Famed Canadian comedian Mike Myers is best known for his starring role as Austin Powers' spy. For this image, the actor received various film awards. In addition, a green giant ogre named Shrek speaks in the voice of Mike Myers in the animated films of the same name.
Actor Mike Myers captured the attention of viewers after the trilogy about spy-lovelace Austin Powers hit the big screens. As a child, young Mike dreamed of becoming a doctor, but fate decided in its own way.
Childhood and early years of the actor
Mike Myers was born on May 25, 1963, the son of former British Army chef Eric Myers and his wife Alice. The boy spent his childhood in the town of Scarborough, in the Canadian state of Ontario.
Despite the fact that Mike was not the only child in the family (he had older brothers Paul and Peter), the parents did not let the teenager's future take its course. Mother and father insisted that their children be busy with something useful and not hang around.
Mike was sent to acting classes at the age of 8. The boy actively starred in advertisements for Pepsi drinks, KitKat chocolate and Japanese Datsun cars.
Upon completion of school, Mike Myers went to Chicago, where he began to take part in comedy performances.
In 1985, Myers moved to the UK, where he and his partner joined the Comedy Store Players, a comedy improvisation club.
A year later, Mike Myers returned to Toronto and then moved back to Chicago.
In the early nineties, Myers already had dozens of memorable comedy appearances on local television channels. He also participated in all possible media projects.
Career and work of Mike Myers
From 1989 to 1995, Mike Myers participated in reality comedy shows on NBC. On Saturday Night Live, the actor portrayed Wayne Campbell.
In 1992, Myers, together with his TV colleague Dan Carvey, launched a series of popular themed sketches that became the full-length comedy films Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2.
Next came the black comedy starring Mike Myers, I Married an Ax Murderer. The main female role went to the actress Nancy Travis. Myers played a character named Charlie McKenzie, a poet with an unbalanced character who fell in love with a girl with a "dark past." For participation in this motion picture Mike Myers received a fee of $ 2 million.
The next film, which became a hallmark in the career of a comedian and actor, was a trilogy about a spy named Austin Powers:
- "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" (1997);
- "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Seduced Me" (1999);
- Austin Paers: Goldmember (2002).
In each of these films, Mike Myers played several roles (spy, Dr. Evil, Goldmember, Fat Bastard). The main female characters have been embodied by such celebrities as Elizabeth Hurley, Heather Graham and Beyoncé. The comedy itself resembles a parody of 1960s spy films. The films were incredible box office success: with a budget of 30 million, the films paid off 10 times.
Mike Myers voiced the main character in the animated film Shrek. Actor Chris Farley was originally chosen to voice this animated character, but his sudden death raised the question of replacing the candidate for the management staff. The choice fell on the comedian Myers. A master of reincarnation, Mike Myers originally added a Scottish accent to his cartoon character, which gave the green man-eating giant a tough and rude character.
Subsequently, Myers voiced the green ogre in Shrek 2, Shrek 4D, Shrek the Third, and Shrek Forever.
In 2003, the disastrous children's film "Cat" was released, where Mayer performed the image of a talking Cat in a hat. Despite the fact that celebrities Alec Baldwin, Dakot Fanning, Kelly Preston and Spencer Breslin were involved in the film, the film adaptation of the children's book was so unsuccessful that the wife of the late writer was horrified. In addition, non-childish humor sometimes slipped in the film.
In 2007, Mike Myers received the MTV Channel Award. He became the second Canadian actor after Jim Carrey to receive such an award. In addition, in 1998, the actor received an award for best cameo dance and best villain in the film Austin Powers. Also, Mike Myers was awarded for Best Comedic Performance in the famous spy trilogy.
Mike Myers got the short role of General Ed Fenech in Quentin Tarantino's military comedy drama Inglourious Basterds. The cast included celebrities Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Diane Kruger, Michael Fassbender, Til Schweiger.
In 2018, Mike Myers appeared in the crime thriller Done and the biographical drama Bohemian Rhapsody. According to rumors, the film studio is discussing the possibility of filming "Austin Powers 4".
Personal life of a Canadian actor
Mike Myers has been married twice. The first wife of the comedian was Robin Ruzanna, whom he met on the set of his film "Wayne's World". The young couple legalized their relationship in 1993. Mike Myers called his chosen one "muse". The couple lived together for 15 years, but in 2008 they decided to divorce.
In 2010, the actor secretly married the owner of an Internet cafe, Kelly Tisdale. In September 2011, the couple had a son, in April 2014 - a daughter. In 2015, Mike Myers had another daughter.
