With Mike Myers back on TV with an uncredited performance as ‘British comedian’ Tommy Maitland, the host of the ABC gameshow The Gong Show, we take a look back at some of the Wayne’s World star’s other projects…
54
In 1998 Myers co-starred opposite Ryan Phillippe in Mark Christopher’s 54, a film based on the real-life and world famous Studio 54 night club that was synonymous with 1970s New York night life. The role of Rubell was one of Myers’ few truly non-comedic roles but Rubell was sufficiently oddball and quirky to justify his casting.
The film was a box office flop and savaged by the critics but has been partially redeemed thanks to a Director’s Cut Blu-ray release which reinstates more than 8 minutes of footage and deletes a number of scenes reshot by Christopher on instruction from the studio.
The Love Guru
This 2008 also starred Jessica Alba and Justin Timberlake, Stephen Colbert, and Ben Kingsley but the main selling point was Myers’ multiple roles, including as the titular Guru.
A messy and undisciplined plot led to the film being panned and it recouped just two-thirds of its budget at the box office. This moribund film lives on as a budget Blu-ray release and as a more exciting online slot game developed by iSoftBet.
So I Married an Axe Murderer
This 1993 comedy saw Myers play Charlie, a young man afraid of commitment until he meets a woman who may or may not be a serial killer.
The film was designed as a star vehicle for Myers who was at the top of his popularity thanks to the success of Wayne’s World. However critics were split on the merits of the film which was extensively rewritten by Myers.
Some were also unconvinced by the decision to submerge him under layers of make-up in order to allow him to also play also Stuart, the father of the main character. The film earned back just half of its budget, making it an expensive indulgence of its star.
The future…
Myers’ next big film project will see him play an unconfirmed role in the upcoming Freddie Mercury and Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.
His involvement in the movie brings him full circle after this scene in Wayne’s World linked him permanently in the minds of many fans with the band and Bohemian Rhapsody in particular…
