Now look, I know we’ve been here before, but I really do believe that Austin Powers is going to come back for a fourth movie. Yeah, baby! Yeah!

However, while I know I should pump the brakes and not get too excited, I just can’t help myself. Mike Myers says that there WILL be an Austin Powers 4, and I can’t help but get pumped all over again, because I LOVE the Austin Powers movies, and I would watch a fourth film in a heartbeat.

So, while I know I need to temper my expectations, here’s why I’m ready to buy a Mini-Me-inspired popcorn bucket in the near future. Oh, behave!

I Still Consider The Austin Powers Trilogy Peak Comedy

It’s kind of crazy to think about, but the last Austin Powers movie, Austin Powers in Goldmember, came out all the way back in 2002! I’m going to repeat that. It came out in two thousand and freaking TWO! That’s a lifetime ago! In fact, that was my last year of high school, and my official first year as an adult at 18. And this is coming from an oldtimer. The whippersnappers who showed up to make Backrooms a box office success were likely either not born yet, or were extremely young.

So, yeah, the Austin Powers series is OLD! But still, for those of you who were around, have you watched them again recently? If not, you should, because they’re still freaking hilarious! It’s strange, but since they’re parodying old James Bond films, they somehow feel just as timeless as those aforementioned movies.

But, more importantly, all three of them are still delightfully hilarious (I swear, the “penis enlarger pump” joke from the first movie still gets me to tears). So, while a fourth movie probably won’t recapture the hilarity of those first three films, I still want it. Just because the whole trilogy is still peak comedy.

I Also Want To See What An Aged Austin Powers Looks Like

As I mentioned just a moment ago, Austin Powers came out a million years ago, and the whole plot of the first movie was that, similar to Captain America, Austin Powers was cryogenically frozen and then defrosted. He was brought into the then-‘90s, where he was anachronistic in every single way. Throughout the trilogy, we get to see him acclimate to his new time period.

However, I want to see what an Austin Powers looks like today. I mean, he very well can't be frozen AGAIN, and then brought into the 2020s. That said, what would an older Austin Powers look and act like?

Hopefully, a fourth Austin Powers movie can avoid the trappings of a film like Bill & Ted Face the Music, where they touch upon their advanced ages, but didn't really dwell upon them. I want to see all kinds of old jokes with this one, since Austin Powers WOULD be old.

Plus, I Just Love Mike Myers In Anything He Does

Lastly, the main reason why I want a fourth Austin Powers movie is that I just love anything Mike Myers is in (Yes, I'm even a fan of The Love Guru). I know I don't have to wait too long for another performance from him since we're getting a Shrek 5, but live-action Mike Myers just hits differently.

Like, I even kind of like his much-maligned The Cat in the Hat movie, because I just find Mike Myers funny and I’ve always especially found him funny in the Austin Powers movies, which I always thought was his best character.

So, do we really need a fourth Austin Powers movie? I'm going to say, ummmm…no. But, will I see it when (if?) it ever comes out? Like I said in the intro, YEAH, BABY! YEAH!

Austin Powers 4 is happening, and if you're one of the many who just read the headline when Mike Myers confirmed as much, you might think you've heard all you need to know. However, the reality is there's much more nuance to Myers' recent confirmation, which, for this longtime fan, really didn't feel different than anything I've heard in years past.

As someone who not only watches the trilogy yearly but also has written at length about what Austin Powers 4 should include, I'm pretty invested in this. So when I heard that Myers confirmed it's happening on Trevor Noah's World Cup Watch Party, I was hyped, until I actually got the details of what was said.

Mike Myers Offered Zero Details Beyond Austin Powers 4 Happening

Noah welcomes Mike Myers as a guest for his livestream of the World Cup match between France and Senegal. When asked if audiences would ever see Austin Powers 4, the former host of The Daily Show barely finished the question before getting a response from the SNL vet. He said:

That's it. There's no additional context about filming, the plot, or even how they plan to address the death of Mini-Me actor Verne Troyer. Trevor Noah sold the reply by reacting to the quickness with which Mike Myers responded, but an actor's commitment to making a movie happen isn't all that's needed to get a film made. If that were all, I'd like to think we'd have seen Austin Powers 4 a long time ago.

While It's Good To Hear This Is Still Happening, This Is More Or Less The Same Thing We've Heard About Austin Powers 4 For Years

Mike Myers has talked about Austin Powers 4 a lot over the years, and I think that plays into his fast response to Trevor Noah about whether it would happen. Clearly, there's still a lot of interest in seeing this movie, and if they ever come up with an idea, it doesn't seem like Hollywood is going to turn it down.

Mike Myers has said a lot about the possibility of this movie over the years. He's talked about how the films take a long time to write, and even that he'd love to do a Dr. Evil movie entirely separate from Austin Powers 4. We've even gotten The Pentaverate, which I maintain may be the closest we ever get to a new Austin Powers movie. (For those who haven't seen it, check it out with a Netflix subscription.)

All this to say, let's remember Mike Myers has Shrek 5 on the way with a recently released trailer. It's in his best interest to be in the news, and he effectively did just that by affirming a project is happening whilst offering zero details about it. I'm not saying he's lying; I'm just saying confirmation is the very first step in a very long list of things that need to happen before Austin Powers 4 is in theaters. Not to mention, if any one of those steps along the way doesn't work out, it's back to square one, so readers should measure their expectations.

