As a longtime fan of Saturday Night Live and a connoisseur of comedic genius, I have had the immense pleasure of witnessing Mike Myers‘ meteoric rise to stardom. From his humble beginnings as Wayne Campbell on “Wayne’s World” to the creation of Austin Powers, Mike has consistently delivered characters that are not only broadly comedic but also deeply intelligent, a rare and delightful combination.
As a longtime enthusiast of Saturday Night Live since the late ’70s, it was during this era that I first crossed paths with Mike Myers. His breakthrough roles as Wayne Campbell in “Wayne’s World” and Dieter on “Sprockets” truly captivated me. Wayne, a genial Everyman from Aurora, Illinois, seemed to embody friends from Mike’s past, exuding an infectious love for music and staging shows in his basement.
In the early ’90s, I crossed paths with Mike when he approached my wife, Susanna Hoffs, and me following a movie premiere. He shared that he owned a signed Susanna Huffs Rickenbacker guitar that had been autographed. From there, we began spending time together. During one of our encounters, he discussed a project he was working on about an English spy who had been frozen in the ’60s and thawed out in the ’90s. As a friend, I offered to read the script, and I found myself captivated by Austin Powers. He was every bit as amusing and detailed as many of Mike’s Saturday Night Live characters, but even more so. The project came with its own self-contained universe. I provided numerous supportive comments along with some suggestions. To my surprise, he asked me to direct the film.
Experiencing the direction of ‘Austin Powers’ was a transformative moment for me as I lacked a career in directing and had little hope of finding one. Despite having worked on several projects as a screenwriter and even one feature, they all ended disastrously and I was let go before completion. Mike had an unwavering trust in my abilities, which appeared irrational given my qualifications at the time. However, we shared a common vision, and Mike, along with the Todd Sisters, Suzanne and Jennifer, who were friends from USC film school and later became producers of ‘Austin Powers’, had a sense that I’d make a good collaborator. The studio head stated, “We won’t hire Mike’s friend.” To which Mike responded, “Don’t contact me again until he’s the choice.
Collaborating with him felt like attending a university of humor. Mike’s humor knowledge is vast and extensive, reminiscent of an encyclopedia. His comedic training includes Neil Mullarkey and other British comedians, and he carries a deep influence from the English comedic tradition. The James Bond parody was indeed a key element in Austin. We were both avid Monty Python fans and well-versed in Peter Sellers. Young Frankenstein had a significant impact: It often commented on its own pop-culture references, creating an ironic distance. For the creators of such broad comedy, we frequently discussed Bertolt Brecht and the technique of placing the audience at a remove, which Mike has long practiced — for instance, commenting on advertising in Wayne’s World. He always incorporated a reference within a reference.
Mike’s characters frequently exist in a world detached from ours, prioritizing their own self-importance beyond what’s believable. This unfounded belief of theirs is amusingly bizarre to observe. If your character is profoundly out of sync with their own reality, you’re bound to encounter complications. For instance, when Austin finds himself in the ’90s, he remarks, “As long as people continue to engage in casual sex without protection and simultaneously explore psychedelic substances in a risk-free setting, I shall remain unscathed.” Here, you can see Michael York and Elizabeth Hurley expressing concern with their expressions that say, “Oh dear, you’re in for a tough time here.
Mike finds great joy in characters who embody a blend of absurdity and wisdom. Austin, with his unique features such as bad teeth and abundant body hair, was amusing, but Mike’s hearty laugh was always drawn to the clever, nuanced humor displayed by Dr. Evil. In the initial film, during a therapy session, Dr. Evil began an impromptu monologue: “When he was unruly as a child, he was put in a burlap sack and whipped with reeds; he learned luge; his father boasted about inventing the question mark.” Some of this dialogue was scripted, while other parts were Mike’s spontaneous improvisation. Given that Dr. Evil appears so distinct from Mike, it seemed as though he was able to fully immerse himself in that character, almost as if possessed by it.
A significant aspect of Austin’s past involves its initial rejection in Hollywood. It wasn’t until Mike De Luca at New Line showed courage to take it on that it found a home. Initial screenings didn’t yield favorable results. However, much like the characters he portrays, Mike Myers possesses an uncanny ability to distort reality. To some, his unwavering affection for the material may appear delusional. This has been consistent in all his work since, including his mini-series The Pentaverate and The Gong Show. As with any comedian, not everything will be a hit, but his dedication is unparalleled. Mike immerses himself so deeply in his characters that he invites you to do the same. Such commitment is the only way to achieve genuine humor.
He showed great generosity towards his co-actors, for they each infused their unique vitality into their characters. One particularly memorable day of filming in Austin stood out, as Carrie Fisher portrayed the therapist. She was filled with apprehension about this role, unsure if she could be humorous. Having recently achieved sobriety following a public battle with addiction, an ordeal she later chronicled in her novel and movie, “Postcards from the Edge,” she wanted to convey her functional character as the therapist in a way that contrasted with the public image of her at the time. This is a testament to Mike’s creativity: he skillfully wove Carrie’s personal experiences into the narrative of the film, adding an unexpected twist to it.
Mike’s passion for his characters is infectious, yet convincing others to embrace his vision during the production of the first movie required considerable effort. He would often reach out to other actors, share his ideas, and given his popularity from Saturday Night Live, people trusted him enough to take a chance. By the time the second film was released, previews were skyrocketing and everyone wanted to join in. This is a testament to Mike’s talent for crafting an atmosphere that says “Jump in! It will take you places you never thought possible.” Some might argue that Austin Powers was intended to be out of his element, but from Austin’s perspective (and Dr. Evil’s), Austin brought his own ’60s psychedelic vibe into the ’90s and managed to get everyone else to dive in. In essence, Mike Myers does much the same thing.
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2024-12-04 19:57