role.
"I felt disappointed that there was an amazing opportunity and it didn't come to fruition," the actor said. "It had to a lot with some shenanigans and studio politics, and probably, probably inherently, in my screen test — I think that's why you test — they could kind of see I was only there like, 98 percent."
Elsewhere in Fraser's appearance on Stern's show, the actor explained why he did not care whether he won an award at this year's Golden Globes after Austin Butler's win for Elvis in his category in January.
"Get it or don't get it, doesn't matter. What does matter is that it would mean nothing to me," Fraser, who has claimed that former Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Philip Berk sexually assaulted him in 2003, said. (Berk has denied the claims.) "I don't want it. I didn't ask to be considered even, that was presumed. I know that would displease many people for lots of reasons, but...."
Fraser continued, "They needed me, I didn't need them. Because it wouldn't be meaningful to me. Where am I gonna put that hood ornament? What would I do with that?"