Here's hoping we have more news on Austin Powers 4 once Mike Myers is doing press for Shrek 5. I would love to see a new movie, especially one that leans into the funnier elements of modern spy movies.

What draws me to a captivating biopic (which there are many) is its ability to make me look at an artist in a new way. It’s the film’s capacity to make me feel like I understand the person now. I felt that way after watching Michael.

Obviously, these movies are filtered through the lens of the filmmaking team behind them, so they can’t possibly fully capture the truth of someone’s life. That’s why the criticism about Michael excluding important details is valid, but these things will likely be addressed in the next movie. Therefore, I viewed the film less as an all-encompassing look at Michael Jackson’s life and more as a movie about the journey of an artist.

Warning: Michael spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

The Film Emphasizes How Big It Was For Him To Succeed As A Black Musician At The Time

One of the most important scenes in Michael shows Michael Jackson (Jaafar Jackson) demanding that MTV play his videos. At first, Walter Yetnikoff (Mike Myers), president of CBS Records, is hesitant to put Michael’s videos on MTV. That was not how things worked at the time. Black artists weren’t shown on MTV. Michael and his attorney, John Branca (Miles Teller), get their request

It helps him and the network. This scene acts as a reminder of how hard it was for Black artists to receive the same amount of attention and respect. It also emphasizes how Michael was a revolutionary artist of his time. He paved the way for other Black artists.

It Shows How Being Different Helped And Hurt His Life

Michael is shown as a bit of an odd person. Something many great music biopics highlight is that the subject doesn’t think and behave like an average person. They are musical geniuses, and that makes them fascinating. It’s their uniqueness that transforms them into brilliant creatives, but it also sometimes makes them outcasts.

Michael shows that the “Billie Jean” singer doesn’t really have a childhood. The other children treat him differently because of his early fame. As an adult, he doesn’t have many friends besides his family. Michael is a sensational musician because he doesn’t think or operate like others.

What makes him a well-respected and celebrated artist doesn’t translate to much success in his personal life. Many highly successful artists probably deal with the same things: feelings of isolation, loneliness, and misunderstanding. We have already seen many biopics showcase these themes, but it doesn’t make them any less impactful.

The Film Encourages People To Not Follow The Traditional Path

It’s part of human nature to want to find people who understand and appreciate you. It’s a lonely feeling when you’re meant to walk the world alone. Therefore, many conform to society standards. They don’t want to stand out or be too different. This could lead to rejection. Michael shows the pop artist not finding many individuals who get him, but he becomes globally adored. That can’t replace the feeling of belonging, but it can make people feel important enough to continue to create.

It shows them that they matter to this world. Michael may make struggling artists see that they’re capable of greatness if they stay true to themselves. The people meant to find them will, whether that’s a tribe of individuals, fans, or a single person who adores someone without limits and conditions.

Michael was one of the must-see upcoming music biopics, and it delivered. Now we want a Janet Jackson movie after the Michael sequel. We need more of the Jacksons’ stories.

Catch the box office smash Michael at a theater near you.

It’s been 25 years since the first Shrek movie, but the franchise is still incredibly popular, so much so that Shrek 5 is slated for release next year. The franchise’s continued to success has meant that despite semi-retirement, Cameron Diaz is still recognized as the voice of Princess Fiona from time to time, though it seems that doesn’t always go well.

Diaz, who appears with Keanu Reeves in the new movie Outcome, available with an Apple TV subscription, recently appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where the topic of the upcoming Shrek sequel came up. The host asked the actress if her voice gets recognized, and she said it’s actually the parents who usually try to tell their kids who she is. Diaz explained…

While most people who be thrilled to meet Cameron Diaz, or the voice behind a favorite animated character, a young child meeting Princess Fiona is probably either incredibly overwhelming or utterly confusing. While even young kids certainly understand that animated characters are not “real,” that doesn’t mean they fully grasp the mechanics of the characters, so seeing somebody who looks like Cameron Diaz and being told that she’s Fiona might certainly cause some kids to break down.

From the sound of things, this one story isn’t the only time that this, or something like it, has happened to Cameron Diaz. As a result, she apparently tries to get parents not to say anything in order to prevent any outbursts. She continued…

With Shrek 5 coming out, there will be a lot more people exposed to the voice of Fiona, which may, unfortunately, lead to more emotional breakdowns from small children. Although if kids are having trouble with the idea that Cameron Diaz is Fiona, I can’t imagine how kids react to finding out that the voice of Shrek looks like Mike Myers.

This is probably good information to have for the new members of the Shrek 5 cast. Zendaya will voice the daughter of Shrek and Fiona. Our favorite ogre couple will also have sons, so now there will be a whole family of characters to confuse children when they meet celebrities on the street.

To this day, two of Saturday Night Live’s best recurring characters are Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar and Wayne’s World lives on in excellence. Now, it’s been decades since Mike Myers and Dana Carvey made their debut as these music-loving hosts. However, they are still beloved and referenced frequently. So, if you were wondering why, Carvey himself explained the “secret sauce” that made Wayne’s World such a massive hit.

