Depending on the generation of film and television audiences, Mike Myers is more popularly remembered as the Austin Powers actor. Having starred as the eponymous title character in all three films, Myers became one of the most successful actor-comedians in Hollywood. Arguably, he was one of Hollywood’s top lead actors from the 90s to early 2000s.
Mike Myers’ comedy style was relatively unique at the time. There weren’t (if any) many actors doing satirical spy comedy films at the time. A true veteran, Myers combined his talents as a comedian, actor, writer, and filmmaker to exert an influence in the comedy genre. However, by the mid to late 2000s Mike Myers slowly began to fade in popularity, appearing in low success films. Here’s a look at Mike Myers’ life and career and what he has been up to in recent times.
Mike Myers on Saturday Night Live
Mike Myers became a household name after he joined the cast of the NBC late-night live sketch comedy variety show Saturday Night Live (SNL). Unsurprisingly, Myers’ propensity to use memorable catchphrases and play oddball characters made him SNL’s first repertory cast in over two years after he joined the show. Mike Myers stayed exactly six years as an SNL cast member, joining on January 21, 1989, and exiting on January 21, 1995. In those six years, Myers appeared in several notable sketches, including the famous Wayne’s World and Sprockets. His most popular SNL characters included Dieter, Wayne Campbell, Lothar, Linda Richman, Johnny Letter, and “Handsome Actor” Lank Thompson.
Mike Myers in Wayne’s World Movies
With the Wayne’s World SNL sketch being a success, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey adapted the sketches into a film. Myers reprised his role as Wayne Campbell, while Carvey played his best friend, Garth Algar. Wayne’s World (1992) was a critical and commercial success, grossing $183.1 million on a $20 million budget. Wayne’s World (1992) was followed by a sequel, Wayne’s World 2, the following year. Although it failed to outperform its predecessor, Wayne’s World 2 was a moderate success.
Mike Myers in Shrek Films
Besides Mike Myers being known as the Austin Powers actor, Myers is also known for voicing the eponymous character in the Shrek films. Myers was cast to voice the character after the death of actor Chris Farley in 1997. The first film in 2001 was released after Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999). With Austin Powers in Goldmember following in 2002, Shrek became Myers’ highest-grossing film franchise. The franchise ended in 2010 with the fourth installment Shrek Forever After. Collectively, all four Shrek movies grossed slightly over $2.9 billion at the Box Office.
Universal Pictures Sued Mike Myers For $3.8 Million in 2000
Mike Myers signed a contract with Universal Pictures for a two-movie deal that was reportedly worth $40 million. Not only had Myers’ Austin Powers films been successful, but his SNL-adapted sketch, Wayne World, was also a success. The Universal Pictures deal would have Myers play Dieter in a film adaptation of the SNL Sprockets. Universal Pictures felt Mike Myers had backed out of the contract and sued him for $3.8 million.
Myers defended his decision to back out and lose $20 million, stating the script wasn’t completed and was unacceptable. He counter-sued Universal Pictures, with the case dragging on for months. Both parties later decided to settle out of court, with Mike Myers starring in another movie for Universal Pictures. Not only was The Cat in the Hat (2003) panned by critics and a commercial flop, it is listed among the worst films ever made.
Mike Myers Cameo Roles And Low-Budget Films
By the late 2000s, Mike Myers’ fame and popularity began to decline. With younger comedians stepping up and the oversaturation of parody spy films, Myers began appearing in several low-budget films. The 2008 romantic comedy The Love Guru was poorly received by critics and audiences. Despite starring Jessica Alba, Justin Timberlake, and Meagan Good, The Love Guru was a commercial failure. Since then, Myers, known as a leading man actor, retired to play minor roles or make cameo appearances.
In Quentin Tarantino’s war film Inglourious Basterds (2009), Mike Myers joined its star-studded cast playing a minor role as General Ed Fenech. In the English dub of the Russian fantasy comedy Last Knight, Myers voiced the character Vodyanoy, alongside actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, who voiced Varvara. The Margot Robbie-led cast of Terminal (2018), has Myers playing multiple characters (Janitor/Night Superintendent/Supe/Clinton Sharp/Mr. Franklyn) in supporting roles. Mike Myers ended the 2010s by playing the fictional EMI executive, Ray Foster, in the Freddie Mercury-based biographical musical drama Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).
Where Is Mike Myers Now?
At the turn of a new decade, Mike Myers only returned to acting in 2022. After his work in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) and appearing as Austin Powers’ Dr. Evil in 2 episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2018, Myers stepped away from the spotlight. Mike Myers returned to television as the lead actor in his created miniseries The Pentaverate (2022). Myers based the miniseries on the conspiracy theories in his second feature film So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993). Released on Netflix, the 6-episode miniseries mixed to average ratings from critics. As usual, Mike Myers played multiple characters in the series.
Mike Myers also returned to the big screen in 2022. He was cast as an MI6 spy in David O. Russell’s period mystery comedy Amsterdam (2022). His character, Paul Canterbury, was also a glass-eye manufacturer. Amsterdam packed several A-list actors, including Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Andrea Riseborough, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Chris Rock. Others are Michael Shannon, Taylor Swift, Timothy Olyphant, Zoe Saldaña, Rami Malek, and Robert De Niro. Despite the star-studded cast of Amsterdam (2022), the movie was a financial disappointment, with studio losses of over $100 million – production and marketing costs. It grossed $31.2 million on an $80 million production budget.
There are rumors that Mike Myers is in talks to make a fourth film in the Austin Powers movies. When asked, Myers chose to neither confirm nor deny the movie’s production. However, with him playing an MI6 agent in Amsterdam, Myers would definitely be itching for a return to his most successful and proudest role. Mike Myers continues to live in New York City with his wife, Kelly Tisdale, and their children. If you enjoyed reading about Mike Myers, the Austin Powers actor, read about another famous 90s star, Lindsay Lohan, and what she has been up to.