Mike Myers (actor)
Encyclopedia
Michael John "Mike" Myers (born May 25, 1963) is a Canadian actor
, comedian
, screenwriter
, and film producer
of British
parentage. He was a long-time cast member on the NBC
sketch show Saturday Night Live
in the late 1980s and the early 1990s and starred as the title characters in the films Wayne's World
, Austin Powers
, and the Shrek film series.
, Ontario
, the son of British-born parents Eric Myers (1922–1991), an insurance man and World War II
veteran of the Royal Engineers, and his wife Alice E. Hind (born 1926), an office supervisor and veteran of the Royal Air Force
. Both of his parents are from Liverpool
, England
. He has two older brothers, Peter Myers and Paul Myers, an indie rock
singer-songwriter
, broadcaster and author. Myers is of English, Irish, and Scottish
ancestry, and was raised Protestant.
Myers began school at Bishopbriggs Academy
but changed to the Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, Ontario
. He began performing in commercials at age eight, and at ten he made a commercial for British Columbia Hydro Electric, with Gilda Radner
playing his mother. In high school he would become the Wayne’s World character later known as Wayne Campbell. When he graduated from high school, he joined the Second City Theatre. However, he left to tour Britain with comedian Neil Mullarkey
.
played his mother. A few months later, according to Myers, his brother was teasing him about his "girlfriend (Radner) being on some stupid show on Saturday". Myers swore that, one day, he too would be on that show, the then-fledgling Saturday Night Live
.
Myers graduated from high school in 1982 and was immediately accepted into the Second City
Canadian Touring Company, after which he moved to the UK where in 1985 he was one of the founding members of The Comedy Store Players
, an improvisational group based at The Comedy Store
in London. The next year, he starred in the British children's TV program Wide Awake Club, parodying the show's normal exuberance with his own "Sound Asleep Club", in partnership with Neil Mullarkey
. He returned to Toronto and Second City
in 1986 as a cast member in the Second City's Toronto main stage show. In 1988 he moved from Second City in Toronto to Chicago. In Chicago, he trained and performed at the Improv Olympic. He made numerous appearances, including as Wayne Campbell, on Toronto's Citytv
in the early 1980s, on the alternative video show City Limits hosted by Christopher Ward
. Myers also appeared as his Wayne Campbell character in the music video for Ward's Canadian hit "Boys and Girls". Later, Ward would appear as one of Austin Powers' band members in Ming Tea in Myers's popular movie series. The Wayne Campbell character was featured extensively in the 1986 summer series It's Only Rock & Roll
, produced by Toronto's Insight Production Company for CBC Television
. Wayne appeared both in studio and in a series of location sketches directed and edited by Allan Novak
. Myers wrote another sketch, Kurt and Dieter co-starring with Second City's Dana Andersen
and also directed by Novak, which would later turn into the popular "Sprockets" sketch on Saturday Night Live.
On Sunday 3rd July 2011 Myers returned to The Comedy Store in London to reprise his role 'for one night only' with the improvisational troupe (The Comedy Store Players). The definitive UK comedy website Chortle were full of glowing praise for Myers, claiming "Myers himself excelled, (and was) strikingly adept and quick-witted, when his laughs came they were the biggest squeals of the night...this was no chore for Myers- being funny comes naturally to him- he could’ve spent the whole two hours farting the Canadian national anthem and the audience would’ve still lapped it up."
adapted Wayne's World
into a full-length motion picture based on the SNL sketch. It was among the most successful movies of the year and the following year a sequel was released - Wayne's World 2
. That year Myers also starred in So I Married an Axe Murderer
which garnered a cult following. The characters in the movie were based on people Myers knew growing up in the Bridlewood section of Scarborough. After Wayne's World 2, Myers took a hiatus from television.
After a four year hiatus from television, Myers returned to acting in 1997 with the film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
, then a sequel in 1999, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
, finally topping it off with Austin Powers in Goldmember
in 2002. Myers played both the title role (Austin Powers) and the villain (Dr. Evil
), as well as other characters, in all three Austin Powers films. In 1998, he played one of his rare non-comedic roles in the film 54
: Steve Rubell
, proprietor of New York City's famous Studio 54
, a 1970s discotheque. The film was moderately successful, and Myers's performance was widely praised. Myers later parodied the club as "Studio 69" in Goldmember.