Wayne’s World debuted as a sketch on Saturday Night Live in 1989, and throughout this great SNL cast’s run, Myers and Carvey reprised their roles many times (which you can see by watching the show with a Peacock subscription). With that in mind, Carvey explained why the sketch worked so well during a video for SNL. He started by giving credit to his “excellent host”:

Well, the comedic genius of two of the show’s best and brightest certainly helped Wayne’s World’s success. I mean, Mike Myers became one of the biggest stars SNL produced, and Dana Carvey is a literal comedy legend. So, putting them together to “party on” felt like it would have been a no-brainer.

However, there’s more to this idea’s success than its stars. Carvey explained that, too. Recalling why Wayne and Garth were such lovable characters, the comedian said:

He’s totally right, the joy radiating off of Wayne’s World is infectious. Sincerely, anytime I hear the theme song, I immediately start smiling, singing and making guitar noises. These two guys are having such a blast hosting their little show, that you can’t help but have a blast with them.

So, I do believe that’s a big reason why Wayne’s World became such a big hit. I also think the movie worked so well for that reason too.

I mean, Rob Lowe has said he broke a lot filming Wayne’s World, so it’s clear they had quite the laugh making this. Plus, through these characters having a blast, we got a fun story with it that led to massive moments, like the guys singing “Bohemian Rhapsody” in the car.

It’s been 33 years since that movie came out, and it hasn’t lost its sauce. I mean, every time I hear that Queen song I bang my head as they did. And every Halloween, without fail, I see at least one duo dressed as Wayne and Garth.

I guess, when you really boil it down, Wayne’s World is about two dudes having the time of their lives hosting a TV show. It’s hard not to enjoy yourself when they’re having so much fun themselves. Then, when you mix in the comedic geniuses that are Mike Myers and Dana Carvey, you really get something “excellent”!

Fans of John Candy are very happy these days. Not only do we have the new Ryan Reynolds produced documentary film John Candy: I Like Me, available with an Amazon Prime Video subscription, but there’s also a new biography of the iconic comedian called John Candy: A Life in Comedy, written by Paul Myers, the brother of comedian Mike Myers. It turns out the latter has a very personal connection to the man.

In an appearance on Canada’s The Morning Show, Paul Myers relayed the story about his brother, a teenage Mike Myers, seeing John Candy in person and asking for advice on how to break into comedy. While many actors might give vague advice or speak in broad concepts, Candy remarkably gave Myers specifics that would help the kid eventually become a star. Myers explained…

This is pretty fantastic, and clearly well-thought-out advice from Candy. It just goes to show that not all advice works well for everybody. Harrison Ford recently commented about advice, saying that trying to imitate success stories doesn't work. Here John Candy is advocating that Myers do exactly what many others before him had done.

The key, however, isn’t that this was a way to become a star. Candy’s focus encouraged Mike Myers to pursue comedy if he ended up loving it. If you love what you’re doing, that’s certainly better than doing a job you hate. As Paul Myers says…

For the record, Mike Myers would join Second City’s Canadian touring company after high school, before moving on to the company’s main stage in Chicago. During the years he was with Second City, he would begin to create characters like Wayne Campbell who would help make him a star when he later joined Saturday Night Live.

Paul Myers said years later, John Candy saw Mike Myers in a restaurant and stopped to tell him how much he loved the then-new Wayne’s World movie. It’s unclear if Candy realized it was the same kid he once gave advice to that changed his life.

The history of Saturday Night Live is rife with anecdotes from some of the funniest people in the entertainment industry, and it seems like nearly every famed cast member has stories about how stressful it can be trying to get material into weekly episodes. One might not think that issue would plague Mike Myers, one of the most bankable SNL vets to date, but the Shrek star said he used to sink into a depressed state over cut sketches, and he credits Conan O’Brien turning that feeling around.

Myers, who returned to SNL as Elon Musk for the 50th season's run throughout the 2025 TV schedule, took part in a Variety roundtable conversation with Colin Jost, Marcello Hernandez and Sarah Sherman. When the latter two cast members opined that dress rehearsals are likely easier on regulars than guest hosts, the Wayne’s World star voiced a differing viewpoint, saying:

Technically, not every dress rehearsal sent Mike Myers into the emotional pits, since it wasn't every week where his sketch(es) got cut. But there were apparently enough instances that those less-than-savory feelings have remained with him all these years later.

Thankfully, Myers didn't have to feel that way for the entirety of his six-year run (1989-1995) on Saturday Night Live. The year prior, Lorne MIchaels brought Conan O'Brien into the writing staff, and though he only stuck around the show for three years, it was quite the historic and inspirational stint.

Not just because he met comedians that he'd continue working with for his entire career, but also for inspiring those around him to be more jovial, off the cuff, and willing to accept failure. Nobody in the late night world pulls off self-deprecation as successfully as Conan.

That is indeed what helped bring Mike Myers out of his regular funk regarding SNL pitches. Here's how he put it:

It's not clear if Mike Myers is referring to the celeb widely dubbed the worst SNL guest host of all time and one of the least funny sketch performers — Mr. Steven Seagal — or one of the other infamously bad hosts that have been talked about over the years. Whatever the case may be, that horrible experience did have at least one positive ramification, in that O'Brien brushing it off his back inspired Myers to take a similar approach to temporarily failings.

