Actor and comedian Mike Myers was born on May 25, 1963 in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. Born to parents hailing from Liverpool, England, he wanted to act at a very early age. Known as a funny man in high school, he entered Second City in Toronto after graduating in 1982. Three years later, he moved to the United Kingdom, where he became one of the founding members of London-based improv group The Comedy Store Players. He returned to Toronto in 1986, and began performing as part of Second City in Toronto and Chicago, and later on Canadian television.
Myers gained wide prominence when, in 1989, he joined the cast of the late night comedy show Saturday Night Live. Throughout his six-year stay in the program, he appeared in some of his signature sketches, including West German talk show “Sprockets,” the stereotypically New York “Coffee Talk,” and perhaps his most-known character, Wayne Campbell. The character was actually introduced in Canadian television, as part of a segment of the television series It’s Only Rock and Roll; Myers brought it to the United States with much success. It later turned into a pop culture phenomenon, inspiring several catchphrases and two films. The first, Wayne’s World, was released in 1992 and is considered to be one of the few SNL-based films that are worthwhile.
In 1997, Myers unleashed yet another character, the dashing British spy Austin Powers. From the first film, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, the franchise became a huge success, spurring the release of two other blockbuster films. Four years later, he became recognized as the voice of the lead character in the computer-animated film Shrek; its success led to two more films, a Christmas television special, and a fourth film currently in preproduction.
In between, Myers also starred in other films. In 1998, he appeared in one of his rare non-comedic roles, appearing as entrepreneur Steve Rubell in the film 54. In 2003, as part of a settlement with Universal Studios, he played the lead character in The Cat in the Hat, an adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ book. In 2008, his much-hyped film, The Love Guru, met critical derision and slight controversy for the way Hindus are portrayed. He most recently signed up for a role in Quentin Tarantino’s latest project, the war film Inglorious !$#!#s.