Mike Myers is literally a man of many faces. Fresh off his newest show The Pentaverate on Netflix, the multi-faceted actor is one of the many celebrated figures in comedy. Named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2017, Myers has an extensive body of work as an actor, writer, and producer.
Performing since the age of 10, Myers got his big break with his debut on Saturday Night Live in 1989. He eventually became a fan favorite thanks to his SNL characters, notable for their overly exaggerated stereotypical tropes, from Simon, the British child in a bathtub, to Richman, the Jewish woman with a distinct Brooklyn accent.
Myers’ versatility continues to land him in projects that allow him to portray a multitude of characters. With in-depth character development as one of his major strengths, he has the ability to transform any shallow character into a huge pop culture icon. Check out some of Myers’ most iconic roles in the past few decades in this handy guide.
The Cat in The Cat in the Hat (2003)
The Cat in the Hat might not be one of Myers’ proudest moments, but it is a brilliant example of his on-screen professionalism. The film is adapted from Dr. Seuss' famous book, telling the story of two children, Conrad and Sally Walden (Spencer Breslin and Dakota Fanning), who are home alone with their pet fish. When the elusive Cat shows up out of nowhere at the front door, he takes the siblings on a surreal trip with the power of imagination.
The movie is notorious for Myers’ unsatisfactory behavior on set, and there’s a good reason why. It was reported that the actor was contractually obligated to be a part of this movie. After his success with his Austin Powers franchise, he was offered $20 million to revive one of his SNL characters on the big screen. But as soon as the script came in, Myers’ wasn’t happy with it and was afraid of disappointing audiences. Universal sued Myers but eventually reached a settlement: he agreed to be in another movie by the studio, which just so happened to be The Cat in the Hat.
Despite the bitter situation, Myers didn’t let that affect his performance. Traditionally, the Cat is known for its rebelliousness, silver tongue, and sloppy grin. However, Myers chooses to up a notch by sporting a heavy Brooklyn accent with a side of sarcasm. But what makes this an iconic role is its unscripted moments. In one particular scene, the Cat talks to the siblings and a piece of wood falls from the ceiling behind him. Myers’ startled reaction is very real, but he doesn’t break character and uses the moment to his comedic advantage.
You can watch The Cat in the Hat on Netflix and Hulu.
Charlie and Stuart MacKenzie in So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)
One of Myers’ grossly underrated works, So I Married an Axe Murderer follows the less than successful love life of Charlie MacKenzie, an avant-garde beat poet living in San Francisco. Notorious for his commitment issues, he has a bad habit of breaking up with girls over the most trivial items (case in point: one of the girls he dated smells like soup). All that changes when he meets the smart and gorgeous local butcher Harriet Michaels (Nancy Travis), possibly the future woman of his dreams. There’s just one tiny problem: MacKenzie suspects that Michaels is Mrs. X, the honeymoon murderer who kills her husbands with a bloody axe. With an absurd plot, pretentious characters, and an unoriginal setting, So I Married an Axe Murderer is a film that’s not meant to be taken seriously. Yet, it’s a movie that audiences cannot keep their eyes off, not just because we want to know who the actual murderer is, but also because Myers is an exceptional improviser.
Myers plays two characters: the hopelessly-in-love Charlie Mackenzie and his Scottish father Stuart Mackenzie. Like most of his characters, Myers was given the freedom to mold his character. Since the movie takes place in San Francisco, home of the Beat Generation and Jack Kerouac Alley, he wanted Charlie to be a beat poet himself. It was a decision that ultimately gave birth to one of the movie's most memorable moments, the Woman Poem scene. Unlike his other iconic roles, Charlie is on the mild-mannered side but has a tendency to surround himself with zany characters like his father.
While Charlie has a meeker presence, Stuart Mackenzie stole the show with his loud and showy personality. As one of Myers’ trademark “Scottish Man” characters, a recurring joke throughout Myers’ acting career, Stuart embodies every Scotsman trait possible. He has a “Scottish Hall of Fame” on his wall (with a picture of Sean Connery), loves the Bay City Rollers, and has his heart set on the moors of Scotland. But what puts Stuart into the spotlight is his love for conspiracy theories, including a secret society named “The Pentaverate” (does the name ring a bell?).
You can watch So I Married an Axe Murderer on Starz.
Wayne Campbell in Wayne's World (1992)
Having been successful on Saturday Night Live, it was eventually Wayne’s World that marked Myers’ breakthrough on the big screen. Playing the titular role of Wayne Campbell, the film is a spin-off based on one of the actor’s SNL skits. Campbell is a jobless 20-something rockhead who still lives with his parents in suburbian Aurora, Illinois. Along with his best friend Garth (Dana Carvey), the dupe owns a public access TV show aptly titled “Wayne’s World”. Word of the show gets to a local station and an opportunistic and sleazy producer, Benjamin Oliver (Rob Lowe), who plans on bringing the show to commercial success.
Myers drew the inspiration for Campbell from his teen years living in Scarborough, a suburb in Toronto. He spent most of his younger years hanging out with a bunch of friends, oozing off a certain homogeneous and adolescent coming-of-age experience. His funny group of friends sparked the potential for Campbell’s lively, animated, and wacky personality traits. Most importantly, Campbell is nothing without his love for heavy metal (case in point: their iconic Bohemian Rhapsody car scene). His penchant for heavy metal was also inspired by the love for the music genre in Myers’ suburban town. With complete disregard for etiquette, minimum knowledge of general affairs, and party spirit, Campbell has the time of his life.