Interestingly enough, Conan O'Brien left SNL in 1991 citing burnout from both working on the show and dealing with an engagement-gone-wrong in his personal life. But he's been a TV mainstay ever since, thanks to late nigth talk shows and streaming travel shows, so there's definitely value in being able to laugh through one's struggles.

For now, it's unclear who will be filling out the ranks of upcoming guest hosts and musical acts for Season 51, but stay tuned for more updates while also anticipating a certain ogre's return when the star-studded Shrek 5 hits theaters in December 2026.

Throughout Saturday Night Live’s already impressive history, you can find many examples of the most unexpected sketches earning their place among the most memorable. The 2025 TV schedule has made a pretty huge contribution with a segment from Lady Gaga’s recent appearance. At the same time, thinking back to that show’s contents, there’s an old recurring sketch that I think should be kept in mind for Gaga’s next guest spot, as well as for any upcoming SNL hosts/musical guests who are game to play along.

Lady Gaga’s Performance In Pip Made A Good Sketch Into Something Great

In the tradition of “TV Funhouse” and “SNL Digital Shorts,” the series of pre-taped sketches known as “Saturday Night Live Midnight Matinee” has once again caught my eye in this historic season. Previously the John Mulaney starring “Beppo” made me feel sorry for a space monkey that just couldn’t catch a break.

However the most recent offering for Peacock subscription patrons really took the cake, as it had Lady Gaga’s talents to help it really soar. If you haven’t seen it, or want to relive its glory, here’s that sketch, titled “Pip,” in its entirety:

You could have run this sketch with another guest, and the core concept would have still been hysterical. However, writer Dan Bulla’s segment included a tune that saw the great and powerful Gaga treating a humorous ditty like it was her theme song to Top Gun: Maverick.

As the night went on, SNL’s cast shared nothing but bangers with Gaga, making for one of the best episodes in recent history. But, with Mike Myers’ wild Elon Musk impression leading to the veteran performer being on hand for a timely reprise, I feel there was one golden opportunity staring us in the face throughout the night.

How Did We Not See Mike Myers Revive Sprockets With Lady Gaga?

Once upon a time, Myers’ own storied tenure on Saturday Night Live saw his repertoire of characters include his infamous German film critic, Dieter, the host of the faux art program “Sprockets.” This recurring sketch was so popular that it was literally days away from becoming a motion picture. For the uninitiated, here’s how a typical day on “Sprockets” went:

Mixing crazy character work, while spoofing the sort of avant garde artistry that Lady Gaga trades in, the greatest missed opportunity here was not having a follow-up with a title like “Sprockets: die neue Welle” in the mix. With A Star is Born’s Academy Award winning songwriter/actor carrying the torch into the future, Dieter could return to show the clash between generations in the name of art.

For anyone who's not convinced, go listen to the Gaga song "Scheiße," and imagine that persona processed through NBC's team of crack writers. (And maybe without the need for German profanity.) That concept could easily recur as often as SNL’s writers and Myers choose. Recent hosts like Timothée Chalamet, Michael Keaton, or even Ariana Grande would have been perfect fits for this proposal, in an exercise that could further bond fans of all generations through comedy.

Lady Gaga’s Season 50 episode of SNL is what happens when a guest meshes perfectly with the writers and the cast. I feel like it’s going to be a fools errand to try and top this laugh riot, but I welcome the opportunity to tune in every week and find out.

No one knows what’s in store when the clock strikes 11:35 PM on Saturday. All anyone can promise is that, barring any extenuating circumstances, NBC will be delivering a fresh hand of comedy, with potential aces such as “Pip” or “Sprockets” waiting in the deck.

Like many (though not all) SNL legends Mike Myers recently returned to Studio 8H to play a key role in the show’s 50th anniversary special, but in a surprising development, it looks like he might be sticking around a bit longer. The popular comedian made an unexpected appearance on SNL this week during the cold opening as Elon Musk. He leaned into his quirky energy and speech mannerisms for the impression which was pretty well received on social, but it was the t-shirt he wore during the cast sign-offs at the end of the show that really had people talking.

At the conclusion of the show, the part where the host thanks the musical guest and the cast and everyone waves goodbye, Myers showed up with a vest and a t-shirt underneath. As almost cast member turned host Shane Gillis was talking, Myers pulled the vest or short-sleeved coat he was wearing apart to show a t-shirt that read “Canada Is Not For Sale.” You can see a still image of the moment below…

The shirt, of course, references the tense political climate right now between The United States and Canada. President Trump has recently threatened to slap tariffs on goods coming in from Canada and Mexico and has repeatedly said our neighbors to the north should join The United States as the 51st State. His comments have ushered in a tide of vocal patriotism among Canadians, and many have taken to booing The United States’ National Anthem during recent sporting events including during the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament and at WWE’s Elimination Chamber in Toronto.

It’s unclear whether SNL creator and showrunner Lorne Michaels knew about the t-shirt in advance. Like Myers, Michaels grew up in Canada, though he became a citizen of The United States in the late 1980s. Myers, on the other hand, lives in The United States but has historically been much louder and outwardly prouder about his Canadian roots, including publishing a book literally called Canada.

