The director left “depressed” after working with Mike Myers

(Credits: Alamy)

Sat 11 November 2023 23:30, UK

Looking across his remarkable career, the contributions that Mike Myers has made to the comedy genre have been nothing short of astounding. After coming through the ranks on Saturday Night Live, Myers would go on to play in some of the most beloved comedies of all time, including Austin Powers, Shrek and Wayne’s World.

And it’s Wayne’s World where the world saw just what Myers was capable of in a feature-length film for the first time. Starring opposite Dana Carvey as one of the legendary heavy rock and metal fans turned public access TV show hosts, Myers delivered several iconic moments as Wayne Campbell, most notably the legendary in-car headbanging scene to Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.

While the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ scene indeed remains arguably the most memorable moment of Wayne’s World, actually getting into its final form was something of a difficult and actually led to a falling out of sorts between the film’s director Penelope Spheeris and Myers, which was a combination of the logistical issue of actually shooting the scene and a person rift between the pair.

In an interview with EW, Spheeris explained: “The guys, when we shot it, were really complaining because they didn’t like having to bang their heads so much. I did so many different shots, and we mounted the cameras in different ways, and Mike was complaining that his head hurt and he needed Advil, and they were both saying that the scene wasn’t funny and why are we doing this.”

The tension between the actor and director had also arisen because of the power that Myers had with the studio, doubled by the fact that he felt that Spheeris was unable to director the film. The director admitted that without Myers, there is no movie to be made, such is the draw of the actor himself.

Spheeris brought up the falling out with Myers and explained that she’d actually been able to use the experience to learn and better herself. “It really made me a better person and a stronger person.” Still, the ordeal left an indelible mark on the director at the time it happened, and the immediate fallout was more than tangible.

“I mean, I was really depressed over it… and I felt horrible,” the director added. “When you go through something like that, you just come out stronger. So I thank them for it.” Eventually, by the time Myers had released Austin Powers, the two had made up and were friends once again with the creative respect for one another that they’d always wished for.

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