In June 2000, Myers was sued by Universal Pictures
for $3.8 million for backing out of a contract to play Dieter, the SNL character, in a feature film. Myers said he refused to honor the $20 million contract because he did not want to cheat moviegoers with an unacceptable script - one that he himself had written. Myers countersued, and a settlement was reached after several months where Myers agreed to make another film with Universal. That film would be The Cat in the Hat
, released in November 2003 and starring Myers as the title character. In 2001, Myers played the title character
in the DreamWorks
animated film Shrek
(2001). He reprised this role in Shrek 4-D
in 2003, Shrek 2
(2004), Shrek the Third
, and the Christmas special Shrek The Halls
, both in 2007. In 2009 he did another non-comedic role, as British General Ed Fenech, in Quentin Tarantino
's Inglourious Basterds. In 2010 Myers returned for what is apparently the last in the Shrek series, Shrek Forever After
.
Myers made a cameo appearance in Britney Spears
' music video 'Boys
' as his film character Austin Powers.
Myers is a member of the band Ming Tea
along with The Bangles
' guitarist and vocalist Susanna Hoffs
and musician Matthew Sweet
. They performed the songs "BBC" and "Daddy Wasn't There" for the Austin Powers movies.
In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted among the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.
During a CBS interview in 2007, Myers noted that he normally takes three years between films. He spends one year "living his life" and then writes various screenplays, develops characters, practices them in front of live audiences, and then selects one of the screenplays to film. Myers noted that this was the Marx Brothers
' procedure for developing their film material.
Myers received the MTV Generation award in June 2007, making him the 2nd Canadian to win the award (Jim Carrey
was the first in 2006), for bringing his unique style of comedy to small and big screens alike.
and used the incident as an icebreaker to strike up a conversation with Ruzan. The couple married in 1993, and Myers later referred to Ruzan as "his muse". The couple filed for divorce in December 2005.
In 2006, cafe owner Kelly Tisdale confirmed reports that she and Myers were dating, telling the National Enquirer, "we're actually surprised you didn't find out about us sooner." Myers and Tisdale wed in New York in the fall of 2010. The couple have a son, Spike, born in September 2011.
Myers is a Dungeons & Dragons player and was one of several celebrities to have participated in the Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day in 2006.
Myers has played for Hollywood United F.C.
, a celebrity studded U.S. soccer team. He played in the 2010 Soccer Aid
for UNICEF UK
soccer match, England vs. R.O.W (Rest of the World) and successfully scored his penalty during a sudden death shootout after the game ended 2-2 (June 6, 2010).
The Rest of the World team beat England for the first time since the tournament started.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, and film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
of British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
parentage. He was a long-time cast member on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
sketch show Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
in the late 1980s and the early 1990s and starred as the title characters in the films Wayne's World
Wayne's World (film)
Wayne's World is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Penelope Spheeris and starring Mike Myers in his film debut as Wayne Campbell and Dana Carvey as Garth Algar, hosts of the Aurora, Illinois-based Public-access television cable TV show Wayne's World...
, Austin Powers
Austin Powers (film series)
The Austin Powers series is a series of action-comedy films written by and starring Mike Myers as the title character, directed by Jay Roach and distributed by New Line Cinema...
, and the Shrek film series.
Early life
Myers was born and raised in ScarboroughScarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, the son of British-born parents Eric Myers (1922–1991), an insurance man and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veteran of the Royal Engineers, and his wife Alice E. Hind (born 1926), an office supervisor and veteran of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. Both of his parents are from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He has two older brothers, Peter Myers and Paul Myers, an indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, broadcaster and author. Myers is of English, Irish, and Scottish
Scottish Canadian
Scottish Canadians are people of Scottish descent or heritage living in Canada. As the third-largest ethnic group in Canada and among the first to settle in Canada, Scottish people have made a large impact on Canadian culture since colonial times...
ancestry, and was raised Protestant.
