Mike Myers Sought Expert Help for His Elon Musk Impression

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James Austin Johnson wasn’t initially planning to reprise his role as Donald Trump leading up to the 2024 election. Knowing it was Saturday Night Live’s 50th season and big stars were lined up to play political figures, he felt a lot of pressure when he got the part. As he shared on this week’s Good One podcast, he thought, “I’m standing with giants.” He was even more surprised when one of those “giants” actually asked him for help with their impression.

Johnson recalls one morning getting a call from an unfamiliar number. It turned out to be Mike Myers, who wanted to know how Johnson had done his impression of Elon Musk. Myers was preparing to play Musk on Saturday Night Live that evening. Johnson was accustomed to helping cast members with their impressions, but getting a request from Myers was unexpected. He was amazed to be guiding a comedy legend from portraying a character like a ‘goofy South African Bond villain’ to Dr. Evil.

Johnson describes his impression of Elon Musk as a deliberately exaggerated, almost cartoonish take on a South African accent, blending British tones with the style of Arnold Schwarzenegger. While Mike Myers didn’t copy Johnson’s approach exactly, Johnson hopes it inspired Myers to find his own way of portraying Musk. You can hear the exchange in the video clip below, and maybe even learn to do the impression yourself – it’s an imitation that’s jokingly valued at a million dollars!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=watch?v=rxKG6oYAblk

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2026-01-15 23:54