'Mummy' star likes to dress correctly

(InStyle.com) -- He has seen the face of death, poked it in the eyes, cut its arm off, and called it ugly. We're not talking about Brendan Fraser, the 39-year-old Indianapolis-born actor, son of a Canadian tourism official, youngest of four brothers and father of three sons.

He's adventurer Rick O'Connell, whom Fraser played in 1999's The Mummy and in its 2001 sequel. Now he returns to the role in "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" with Maria Bello and Jet Li.

But dressed in a biker T-shirt, faded jeans and gunmetal boots, he looks more dive-bar hipster than desert fox. Grinning, Fraser says, "I wouldn't want anyone to see me on the street in jodhpurs."

What are you wearing today?

I'm mostly in head-to-toe John Varvatos. Even these boots, which were once blue.

Really?

They're a great cool-gray color now. Yeah, wearing them in the snow softened them. And I just can't bring myself to have them restored.

Why Varvatos?

I usually hate shopping because I'm such a pushover, and salespeople can sell me things I don't really want. But some years ago, I was asked to present a fashion industry award in New York City and needed a suit. So I went to this little store near the Mercer Hotel that was just opening called John Varvatos. And they fitted me.

Have you ever met him?

As it turned out, he won the Menswear Designer of the Year award and I presented it to him -- wearing his suit. Since then, we've stayed in touch, even though I mispronounced his name [var-VAY-tos]! He's a delightful guy. And he has a really strong sensibility about what it takes for men to "get dressed" easily. And it's always very correct.

As opposed to "incorrect"? What's the difference?

Most guys don't know when things are incorrect or not. It depends on where you're going and your age. I went to boarding school [in Toronto] wearing suits and ties. Once that was finished, I was like, "I'm going to wear blue jeans and T-shirts because I don't have to do this anymore." However, you want to come back after a while; you want to get a little dressed up.

Do you own anything that isn't by Varvatos?

This belt is from the Gap. You can see from the buckle marks that training for The Mummy 3 paid off. It used to be on this notch, then it used to be on that notch, and now it's here. When we were shooting in China, everybody was dropping pounds.

From working out or work-related stress?

Let's just say, one sip of tap water in China and Jenny Craig is out of business.

You also have Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D out now. Was shooting in Iceland as grueling?

For that, I had to propel down a 40-meter wall, so I trained at a mountain-climbing gym just to get familiar with the gear and all the rigging. If you slipped, it felt like sliding down a cheese grater.

It sounds like extreme exfoliation. Did you sustain any real injuries?

It hurt my feelings mostly. Everybody got a little bruised and battered--that was kind of the deal.

Are set injuries a badge of honor in Hollywood?

I'm really big on safety, personally. I like knowing that my gear works. I actually did leap off of the dome of the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles to shoot a scene in Monkeybone. I was wearing a harness, but you still gotta do it!

Which of the characters that you've played is closest to your own style?

It must have been an independent film where there wasn't much of a budget for wardrobe. You just have to show up. I did a big ensemble piece called Twenty Bucks, and I think I ended up wearing a lot of my own clothes.

Does having kids affect the way you dress?

Yeah, it has become much less precious because kids do stinky things, and you have to wear clothes that you aren't afraid to get gooey.

Do you care a lot about how your sons dress?

I'm concerned that they'll be happy with what they're wearing once it becomes important to them. Right now they still like costumes. They'll go, "I have to have my cape."

You're turning 40 in December. How do you feel about hitting that milestone?

I'm looking forward to it. My friends tell me they're happier. I think it'll give me more confidence in myself. I had some absurd notion that I might get an "iBrendan 4.0" tattoo, but I don't think I'll do that.

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