Myers began school at Bishopbriggs Academy
Bishopbriggs Academy
Bishopbriggs Academy is a secondary school in the town of Bishopbriggs, in the district of East Dunbartonshire. Bishopbriggs Academy is a non-denominational, co-educational, comprehensive school taking pupils from S1 to S6...
but changed to the Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
. He began performing in commercials at age eight, and at ten he made a commercial for British Columbia Hydro Electric, with Gilda Radner
Gilda Radner
Gilda Susan Radner was an American comedian and actress, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, for which she won an Emmy Award in 1978.-Early life:...
playing his mother. In high school he would become the Wayne’s World character later known as Wayne Campbell. When he graduated from high school, he joined the Second City Theatre. However, he left to tour Britain with comedian Neil Mullarkey
Neil Mullarkey
Neil Mullarkey is an English actor, writer and comedian.Mullarkey studied at Robinson College, Cambridge; while he was there he was Junior Treasurer of the Cambridge Footlights in the academic year 1981 to 1982 and was president in the year ending 1983...
.
Early career
One of Myers's first acting jobs was in a TV commercial when he was ten years old. Gilda RadnerGilda Radner
Gilda Susan Radner was an American comedian and actress, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, for which she won an Emmy Award in 1978.-Early life:...
played his mother. A few months later, according to Myers, his brother was teasing him about his "girlfriend (Radner) being on some stupid show on Saturday". Myers swore that, one day, he too would be on that show, the then-fledgling Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
.
Myers graduated from high school in 1982 and was immediately accepted into the Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
Canadian Touring Company, after which he moved to the UK where in 1985 he was one of the founding members of The Comedy Store Players
The Comedy Store Players
The Comedy Store Players is a group of improvising comedy performers known for their performances at The Comedy Store in London. The group first came into being in October 1985.Members of the group have included:*Dave Cohen*Jeremy Hardy*Kit Hollerbach...
, an improvisational group based at The Comedy Store
The Comedy Store, London
The Comedy Store is a comedy club located in Soho, London, England, opened in 1979 by Don Ward and Peter Rosengard.It was named after The Comedy Store club in the United States, which Rosengard had visited the previous year...
in London. The next year, he starred in the British children's TV program Wide Awake Club, parodying the show's normal exuberance with his own "Sound Asleep Club", in partnership with Neil Mullarkey
Neil Mullarkey
Neil Mullarkey is an English actor, writer and comedian.Mullarkey studied at Robinson College, Cambridge; while he was there he was Junior Treasurer of the Cambridge Footlights in the academic year 1981 to 1982 and was president in the year ending 1983...
. He returned to Toronto and Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
in 1986 as a cast member in the Second City's Toronto main stage show. In 1988 he moved from Second City in Toronto to Chicago. In Chicago, he trained and performed at the Improv Olympic. He made numerous appearances, including as Wayne Campbell, on Toronto's Citytv
Citytv
Citytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
in the early 1980s, on the alternative video show City Limits hosted by Christopher Ward
Christopher Ward (songwriter)
Christopher William Ward is a Canadian songwriter and broadcaster, known as a former long-standing on-air personality at MuchMusic, Canada's music video network, where he and J.D. Roberts were among the first video jockeys in 1984...
. Myers also appeared as his Wayne Campbell character in the music video for Ward's Canadian hit "Boys and Girls". Later, Ward would appear as one of Austin Powers' band members in Ming Tea in Myers's popular movie series. The Wayne Campbell character was featured extensively in the 1986 summer series It's Only Rock & Roll
It's Only Rock & Roll (TV series)
It's Only Rock & Roll was a Canadian television variety show, which aired on CBC Television as a summer series in 1987. Produced by Joe Bodolai and directed by Allan Novak, Henry Sarwer-Foner and Joan Tosoni, the series mixed rock music-themed comedy sketches with live performances by real...
, produced by Toronto's Insight Production Company for CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
. Wayne appeared both in studio and in a series of location sketches directed and edited by Allan Novak
Allan Novak
Allan Novak is a Canadian media professional associated with creating, directing or editing many critically acclaimed Canadian TV series produced since 1985....