Reaction to Myers’ performance as Musk was mostly positive, if social media is to be taken as a representative sample size. Fans were, on the whole, middle of the road about the writing and the sketch itself, but they mostly praised Myers’ energy and general appearance as Musk. Many even put up side-by-sides to show how similar the two men look. A few embeds of the skit announcing Myers’ casting also got more than 50,000 likes on X. You can watch the sketch below...

What this means long-term, however, is still unclear. SNL brought back Dana Carvey to play Musk earlier in the season, and that impression didn’t exactly stick over the long haul. That one definitely seems to have generated more traction. Given Myers lives in New York, perhaps he’ll settle into playing the tech billionaire on a regular basis as a regular guest, sorta like Alec Baldwin when he was doing President Trump or more recently, Maya Rudolph when she was doing Vice President Harris.

We’ll just have to wait and see. Fortunately, we may not have to wait long, as the show will be returning next week with a brand new episode hosted by Lady Gaga.

Actors playing multiple roles in entertainment go back to the dawn of drama. Even the ancient Greeks did it. This is certainly true of the film era, where actors have been playing roles all the way back to the beginning. Sometimes it's as simple as playing twins, like Bette Midler and Lily Tomlin in Big Business, and sometimes it's more complex, like the great Peter Sellers playing three very different roles in Dr, Strangelove. In honor of those actors, here are some of our favorite examples of actors playing multiple roles in movies.

Peter Sellers - Dr. Strangelove

No list like this would be complete without the great Peter Sellers in his three fantastic performances in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Sellers plays the resourceful Captain Mandrake, the bumbling President of the United States, and the completely over-the-top Dr. Strangelove in the movie. Sellers was also supposed to play the character Major Kong, but injured himself on set and the the role went to Slim Pickens instead.

Kate Hudson - Alex & Emma

Films with stories within stories are often a good place to find actors playing multiple roles, as is the case with Kate Hudson in Alex & Emma. In the "real" story, Hudson plays Emma, a stenographer helping Alex (Luke Wilson) complete his novel. As Alex and Emma work on the story, viewers are taken inside the story of a novel where both Wilson and Hudson play characters in the novel. Hudson, in fact, plays four different versions of a nanny in the book.

Michael J. Fox - Back To The Future Part II

While nothing will ever live up to the original Back To The Future, Back To The Future Part II is still pretty fun. One of the things that make it so is Michael J. Fox playing Marty (of course), and his son Marty, Jr., and his daughter Marlene in the movie. Thomas F. Wilson, who plays Biff Tannen, also plays multiple roles in the movie as the various members of the Tannen family.

Jodie Comer - Free Guy

This one is a little bit of a fudge, because in Free Guy, Jodie Comer is playing her character and her character's avatar. So in some ways they are kind of, sort of the same character. Still, she plays the roles different and for that reason, she deserves to be on this list.

Rory Kinnear - Men

Men is an odd movie, but in a good way. Rory Kinnear is what makes it unique. On the surface, Kinnear plays the owner of an inn in a small town, but he also plays most of the rest of the men in the town, all of whom are pretty odd characters.

Lupita Nyong'o - Us

Jordan Peele's horror classic Us features all of the cast members playing both their main character and "Tethered" character with that excellent cast being led by Lupita Nyong'o, who plays Addy and Red. It would be fair to put any of the cast members on this list though, about 20 in total, but we don't want to make this whole list about Us, despite how great it is.

Paul Dano - There Will Be Blood

It'll come as no surprise that a few entries on this list are actors playing identical twins in a movie. We had to include Paul Dano as both Paul and Eli Sunday in There Will Be Blood because Dano's performance, especially as the preacher Eli, is transcendent. The final scene between Eli and Daniel (Daniel Day-Lewis) is one of the most intense scenes ever to appear in a film.

Scarlett Johansson - Astroid City

Director Wes Anderson's Astroid City has a movie within a movie telling the story of the movie. As such, and as you'd probably expect, there are a few actors playing both their "real life" characters and the actors playing them in the movie inside the movie. Scarlett Johansson plays both Midge Campbell and the actor playing Midege, Mercedes. Jason Schwartzman also plays two roles, as do Matt Dillon, Maya Hawke, and others.

George Burns - Oh, God! You Devil

The legendary George Burns played God in not one, but three movies in the Oh God series. In the third installment, he added another character, the Devil. The best scene in the movie comes when God and the Devil play a game of poker for the soul of Bobby Shelton, played by Ted Wass.

Bette Midler And Lily Tomlin - Big Business

Movies about twins separated at birth have been popular in Hollywood forever, but in 1988, director Jim Abrahams upped the ante with two sets of twins separated at birth. Lily Tomlin and Bette Midler are two sets of sisters who discover they were separated from their identical twin. It's a decent movie that hasn't really been remembered by many movie fans.

Eddie Murphy - Coming To America

Of course, we had to include Eddie Murphy on this list! There are multiple movies where the great comedian plays multiple roles, but in the interest of brevity, we're just including the best Eddie Murphy movie, Coming To America. Murphy's main character, Prince Akeem, is the only one that he plays in the movie. Clarence, the barber, is also Murphy, as is Saul, the guy who just hangs out at the barbershop all day. Finally, Murphy also plays the character you may remember from the "What's Going Down" episode of "That's My Mama," Jackson Heights' own Randy Watson!

