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Mike Myers: Portrait of the Artist as a Just Another Sulky, Needy Genius
Posted by Defamer Hollywood at 5:00 AM on June 17, 2008
While this summer's blockbuster stars may yet go down as the stroppiest on record, Mike Myers has pulled a bit of an midseason upset by usurping the season's sulky, moody, bridge-burning crown from long-time "passion" front-runner Edward Norton in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly. Not that the rap on Myers today isn't that much different than it's been in the last 17 years, but with The Love Guru drawing fire from all sides and Myers' spirituality-and-humor crossbreed having apparently all but hijacked his, well, humor, now seems as good a time as any to stir up the bad blood trailing him to the screen this weekend:
''He was emotionally needy and got more difficult as the shoot went along,'' [Wayne's World director Penelope] Spheeris says. ''You should have heard him bitching when I was trying to do that 'Bohemian Rhapsody' scene: 'I can't move my neck like that! Why do we have to do this so many times? No one is going to laugh at that!''' To manage Myers' moods, Spheeris put her daughter in charge of making sure he had whatever snack he needed at any given moment: ''To this day, I have this image of her sitting on this little cooler, looking at me, like, 'Mom, I f—-ing hate you.'''
But then came Austin Powers, and like a snaggle-toothed, chest-haired phoenix, Myers soared back into the hearts of his worst enemies:
''I hated that bastard for years,'' says Spheeris, who believes Myers dissuaded Paramount from hiring her for Wayne's World 2. ''But when I saw Austin Powers, I went, 'I forgive you, Mike.''' She pauses, voice choked with emotion. '''You can be moody, you can be a jerk, you can be things that others of us can't be — because you are profoundly talented. And I forgive you.'''
Though she also adds, "Maybe he could open, like, a children's hospital to clean up his rep. He's got to do something pretty quick," so there's a bit of a ways to go still. But those whom Myers has helped make rich — the Jeffrey Katzenbergs, Jay Roaches and Lorne Michaelses — are a little more sanguine, all readily admitting that Myers' skill comes with strings attached, and all apparently prepared to forgive the sitar-rocking, Troyer-baking Love Guru ancillaries that have Myers facing a future of hell. And that's just in Hollywood — don't even get us started again on the whole Hindu-curse part of the equation.
[Photo Credit: Getty Images]
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Calraigh
Posted 6:15 AM 17/6/08
@el smrtmnky: Aha.
The last line is a little ridiculous though. Everyone knows he's gay, sfw?!
Calraigh
hummingpenguin
Posted 6:08 AM 17/6/08
@Allie Anne: That is, assuming the Internet isn't totally full of shit. [weblogs.variety.com]
hummingpenguin
Allie Anne
Posted 5:41 AM 17/6/08
... we just all know too much about them (outside of their work, that is.)
Allie Anne
Allie Anne
Posted 5:38 AM 17/6/08
I'm starting to get sick-to-death of moody and miserable movie stars (particularly comedians). Yeah, yeah - everyone has problems but it would be refreshing to hear for once, "I get to travel around the world with almost everything at my disposal. I'm getting paid millions of dollars to indulge my creativity. And guess what? I'm pretty darn happy!" Shouldn't these celebs be lightening the mood, not drowning us in their angst? I guess I can't blame them as they are just being who they really are. Maybe it's all the internet's fault and we should just all know too much about them ...
Allie Anne
juniperjenny
Posted 5:31 AM 17/6/08
Well. I didn't think the headbanging scene was funny either. I wonder if it's actually easier to be creative if you're a jerk. I'm gonna try it out.
juniperjenny
heidiho
Posted 5:22 AM 17/6/08
And maybe in a bit of retribution, the fine folks at the TV Land Awards spelled Mike's name "Meyers" as he was onstage receiving his whatever award.
heidiho
el smrtmnky
Posted 5:22 AM 17/6/08
now this blind item is beginning to make sense
[www.laineygossip.com]
el smrtmnky
Desk_hack
Posted 6:46 AM 17/6/08
@Allie Anne: Steve Carell was on "CBS Sunday Morning" yesterday and said pretty much everything you listed, which is one of the many reasons I love that guy. He always seems lighthearted and genuinely thankful for everything he has.
Desk_hack
Losin_it
Posted 6:40 AM 17/6/08
If comedians were happy, they wouldn't be funny. I thought that was sort of a universally understood rule. They should be grateful for what they have, yes, but happy...probably not. Comedy comes from pain, not joy.
@Calraigh: Everyone except me, obviously.
Losin_it
nick_r
Posted 7:43 AM 17/6/08
This might also be a good time to mention that someone who worked on Austin Powers 2 told me that they had to re-build the entire Jerry Springer set in Los Angeles because Myers refused to fly to Chicago to shoot it.
nick_r
derby
Posted 7:23 AM 17/6/08
Did you see the SNL retrospect last night? Brutal. Clip-show is fine by me, but the live stuff w/ the cast, etc. was ridiculous.
derby
Benovite
Posted 7:46 AM 17/6/08
While watching last night's SNL(Sunday Night Live?) Best of Mike Myers (what is this volume 8??), it dawned on me while he was in the love guru getup that I miss Peter Sellars. =(
Benovite
Losin_it
Posted 9:59 AM 17/6/08
@nick_r: Mike Myers? Fly to Chicago! How dare you even INSINUATE that Mike Myers should have flown to Chicago? Don't you understand that his creative and emotional genius might have been negatively impacted by going anywhere NEAR O'Hare airport?
Genius and vision of this order makes its own rules. If it's necessary for Love Guru 2 that they have to re-build the entire nation of India for use as a set, I say they should do it, if Mike deems it necessary. He's that important.
Losin_it
Calraigh
Posted 11:45 PM 17/6/08
@Losin_it: Well! Isn't it amazing! No? Thought so.
Calraigh