. Myers wrote another sketch, Kurt and Dieter co-starring with Second City's Dana Andersen
Dana Andersen
Dana Andersen is an Edmonton-based actor, improvisor, filmmaker, writer and director. He is an alumnus of The Second City, and has worked closely with Mike Myers, Ryan Stiles, and Joe Flaherty, among others. He currently serves as director of the live improvised soap opera Die-Nasty, and has been a...
and also directed by Novak, which would later turn into the popular "Sprockets" sketch on Saturday Night Live.
On Sunday 3rd July 2011 Myers returned to The Comedy Store in London to reprise his role 'for one night only' with the improvisational troupe (The Comedy Store Players). The definitive UK comedy website Chortle were full of glowing praise for Myers, claiming "Myers himself excelled, (and was) strikingly adept and quick-witted, when his laughs came they were the biggest squeals of the night...this was no chore for Myers- being funny comes naturally to him- he could’ve spent the whole two hours farting the Canadian national anthem and the audience would’ve still lapped it up."
Film
In 1992, Myers and Dana CarveyDana Carvey
Dana Thomas Carvey is an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for playing the role of Garth in the Wayne's World movies.-Early life:...
adapted Wayne's World
Wayne's World (film)
Wayne's World is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Penelope Spheeris and starring Mike Myers in his film debut as Wayne Campbell and Dana Carvey as Garth Algar, hosts of the Aurora, Illinois-based Public-access television cable TV show Wayne's World...
into a full-length motion picture based on the SNL sketch. It was among the most successful movies of the year and the following year a sequel was released - Wayne's World 2
Wayne's World 2
Wayne's World 2 is a 1993 comedy film starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as hosts of a Public-access television cable TV show from Aurora, Illinois. The film was adapted from a sketch on NBC's Saturday Night Live and is the sequel to Wayne's World....
. That year Myers also starred in So I Married an Axe Murderer
So I Married an Axe Murderer
So I Married an Axe Murderer is a 1993 American comedy-horror film starring Mike Myers and Nancy Travis. Myers plays Charlie McKenzie, a man afraid of commitment until he meets Harriet , who works at a butcher shop and may be a serial killer...
which garnered a cult following. The characters in the movie were based on people Myers knew growing up in the Bridlewood section of Scarborough. After Wayne's World 2, Myers took a hiatus from television.
After a four year hiatus from television, Myers returned to acting in 1997 with the film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is a 1997 American science fiction/action-comedy film and the first film of the Austin Powers series. It was directed by Jay Roach and written by Mike Myers who also stars in the title role. Myers also plays Dr. Evil, Austin Powers' arch-enemy...
, then a sequel in 1999, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, released in 1999, is the second film in the Austin Powers series that began with 1997's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued with Austin Powers in Goldmember. The film was directed by Jay Roach, co-written by Mike Myers and screenwriter...
, finally topping it off with Austin Powers in Goldmember
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Austin Powers in Goldmember is a 2002 American spy comedy film and the third installment of the Austin Powers series starring Mike Myers in the title role. The movie was directed by Jay Roach, and co-written by Mike Myers and Michael McCullers. Myers also plays the roles of Dr. Evil, Goldmember,...
in 2002. Myers played both the title role (Austin Powers) and the villain (Dr. Evil
Dr. Evil
Dr. Evil is a fictional character, played by Mike Myers in the Austin Powers film series. He is the antagonist of the movies, and Austin Powers' nemesis. He is a parody of James Bond villains, primarily Donald Pleasence's Ernst Stavro Blofeld . Dr...
), as well as other characters, in all three Austin Powers films. In 1998, he played one of his rare non-comedic roles in the film 54
54 (film)
54 is a 1998 drama film written and directed by Mark Christopher, starring Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek, and Neve Campbell...
: Steve Rubell
Steve Rubell
Steve Rubell was an American entrepreneur and co-owner of the New York disco Studio 54.-Early life:Rubell and his brother Don spent their childhoods with their parents in Brooklyn, New York. His father worked for the U.S. Postal Service and later became a tennis pro...