Christian Bale - The Prestige

The Prestige is a movie that gets a little lost in director Christopher Nolan's fimography, though, like most of his movies, it's excellent. Nolan teamed up with Christian Bale again on the heels of Batman Begins for this movie about rival magicians. Bale plays Alfred Borden and Borden's assistant, Fallon, who are living with a secret that we'll keep in case you haven't seen the movie.

Mel Brooks - History of the World, Part I

Mel Brooks is a one-man force of nature. Not only did he write, direct, and str in most of his movies, but he usually played multiple roles as well. One of the best examples was in History of the World, Part I, where he plays four characters, one in each segment of the film.

Tilda Swinton - Suspiria

There is little that Tilda Swinton can't do, including playing multiple roles in movies. She first did it in 2002's Teknolust, before playing oddball twins in the Coen Brothers' Hail, Caesar! In Suspiria, she plays three roles, Madame Blanc, Dr. Josef Klemperer, and Mother Helena Markos.

Leonardo DiCaprio - The Man In The Iron Mask

The titular character in The Man in the Iron Mask, was, supposedly, a prisoner kept by King Louis XIV during his reign. In the movie, the mysterious prisoner is Louis' twin brother, the fictional Philippe Bourbon. Both the king and the man in the iron mask are played by Leonardo DiCaprio in this historically dubious retelling of a classic Four Musketeer tale.

Janelle Monáe - Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

As the title implies, there are a lot of layers in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. by writer and director Rian Johnson. One of those layers is just who Janelle Monáe's character is, either Andi Brand, the ex-partner of Edward Norton's character, or Helen Brand, her twin sister investigating Andi's unexpected death.

Arsenio Hall - Coming To America

Like his co-star Eddie Murphy, Arsenio also plays multiple roles in Coming To America. His main role, Semmi, is Murphy's trusted servant. Hall also plays one of the women the two meet at a club and one of the barbers, but the funniest character he plays has to be the preacher. Every line he delivers is hilarious.

Armie Hammer - The Social Network

Of all the double (and more) roles on this list, maybe the easiest to do double duty for is that of the Winklevoss twins in The Social Network. Don't get us wrong, Armie Hammer nails the role(s) as the swarmy twins who actually came up with the idea that would become Facebook. They may have had a case against Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), but that didn't make them good people.

Graham Chapman - Monty Python And The Holy Grail

This is really an entry for all of the members of Monty Python, as all of them play at least four different roles in the movie. Graham Chapman plays King Arthur, so naturally, he gets top billing, but John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, and Eric Idle deserve the spotlight here. Actors Neil Innes, Sandy Johnson, and John Young also play multiple roles in the movie.

Halle Berry, Tom Hanks, Ben Whishaw, And More - Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas tells a story that spans centuries and in each timeline, the same core group of actors play different roles. This includes Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Ben Whishaw, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, and many more. It's a wild movie to follow, but all the actors are on point, for sure

Jack Nicholson - Mars Attacks!

While Mars Attacks! may not be the first movie you think of when you think of the great roles Jack Nicholson has played over the years, you should because he's actually really great in both of the roles he plays. It's not often thought of as one of Nicholson's best movies, but maybe it should be, because it is hilarious and he's a big reason why,

Hayley Mills - The Parent Trap

Both versions of The Parent Trap, the original starring Hayley Mills as twins separated at birth and the remake starring Lindsey Lohan as the twins are great movies. Mills and Lohan are both great at playing the dual roles of the twins who discover their parents separated them when they were babies and they never knew.

Mike Myers - Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

As the Austin Powers franchise chugged on, Mike Myers kept adding roles, but in the original, he started brilliantly as both the hero, Austin Powers, and the villain, Dr. Evil. It's hard to decide which character is funnier, but it's safe to say that without Myers playing the roles, neither would be as iconic and we wouldn't have as many classic lines from Myers.

Peter Sellers - The Mouse That Roared

While Dr. Strangelove is the most famous and revered example of Peter Sellers playing multiple roles in a movie, it wasn't the first time he did. A few years before the Stanley Kubrick classic, Sellers started in the wildly underrated war movie farce The Mouse That Roared. Sellers carries the movie in three different, ridiculous, and hilarious roles and it really should be better remembered today.

Margaret Hamilton - The Wizard Of Oz

Margaret Hamilton plays two different villains in The Wizard Of Oz. Of course, she plays the iconic Wicked Witch Of The West and Dorothy's obnoxious neighbor Almira Gulch, who takes Toto after claiming to be bitten by the innocent dog. Hamilton isn't the only actor in the movie to play dual roles, but both of her characters are the most developed of them.

Eddie Murphy - The Nutty Professor

Coming To America may be the best example of Eddie Murphy playing multiple roles, but The Nutty Professors and its sequel, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps definitely has him playing the most characters. Across both movies, he plays eight different characters. While both movies have their moments, neither quite reach the comedic heights of Coming To America.

Mia Goth - X

In The X series, Mia Goth plays both Maxine Minx and Pearl Douglas. the former is in Goth's wheelhouse, but the latter, an elderly woman who is the villain of both of the first two movies, X and Pearl. Goth is unrecognizable and brilliant in both.

Richard Pryor - Which Way Is Up?