You can buy or rent Wayne's World through Amazon, Google Play, Apple TV, and most other online video platforms.
Austin Powers and Dr. Evil in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
“Shagadelic, baby.” This iconic quote is brought to you by none other than the grooviest spy to ever exist in cinematic history, Austin Powers. The character made his first appearance in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, a one-and-a-half-hour guilty pleasure flick filled with sexual innuendos, hedonistic humor, and undeniably hilarious story arcs. Powers, a spy from the ‘60s who is cryogenically frozen, is released in the ‘90s to stop Dr. Evil’s nuclear plans. The sex-mad superspy goes through the ultimate culture shock after realizing the world has changed within the past 30 years or so.
There’s no other spy more memorable than Austin Powers, who’s also known by his full name Sir Austin Danger Powers KBE. With his crooked teeth, ridiculous grin, and outlandish outfits, it’s surprising to think that Myers modeled this character after the sharp and stylish James Bond movie franchise. However, Myers gave Powers a massive Swinging London twist, which was inspired by his time performing with his faux British 1960s band Ming Tea. While both Powers and Bond are womanizing Brits with crazily intelligent superspy abilities, it’s definitely obvious that they have their stark differences.
On the other hand, Myers didn’t originally plan on playing Dr. Evil. Originally, the role was meant for the equally outlandish Jim Carrey, but he wasn’t able to follow through due to conflicting schedules. Instead, Myers ends up playing Powers’ main nemesis (who happens to be his secret twin brother). Dr. Evil is not your ordinary villain - the legend goes that the character was developed based on SNL creator Lorne Michaels’ idea, in which he describes the mastermind as someone who is "obsessing about minutiae, the way he ends everything by bringing his pinky up and chewing the fingernail.” Accompanied by his loyal goon Number Two, his cat Mr. Bigglesworth, and a dwarf clone of himself, Dr. Evil relentlessly terrorizes Powers.
You can buy or rent Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery through most online video-on-demand stores.
Shrek in Shrek (2001)
“It’s vulgar, it’s disgusting — and I loved it.” There’s no better person to describe Shrek than the author of the original children’s book himself, William Steig. The animated fairy tale follows a green ogre named Shrek who suddenly finds his swamp occupied with a myriad of random creatures who were evicted by the scheming Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow). Along with his more than enthusiastic sidekick Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Shrek sets out to rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) to get his swamp back, only to end up falling in love with her. Recipient of the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, Shrek has redefined the world of animated motion pictures, and continues to be a symbol of pop culture (especially with its memes)!
Initially, Chris Farley was supposed to voice Shrek. Unfortunately, before he could complete the project, the actor unexpectedly passed away. The voice role was then handed to Myers, who pushed for a script rewrite so that his vision of Shrek didn't mix with Farley’s. Shrek has all sorts of personalities - cynical but kind-hearted, dangerous but careful. But it’s his unique Scottish accent that cemented him in the world of cartoons. The Scottish accent is a deliberate choice, as it is an accent that’s linguistically associated with the common people. According to Myers, Shrek revolves around a class struggle, a conflict between the upper echelons (fairy tale kings and queens) and the working class (Shrek and the fairy tale creatures), so the Scottish accent works in this case.
You can watch Shrek on Amazon Prime Video and Peacock.
Ken Scarborough, Anthony Lansdowne, Rex Smith, and The Pentaverate in The Pentaverate (2022)
The Pentaverate follows a secret society of five distinguished men who come together to influence world events for the greater good. Founded after the Black Plague of 1347, nobody knows about the existence of the group… Until one unlikely Canadian journalist, Ken Scarborough, finds himself on a mission to uncover them, and at the same time, save the world. This is not the first time The Pentaverate is mentioned. In one of Myers’ earlier works, So I Married an Axe Murderer, conspiracy theory enthusiast Stuart Mackenzie goes off about a shadow organization of five men who would run a triannual world meeting at a country mansion called “The Meadows”.
Mike Myers plays not one, not two, but a whopping total of eight characters in this limited miniseries. From his days in SNL, Myers has more than enough experience playing countless characters and is practically a seasoned professional in that at this point. We have Ken Scarborough, the leading hero trying to find hard-hitting stories in order to stay on the news; Anthony Lansdowne, the conspiracy superfan who encourages Scarborough to dig into the Pentaverate; and Rex Smith, the brash conspiracy theory radio host.
And let’s not forget about the Pentaverate themselves, with all five members played by (you guessed it) Myers himself. To recap the members as succinctly as possible: Lord Lordington is the most senior member, Mishu Ivanov’s a Russian master of the underworld, Shep Gordon is Alice Cooper’s former manager, Bruce Baldwin is the media magnate from down under, and Jason Eccleston’s the resident stoner. Crazily unusual characters, but somehow, they all work under Myer’s magic touch.
You can watch The Pentaverate on Netflix.
Bonus: General Ed Fenech in Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Myers might not have the most prominent role in Inglourious Basterds, but his supporting role left a strong presence in one of his scenes. Directed by none other than Quentin Tarantino, Myers plays General Ed Fenech, a legendary mastermind in the British military who has hatched a plot to tackle the Nazi leadership that requires the assistance of Lt. Archie Hicox. Myers explained in Rob Lowe’s podcast that Tarantino offered him the role through a call, and something attracted Myers to the idea of playing a British officer: he’s strict, orderly, and likes his whiskey neat. General Ed Fenech’s scene only lasted a couple of minutes, but it shows Myers’ capability to transform even a small role into something memorable.
You can watch Inglourious Basterds on Starz.