Mike Myers biography

Synopsis

Early Life

A talented comedic writer and actor, Mike Myers was born in 1953 to British parents in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. His father, Eric, who worked as an encyclopedia salesman, was an important influence on Myers. He shared his love of British comedy with his sons -- Myers and his older brothers, Peter and Paul -- and sometimes would wake the boys up late at night to watch episodes of Monty Python or Benny Hill.

Myers began his professional career as a child actor, appearing in commercials. After finishing high school, he joined the Toronto outpost of the popular Chicago comedy group Second City. Myers went out on his own for a short period in the mid-1980s, taking his comedy to London, but returned to Toronto after his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Not long after his return, Myers met Robin Ruzan, who he later married (in 1993).

Career Highlights

In 1989, Myers auditioned for the popular comedy show Saturday Night Live and quickly won over the show's creator Lorne Michaels. He joined the cast as a featured player that same year, working alongside such other comedic talents as Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman and Kevin Nealon. Myers, becoming a full cast member the following season, created several memorable characters on the show. Viewers enjoyed Dieter, the intellectual German TV host; Wayne Campbell, a rocker with his own cable access show; and Linda Richman, a character modeled after Myers's own future mother-in-law. Myers also did impressions, ranging from Barbra Streisand to the Rolling Stones' Ron Wood.

While on Saturday Night Live, Myers had his first hit film, Wayne's World, in 1992. He reprised his SNL role as Wayne Campbell on the big screen, co-starring with fellow SNL cast mate Dana Carvey. Carvey played Campbell's best friend and show sidekick, Garth. The pair quickly followed up that box office success with the 1993 sequel Wayne's World 2.

Myers left SNL after the 1994-95 season. For a few years, he worked on a new idea. Not long after, he incorporated the swinging 1960s and spy thrillers of England to create Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997). This spy spoof featured Myers as the bespectacled title character, as well as several other characters in the film, including Powers's nemesis, Dr. Evil. Elizabeth Hurley plays Powers's love interest in the popular comedy, and Michael York plays his spy boss. The film earned more than $55 million over its opening weekend. In an interview with People magazine, York described what is was like to work with Myers: "It's rare one can use words like 'comic genius' with any meaningfulness, but it's justified."