Years before his Harlem Nights co-star Eddie Murphy started starring in multiple roles in movies, Richard Pryor pulled off the feat in Which Way Is Up? in 1977. While it's an uneven movie, it does have some funny moments, especially Pryor in one of his roles, the Reverend Lenox Thomas.

Cate Blanchett - Coffee & Cigarettes

Director Jim Jarmusch's Coffee & Cigarettes is a collection of short stories, 11 in total, that pay tribute to, you guessed it, those two popular vices. In one of them, Cate Blanchett plays a fictionalized version of herself and her fictional cousin, Shelly, who meet for a coffee and a smoke. The story is really just an uncomfortable conversation between Cate and the jealous Shelly, but it's one of the best stories in the movie.

Tom Hardy - Legend

Tom Hardy is never afraid to take on a tricky role and in Legend he takes on two, playing the psychotic Cray twins, Reggie and Ronnie. Based on the true story of the mobsters who gained fame in the mid-'60s as the owners of a popular nightclub frequented by celebrities in the "Swinging London" era.

Hilary Duff - The Lizzie McGuire Movie

Okay, we'll admit the plot of The Lizzie McGuire Movie is pretty silly. In it, Lizzie, played by Hilary Duff, of course, travels to Rome on a school trip and ends up in a weird love triangle of sorts with her Italian doppelganger, Isabella. Is it a great movie? Nah, not really, but it does fit on this list.

Adam Sandler - Jack And Jill

If you're an Adam Sandler fan, then you'll love Jack And Jill because you get twice as much Sandler as usual, as he plays the brother and sister, Jack and Jill. Honestly, unless you're a big Sandler fan, this is a movie you can skip, though it does seem to have fans for some reason.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was a spoof of James Bond-style spy movies, but for three movies Mike Myers’ inept secret agent became just as iconic a character as those he was poking fun at. The same could be said for Dr. Evil, Austin Powers' bitter rival, also played by Myers. But while Austin owes his existence to classic British spies, Dr. Evil owes his existence to a much more real source: Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels.

Visually, Dr. Evil is clearly an homage to the character of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the villain of several James Bond movies. However, it’s long been said that the personality of Dr. Evil is actually based on Lorne Michaels, who Mike Myers worked with on SNL in the ‘90s. It turns out the story actually goes deeper, because apparently Myers stole the impression from fellow SNL star, and Wayne’s World co-star Dana Carvey.

Dr. Evil Is A Lorne Michaels Impression

In a profile of Lorne Michaels in The New Yorker, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, the fact that Dr. Evil’s origins come from Michaels is mentioned. It turns out Dr. Evil's famous raising of his pinky finger to his mouth was a reference to Lorne Michaels’ tendency to bite his nails while looking over SNL sketches.

I had certainly heard that Dr. Evil had been inspired by Lorne Michaels before. However, a new piece of information that did surprise me is that I had always assumed that the impression was something that Mike Myers himself had come up with. Apparently, that’s not the case.

Mike Myers Apparently Stole The Impression From Dana Carvey

The New Yorker calls the impression “caricature theft” as apparently the original impression was done not by Myers but by Dana Carvey, and even Dr. Evil’s baldness, was apparently part of the impression, as Carvey would only do it while wearing bald wigs. The New Yorker explains…

Of course, now I need to know how Dana Carvey feels about all this. Carvey and Myers have had a tumultuous relationship, with the former nearly quitting Wayne's World at one point. It wouldn't be a shock if Carvey was upset by this unless he'd been asked ahead of time. Although they have seemingly put all that in the past, appearing together in a Wayne's World Super Bowl Ad a few years ago.

But now I also wish Dana Carvey had just played Dr. Evil. While Myers playing both roles is part of the joke, and there’s no argument that he’s great in both, seeing Wayne and Garth from Wayne’s World play opposite sides in a spy movie also sounds like an amazing movie that I wish I could see.

Great actors don't need a lot of makeup or total body transformations to improve their performance, but when you get the combination of a great and those things, the effect can be amazing. Sometimes the effect is so good the actors become completely unrecognizable, like the examples in this list where actors like Jared Leto and Gary Oldman were completely transformed for roles.

Jared Leto - House Of Gucci

It's fair to say that House Of Gucci was, at best, an uneven movie. It was a daunting challenge for everyone involved and none more so than Jared Leto. Leto played the legendary Paolo Gucci, and while his accent was a little shaky, his look and his mannerisms were completely on point. It's one heck of a transformation.

Charlize Theron - Monster

There is no more intense transformation for a role than Charlize Theron's performance as real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster. Theron completely embodies the monster that Wuoronos was, while also subtly allowing the audience to understand how the killer became the way she was. Theron rightfully won an Academy Award for her portrayal of the brutal murderer.

Christian Bale - Vice

Christian Bale is one of the best actors of his generation and he's never been afraid to alter his look for a performance. The Machinist is one excellent example, but even that transformation pales in comparison to the way he completely became Dick Cheney in Vice. Not only does he look just like the former vice president, but he nails his speech pattern and mannerisms as well. It's remarkable.

Lily James - Pam & Tommy

When Lily James was cast as Pamela Anderson in Pam & Tommy it raised a few eyebrows. The actress seemed like a complete opposite in every way, especially her looks, as the blonde bombshell. Yet, when the movie came out, people were amazed at how well James pulled it off. No, it's not the best movie, but James was the spitting image of Anderson.

