Mike Myers biography

Synopsis

Early Career

Actor and comedian. Born Michael Myers, on May 25, 1963, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Myers grew up in the town of Scarborough, outside of Toronto, with his parents and two brothers. His father, an Encyclopedia Britannica saleman of British origin, introduced his children early to the Monty Python and James Bond movies that would inspire Myers's weirdly brilliant comic style.

Myers began acting in commercials at the age of eight and appeared in ads for Datsun, Pepsi, Kmart, and Apple Jacks, among others. At the end of his senior year at Stephen Leacock High School in 1981, he auditioned for and was accepted into the Second City Comedy Troupe. Myers performed with the group in Toronto and Chicago. In 1989, producer Lorne Michaels hired him as an actor and writer for Saturday Night Live.

As one of the youngest actors on the famous show, Myers once again had big shoes to fill — former members of the SNL cast included Second City alumni Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, and John Belushi, as well as Eddie Murphy. Myers soon built up a portfolio of personae for himself — some of the most recognizable were Dieter, German host of the dance party/talk show "Sprockets;" Linda Richman, the often-"verklempt" New York Jewish host of "Coffee Talk;" and Lank Thompson, the "Handsome Actor." His most famous alter-ego, heavy metal enthusiast Wayne Campbell, broadcast his own TV show, Wayne's World, from the basement of his parents' house in suburban Aurora, Illinois. Myers has said he based the character on his own experience growing up in Scarborough.

The tremendous popularity of Wayne's World on SNL led to a movie version, which Myers co-wrote and starred in alongside Dana Carvey as Wayne Campbell's dim sidekick, Garth Algar. Wayne's World earned $200 million in combined box office and video sales.

In 1993, Myers's film career seemed well on its way, with two reasonably successful releases, Wayne's World 2, and So I Married An Axe Murderer, both of which had moderate success. After six years on SNL, Myers left the show in 1995.

Film Star

After a two year hiatus from filmmaking, Myers returned in 1997 with a bang in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, which he also wrote. Like Wayne's World, this outrageous spoof of British spy movies was a hit in theaters, but went on to make millions more in video sales. Myers' hilarious dual performances as the libidinous Powers and his archenemy, Dr. Evil, were followed by a critically acclaimed "serious" turn as disco-owner Steve Rubell in 1998's mediocre 54.

In 1999, Myers had his biggest hit yet with Austin Powers II: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Released in June