There is a moment during “George of the Jungle” where George (Brendan Fraser) fearlessly climbs up the towering structure of the Bay Bridge to save a trapped parachute. However, as reported by Entertainment Weekly, the actor revealed that not everyone got the memo that the action film was being staged. As they exited the circle, the bystanders looked up and saw what appeared to be a body hanging above them—they were deeply distressed. “It brought traffic to a standstill on both sides of the bridge,” Fraser explained. He continued:
“There’s a dummy paratrooper hanging over there. I turn on the TV, and Oprah is interrupted because there’s a special news report with a helicopter that says a parachute hangs over the bridge. And I’m leaving — wait a minute, I saw the helicopter and the TV — someone didn’t pull the pass, someone is going to get in trouble with the mayor’s office. So I can only apologize for that.”
Obviously, it wasn’t Fraser who dropped the ball. But at least he had the hindsight to look back on the incident and recognize the kind of mess it might have caused that day. If anything, the fact that it fooled so many people including the news crew is a testament to the trustworthiness of the stunts and mannequins. Obviously, nothing was really in danger and everything was a misunderstanding. But it also underscores how many productions in urban areas need to make sure they don’t all their i’s and go through all their t’s when it comes to permits. Unfortunately, that’s not the only fault in retrospect that one of the lead actors in “George of the Jungle” has with regards to the film.