Mike Myers is not everyone knows in person. But some of the characters he created are familiar to almost the whole world. The amazing success of the actor went to him quite rightly - the images of Myers are often thought out and embodied exclusively by himself. How did his career begin? What about personal life?
Actor's family
Mike's parents were immigrants. Therefore, from childhood, the boy was a citizen of two states - Canada and Great Britain. The father of the future actor passionately loved everything related to England. Therefore, the family - sometimes in full force - sat down to watch British television shows and films about James Bond. Especially comedies were popular in the family . Perhaps it was in childhood that Mike Myers’s love for the genre began, the star of which he himself later became. And the image of Austin Powers is a parody of the spy films popular in the mid-twentieth century, which the entire Myers family once watched.
A child from advertising
Mike Myers first appeared on the screen at the age of nine. His first job was a Pepsi commercial. The child was noticed and invited to advertise Datsun cars and Kit-kat chocolate bars. Mike's mom once dreamed about an acting career, so she willingly took her son to auditions. On the set of the British Columbia Hydro Electric commercial, he ended up on the same site with Guilda Radner. And fell in love. Feelings were so strong that at the end of the day the young actor burst into tears. He decided that he would definitely work with her again. This became the motivation for continuing his acting career. At school, Mike did a good satirical essay, so after graduation he went to audition for the Second City Comedy Theater and got into a comedy troupe in Toronto.
Novice comedian
Soon, Mike Myers began appearing on city television in Toronto. He turned out to be a very successful comedian, and soon he was offered to work at the Comedy Shop in London. For the next eight years, he also worked in Toronto and Chicago. He tested himself on Canadian and British television and took part in the show "Saturday Night Live", where his character was Wayne. But feature films with Mike Myers were in no hurry to appear on the screens. Real success was still ahead.
The world of big cinema
Myers received his first serious work in 1989. He appeared in a cameo in "Elvis Stories." But as an actor, Mike Myers was not famous. True success came to him only in 1992, when the tape “Wayne’s World”, created by Penelope Sfiris, was released. The main characters are young boys Garth and Wayne, creating a youth program. One of them, namely Wayne, was performed by Mike Myers. The role brought him popularity. A year later, he again appeared on the screens, this time in the continuation of the adventures of young friends. Wayne’s World 2 told about the life of a few matured heroes who were so loved by the viewer. For the first part, Mike received a fee of one million dollars, but the second brought him three and a half times more. For an actor who had just started acting, such an income was very, very impressive.
The spy who conquered everyone
In 1997, the world first saw Austin Powers. Mike Myers not only became the producer of the film, but also played two characters in it at once - the spy of Austin Powers and his adversary named Dr. Evil. The film, titled "Austin Powers: The International Mystery Man" has become a blockbuster popular around the world. Together with Mike, celebrities such as Liz Hurley, Seth Green, Charles Napier, Paul Dillon, Mimi Rogers and many others worked on the site of the film. In this comedy, the creators spoiled numerous stories about James Bond and other legendary spies. According to the plot, special agent Austin Powers spent thirty years in a cryogenic chamber. Therefore, he is rather eccentricly dressed and generally behaves somewhat unusual. In 1999, the second part of the story about him came out, which became known as “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Seduced Me”. In this tape, Mike Myers already played three roles at once, still performing the work of the producer. The third part, entitled "Austin Powers: Goldmember" was released in 2002. According to rumors, the fourth part is planned to be shot in Hollywood, but the exact date of its release on the screens remains a mystery. Perhaps fans will wait for the premiere next year.
Serious roles
Mike Myers, whose filmography includes many legendary comedies, managed to act in dramatic and even tragic films. For example, in 1998, he played superbly in the movie Fifty-Four. Critics reacted very favorably to his work. In the same year, the paintings “The Thin Pink Line” and “Peter Meteor” appeared on the screen, and in 1999, Mike starred in the movie “The Secret of Alaska”. His partners on the set were Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer and Carrie Aisley. Among the latest works of Myers, there are also serious tapes. For example, Inglourious Basterds of 2009 - a film about the events of the Second World War. In addition, Mike periodically takes part in the filming of television programs, documentaries and videos. However, despite the fact that everyone notes the dramatic talent of the actor and his ability to convey emotions to the viewer, Myers himself remains a loyal fan of the comedy genre and prefers to act and produce in such projects more.
Unusual reincarnations
In 2003, the light saw the tape called "Cat". Myers Mike in it embodied directly in the pet. In a fabulous film, the children met a talking cat, with whom they had to open the world of their imagination and smash their own house a little. Together with Myers, Alec Baldwin, Dakota Fanning and Spencer Breslin worked on the film.
The actor had to make an equally original reincarnation, albeit only a sound one, for the Shrek tape. In the animated film, Myers voices the main character, the green ogre, who lives in an enchanted swamp. The cartoon includes several parts released in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2010. In addition, there are many short episodes, in each of which there is a character of Mike. Given the incredible success of Shrek, it is likely that viewers will soon see a new part dedicated to the adventures of the ogre family, as well as the inseparable Donkey and Cat. It will certainly be no less popular than all previous series.
The personal life of the actor
Mike Myers, whose photographs can often be seen on posters and magazine covers, is not inclined to advertise his personal life. He himself is a Canadian Protestant, but his first Jewish wife has Polish and Russian roots, but this did not hinder the mutual understanding of the spouses. The couple met in Chicago during a hockey match. After meeting Robin Ruzan, Mike was seriously injured - the puck hit him. Three years later, the lovers visited the Toronto game with the Bruins in Boston, and this time Robin herself suffered. Thus, we can say that they were united by a hockey puck. They got married in 1993. But after some time the relationship was upset, and the couple filed for divorce.
Myers second wife was Kelly Tisdale, with whom he began to lead the life of an exemplary family man. The couple has two children. Despite the fact that both Kelly, who is a famous singer and actress, and Mike have a busy schedule, it seems that they still manage to cope with family life.