, proprietor of New York City's famous Studio 54
Studio 54
Studio 54 was a highly popular discotheque from 1977 until 1991, located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York, USA. It was originally the Gallo Opera House, opening in 1927, after which it changed names several times, eventually becoming a CBS radio and television studio. In 1977 it...
, a 1970s discotheque. The film was moderately successful, and Myers's performance was widely praised. Myers later parodied the club as "Studio 69" in Goldmember.
In June 2000, Myers was sued by Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
for $3.8 million for backing out of a contract to play Dieter, the SNL character, in a feature film. Myers said he refused to honor the $20 million contract because he did not want to cheat moviegoers with an unacceptable script - one that he himself had written. Myers countersued, and a settlement was reached after several months where Myers agreed to make another film with Universal. That film would be The Cat in the Hat
The Cat in the Hat (film)
The Cat in the Hat is a 2003 American slapstick comedy film loosely based on the 1957 book of the same name by Dr. Seuss. It was produced by Brian Grazer and directed by Bo Welch, and stars Mike Myers in the title role of the Cat in the Hat, and Dakota Fanning as Sally...
, released in November 2003 and starring Myers as the title character. In 2001, Myers played the title character
Shrek (character)
Shrek is a fictional character from the children's book Shrek! and the Shrek films. He is the main protagonist of both the book and the films...
in the DreamWorks
DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. is an American animation studio based in Glendale, California that creates animated feature films, television program and online virtual worlds...
animated film Shrek
Shrek
Shrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!...
(2001). He reprised this role in Shrek 4-D
Shrek 4-D
Shrek 4-D is a 4-D film at various theme parks around the world. Universal Parks & Resorts owns the main rights to the film which is currently shown at their parks in Hollywood, Florida, Japan and Singapore...
in 2003, Shrek 2
Shrek 2
Shrek 2 is a 2004 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film, produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon. It is the second installment in the Shrek film series and the sequel to 2001's Shrek...
(2004), Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third is a 2007 American animated film, and the third film in the Shrek series. It was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation, and is distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was released in U.S. theaters on May 18, 2007...
, and the Christmas special Shrek The Halls
Shrek the Halls
Shrek the Halls is a television special that premiered on the American television network ABC on Wednesday, November 28, 2007. The thirty minute Christmas special included the following: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas reprising their roles from the feature films. The...
, both in 2007. In 2009 he did another non-comedic role, as British General Ed Fenech, in Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's Inglourious Basterds. In 2010 Myers returned for what is apparently the last in the Shrek series, Shrek Forever After
Shrek Forever After
Shrek Forever After, taglined as The Final Chapter, is a 2010 animated fantasy-comedy film, and the fourth and final installment in the Shrek film series, produced by DreamWorks Animation. The film was released by Paramount Pictures in cinemas on May 20, 2010 in Russia, and on May 21 in the United...
.
Myers made a cameo appearance in Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
' music video 'Boys
Boys (Britney Spears song)
"Boys" is a song performed by American recording artist Britney Spears. It was written and produced by Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams of the production team The Neptunes and American rap group N.E.R.D.. A version of the song, "The Co-ed Remix" was released as the sixth single from Spears' third...
' as his film character Austin Powers.
Myers is a member of the band Ming Tea
Ming Tea
Ming Tea is a band formed and consisting of:*Mike Myers *Susanna Hoffs *Matthew Sweet...
along with The Bangles
The Bangles
The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
' guitarist and vocalist Susanna Hoffs
Susanna Hoffs
Susanna Lee Hoffs is an American vocalist, guitarist and actress. She is best known as a member of the all-female pop band The Bangles.-Early life:...
and musician Matthew Sweet
Matthew Sweet
Sidney Matthew Sweet is an American alternative rock/power pop musician. He was part of the burgeoning Athens, Georgia music scene in the early and mid-1980s before gaining commercial success during the early 1990s...
. They performed the songs "BBC" and "Daddy Wasn't There" for the Austin Powers movies.
In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted among the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.
During a CBS interview in 2007, Myers noted that he normally takes three years between films. He spends one year "living his life" and then writes various screenplays, develops characters, practices them in front of live audiences, and then selects one of the screenplays to film. Myers noted that this was the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
' procedure for developing their film material.
Myers received the MTV Generation award in June 2007, making him the 2nd Canadian to win the award (Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
was the first in 2006), for bringing his unique style of comedy to small and big screens alike.
Personal life
Myers began dating actress and comedy writer Robin Ruzan in the late 1980s after meeting at a hockey game in Chicago, during which Myers caught a puckPuck (sports)
A puck is a disk used in various games serving the same functions as a ball does in ball games. The best-known use of pucks is in ice hockey, a major international sport.- Etymology :The origin of the word "puck" is obscure...
and used the incident as an icebreaker to strike up a conversation with Ruzan. The couple married in 1993, and Myers later referred to Ruzan as "his muse". The couple filed for divorce in December 2005.
In 2006, cafe owner Kelly Tisdale confirmed reports that she and Myers were dating, telling the National Enquirer, "we're actually surprised you didn't find out about us sooner." Myers and Tisdale wed in New York in the fall of 2010. The couple have a son, Spike, born in September 2011.
Myers is a Dungeons & Dragons player and was one of several celebrities to have participated in the Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day in 2006.
Myers has played for Hollywood United F.C.
Hollywood United F.C.
Hollywood United is an American amateur soccer team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1988, the team plays in Region IV of the United States Adult Soccer Association, a network of amateur leagues at the fifth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.-Origins:Hollywood United...
, a celebrity studded U.S. soccer team. He played in the 2010 Soccer Aid
Soccer Aid
-Event schedule:*22 May 2006 – Start of the television coverage, presented by Ant and Dec. Rest of the World defeats England in a penalty shoot-out*23 May 2006 – Practice match: England 1–0 England Legends...
for UNICEF UK
UNICEF UK
UNICEF UK, also known as the United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF, is one of 36 UNICEF National Committees based in industrialised countries. The National Committees raise funds for the organisation's worldwide emergency and development work. In 2007, UNICEF UK raised £41.3 million for UNICEF’s work...
soccer match, England vs. R.O.W (Rest of the World) and successfully scored his penalty during a sudden death shootout after the game ended 2-2 (June 6, 2010).
The Rest of the World team beat England for the first time since the tournament started.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Wayne’s World Wayne's World (film) Wayne's World is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Penelope Spheeris and starring Mike Myers in his film debut as Wayne Campbell and Dana Carvey as Garth Algar, hosts of the Aurora, Illinois-based Public-access television cable TV show Wayne's World... |
Wayne Campbell | Also Writer |
| 1993 | So I Married an Axe Murderer So I Married an Axe Murderer So I Married an Axe Murderer is a 1993 American comedy-horror film starring Mike Myers and Nancy Travis. Myers plays Charlie McKenzie, a man afraid of commitment until he meets Harriet , who works at a butcher shop and may be a serial killer... |
Charlie McKenzie/ Stuart McKenzie | |
| Wayne’s World 2 Wayne's World 2 Wayne's World 2 is a 1993 comedy film starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as hosts of a Public-access television cable TV show from Aurora, Illinois. The film was adapted from a sketch on NBC's Saturday Night Live and is the sequel to Wayne's World.... |
Wayne Campbell | Also Writer | |
| 1997 | Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is a 1997 American science fiction/action-comedy film and the first film of the Austin Powers series. It was directed by Jay Roach and written by Mike Myers who also stars in the title role. Myers also plays Dr. Evil, Austin Powers' arch-enemy... |
Austin Powers / Dr. Evil Dr. Evil Dr. Evil is a fictional character, played by Mike Myers in the Austin Powers film series. He is the antagonist of the movies, and Austin Powers' nemesis. He is a parody of James Bond villains, primarily Donald Pleasence's Ernst Stavro Blofeld . Dr... |
Also Writer/ Producer |
| 1998 | 54 54 (film) 54 is a 1998 drama film written and directed by Mark Christopher, starring Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek, and Neve Campbell... |
Steve Rubell Steve Rubell Steve Rubell was an American entrepreneur and co-owner of the New York disco Studio 54.-Early life:Rubell and his brother Don spent their childhoods with their parents in Brooklyn, New York. His father worked for the U.S. Postal Service and later became a tennis pro... |
|
| Tim Broderick | |||
| Pete’s Meteor Pete's Meteor Pete's Meteor is an Irish drama film released in 2002. It was written and directed by Joe O'Byrne and stars Mike Myers in his first dramatic role.... |
Pete | ||
| 1999 | Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, released in 1999, is the second film in the Austin Powers series that began with 1997's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and continued with Austin Powers in Goldmember. The film was directed by Jay Roach, co-written by Mike Myers and screenwriter... |
Austin Powers / Dr. Evil / Fat Bastard Fat Bastard (character) Fat Bastard is a fictional character in the second and third of the Austin Powers films. A morbidly obese henchman hailing from North Britain, Fat Bastard serves Dr. Evil in his quest to defeat Austin Powers. The character is portrayed by Mike Myers.... |
Also Writer/ Producer |
| Mystery, Alaska Mystery, Alaska Mystery, Alaska is a 1999 drama directed by Jay Roach about a fictional small-town ice hockey team that plays a game against the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League. It was shot in Banff National Park and Canmore, Alberta.-Plot:... |
Donnie Shulzhoffer | ||
| 2001 | Shrek Shrek Shrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!... |
Shrek Shrek (character) Shrek is a fictional character from the children's book Shrek! and the Shrek films. He is the main protagonist of both the book and the films... / The Narrator |
Voice |
| 2002 | Austin Powers in Goldmember Austin Powers in Goldmember Austin Powers in Goldmember is a 2002 American spy comedy film and the third installment of the Austin Powers series starring Mike Myers in the title role. The movie was directed by Jay Roach, and co-written by Mike Myers and Michael McCullers. Myers also plays the roles of Dr. Evil, Goldmember,... |
Austin Powers / Dr. Evil / Fat Bastard / Goldmember Goldmember Johan van der Smut, better known as Goldmember, is a fictional agent in the third film of the Austin Powers trilogy, Austin Powers in Goldmember. He is played by Mike Myers. The character was partially inspired by the James Bond's Auric Goldfinger... |
Also Writer/ Producer |
| 2003 | Nobody Knows Anything! | 'Eye' Witness | |
| The Cat | |||
| Shrek 4-D Shrek 4-D Shrek 4-D is a 4-D film at various theme parks around the world. Universal Parks & Resorts owns the main rights to the film which is currently shown at their parks in Hollywood, Florida, Japan and Singapore... |
Shrek | Voice | |
| View from the Top View from the Top View from the Top is a 2003 romantic comedy film about a young woman from a small town who sets out to fulfill her dream of becoming a flight attendant... |
John Witney | ||
| 2004 | Shrek 2 Shrek 2 Shrek 2 is a 2004 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film, produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon. It is the second installment in the Shrek film series and the sequel to 2001's Shrek... |
Shrek | Voice |
| 2006 | Home Home (2006 film) Home is a 2006 documentary by Irish filmmaker Alan Cooke about notable residents of New York City.-Cast:*David Amram*Alan Cooke*Armand DiMele*Pete Hamill*Elaine Kaufman *Fran Lebowitz*Frank McCourt... |
Himself | |
| 2007 | Shrek the Third Shrek the Third Shrek the Third is a 2007 American animated film, and the third film in the Shrek series. It was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation, and is distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was released in U.S. theaters on May 18, 2007... |
Shrek | Voice |
| 2008 | Guru Maurice Pitka | Also Writer/Producer Razzie Award for Worst Actor |
|
| 2009 | Inglourious Basterds | Gen. Ed Fenech | |
| 2010 | Shrek Forever After Shrek Forever After Shrek Forever After, taglined as The Final Chapter, is a 2010 animated fantasy-comedy film, and the fourth and final installment in the Shrek film series, produced by DreamWorks Animation. The film was released by Paramount Pictures in cinemas on May 20, 2010 in Russia, and on May 21 in the United... |
Shrek | Voice |
Awards
Myers has won the following awards:- Four American Comedy AwardsAmerican Comedy AwardsThe American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States from 1987 to 2001 recognizing performances and performers in the field of comedy, with an emphasis on television comedy and comedy films...
(Best Film Performance (Male) and Best Writing in 2003 and 2000, for Austin Powers in Goldmember and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, respectively) - The 2000 American Comedy Award for Best Lead Actor for The Spy Who Shagged Me.
- An Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in 1989 for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program, for Saturday Night Live. He has also been nominated for two other Emmy Awards. - He has won seven MTV Movie AwardsMTV Movie AwardsThe MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general...
. - Nominated for the Worst Actor and Worst Screen Couple Razzie Awards in 2004, for The Cat in the HatThe Cat in the Hat (film)The Cat in the Hat is a 2003 American slapstick comedy film loosely based on the 1957 book of the same name by Dr. Seuss. It was produced by Brian Grazer and directed by Bo Welch, and stars Mike Myers in the title role of the Cat in the Hat, and Dakota Fanning as Sally...
. - For contributions to the motion picture industry, Mike Myers was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of FameHollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 7042 Hollywood BoulevardHollywood Boulevard-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
. - He was awarded the Lucille BallLucille BallLucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
Legacy of Laughter Award at the 2008 TV Land AwardsTV Land AwardsThe TV Land Awards is an American television awards ceremony that generally commemorates shows now off the air, rather than in current production as with awards such as the Emmys. It is presented in a manner that spoofs other entertainment award ceremonies...
. His award was presented to him by Justin TimberlakeJustin TimberlakeJustin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, his co-star in The Love GuruThe Love GuruThe Love Guru is a 2008 comedy film, directed by Marco Schnabel and starring Mike Myers and Jessica Alba along with Romany Malco and Justin Timberlake. In addition to starring in the film, Myers wrote The Love Guru with Graham Gordy and produced it with Gary Barber. The film was released by...
. - Two Razzie Awards in 2008, for Worst Actor and along with co-writer Graham Gordy Worst Screenplay for The Love Guru. The film also won Worst Film and secured 4 other nominations.
- In 2003 he was inducted into Canada's Walk of FameCanada's Walk of FameCanada's Walk of Fame , located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians...
.
Notable SNL characters
The following characters were created and played by Myers on SNL:- Dieter - host of Sprockets
- Linda RichmanCoffee TalkCoffee Talk with Linda Richman was a sketch performed by Mike Myers on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. It ran from October 12, 1991, until October 15, 1994, although Myers reprised the role once more on March 22, 1997.In the sketch, Myers plays a stereotypical Jewish middle-aged woman...
- hostess of Coffee TalkCoffee TalkCoffee Talk with Linda Richman was a sketch performed by Mike Myers on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. It ran from October 12, 1991, until October 15, 1994, although Myers reprised the role once more on March 22, 1997.In the sketch, Myers plays a stereotypical Jewish middle-aged woman... - Simon - a little boy who does drawings in the bath and complains about having "prune hands" (the theme song for this segment was a slightly modified version of the theme song from "Simon in the Land of Chalk DrawingsSimon in the Land of Chalk DrawingsSimon in the Land of Chalk Drawings is a British children's animated television programme, featuring the adventures of a young child named Simon, who has a magic chalkboard...
" by Edward MacLachlan) - Wayne Campbell (SNL, the Wayne's WorldWayne's WorldWayne's World was originally a recurring sketch from the NBC television series Saturday Night Live. It evolved from a segment titled "Wayne's Power Minute" on the CBC Television series It's Only Rock & Roll, as the main character first appeared in that show...
films) - Pat Arnold (SNL, Bill Swerski's SuperfansBill Swerski's SuperfansBill Swerski's Superfans was a recurring sketch about Chicago sports fans on the American sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live. It was a prominent feature from 1991–1992, and its characters have made various other appearances since its inception....
) - Stuart Rankin - proprietor of "All Things Scottish"
- Lothar (Of the Hill People)
- Middle-Aged Man - An older man who helps young people with their problems
- Phillip - A child of the age of six (though in the sketch when arguing with another girl he claims he's six and a half, six and four fifths, and six and infinity plus one.) who is hyperglycemic and hyperactive (quote: "I'm a hyper hypo"). Phillip appears in at least two sketches, one with Nicole Kidman and the other with Kim Basinger.