Gary Oldman - True Romance

One actor who is truly a master of disguise is Gary Oldman. He seemingly looks completely different in almost every role he plays. One of the most astounding transformations was early in his career when he played a pimp in True Romance. He literally looks and sounds nothing like himself in the film, to the point where if you didn't know it was him, you'd never guess.

Jessica Chastain - The Eyes of Tammy Faye

You know when a film wins the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Best Actress, the role is going to be special. Such is the case for Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Chastain is completely unrecognizable in the role of the wife of the infamous Jim Bakker and is simply incredible in the movie.

Margot Robbie - I, Tonya

Turning Margot Robbie into a street tough figure skater like Tonya Harding is no easy feet. Through a combination of incredible makeup work and even better acting, Robbie completely disappears into the notorious skater made famous for her part in attacking her rival Nancy Kerrigan before the 1994 Olympics.

Glenn Close - Hook

Steven Spielberg's 1991 Hook isn't generally remembered as the legendary director's best work, but it is chock full of fun cameos and one of the hardest to spot is Glenn Close. The actress plays one of the pirates on Captain Hook's ship and if you don't look closely, you'll never notice the multiple Oscar nominee under the beard and makeup turning her into a male pirate.

Tilda Swinton - Trainwreck

The most remarkable thing about Tilda Swinton's transformation in the rom-com Trainwreck is just how conventional she looks. Swinton has one of the most unique looks in Hollywood and most of the time that look is enhanced by the roles she plays, it's part of what makes her so great. Her "normal" look in Trainwreck is made remarkable by that,

Mike Myers - Bohemian Rhapsody

Mike Myers took a long hiatus from acting in the 2010s and when he returned in Bohemian Rhapsody, audiences had to do a triple-check to make sure it was him in the role of a record executive arguing with Queen about the song that the movie is named after. With sunglasses and a full blonde beard, Myers looked nothing like his normal sense and his performance was excellent.

Colin Farrell - The Batman/The Penguin

When the trailer first dropped for The Batman, people were astounded at how Colin Farrell looked as Penguin. When the movie came out and we all watched his performance, it was even more shocking (in a great way). When he took the role to HBO for the TV show named after the character, we were all completely lost in it, because he was just so great. Though he says the suit and makeup aren't worth it, we have a feeling he'll be back as the Gotham-based villain.

50 Cent - All Things Fall Apart

50 Cent has proven to be quite the actor. The rapper has branched out into producing, even. Perhaps his best performance was as the fallen football star in All Things Fall Apart. His body transformation to play a pro athlete in peak physical condition who falls victim to cancer is incredible

Sarah Paulson - Impeachment: American Crime Story

Sarah Paulson knows how to completely disappear into a role. She was as incredible as Marsha Clark in The People Vs. OJ Simpson and she was even more remarkable as Linda Tripp in Impeachment: American Crime Story. Seriously, if you didn't know it was her, you'd never guess. She looks more like Tripp than Paulson in every way.

Billy Bob Thornton In U-Turn

Billy Bob Thorton is one of the most fun actors to watch in everything he is in. Take, for example, his role in Sling Blade, in which he looks completely different from himself. Another fine example is as the mechanic in U-Turn with Sean Penn. If it wasn't for his distinctive voice, you'd never know it was him.

Eddie Murphy - Coming To America

For a while there, Eddie Murphy made it his job to look completely different in his movies like The Nutty Professor, but at no point in any of those movies did he transform quite like he did to play the Jewish guy who hung out in the barbershop in Coming To America. Even his role as the barber in the movie was more recognizable. We also have to give props to Arsenio Hall for his various roles in the movie as well.

Mia Goth - X

Mia Goth playing the elderly Pearl in X is fantastic. Though you can tell it's her as Maxine, if you just walked in on the movie as those scenes of her as the older Pearl was playing, you'd never know who it is.

Tom Hardy - Bronson

Tom Hardy has never been shy about taking on challenging roles that require him to transform completely. He changes so much, that you almost feel like you don't know what he actually looks like in real life. Bronson is one of his finest transformations as he looks way more like the notorious British prisoner than like himself in the movie. It's so much more than just a mustache, that's for sure.

Donnie Wahlberg - The Sixth Sense

Mark Wahlberg may be the more famous brother, but Donnie Wahlberg also has some incredible acting chops and his performance comes in his minor-ish role in The Sixth Sense. It's clear that the former (and current) New Kid On The Block lost a ton of weight for his haunting performance in the movie.

Steve Carell - Foxcatcher

Murderer John du Pont of the famous du Pont family was a unique-looking guy. In Foxcatcher, Steve Carell completely embodies that uniqueness, It's almost unsettling how much Carell looks like du Pont and not like himself in the disturbing movie about the murder the scion of the wealthy family committed in 1997.

Cate Blanchett — I’m Not There

The legendary Bob Dylan has been played on screen a few times and remarkably the actor that pulled off his look and mannerism best is the amazing Cate Blanchett in I’m Not There. Of all the actors who play a version of the folk singer, Blancett is the most convincing and she looks nothing like herself in the movie.

Zac Efron - The Iron Claw

Early in his career Zac Efron was kind of typecast as the goofy good-looking guy. In 2023's The Iron Claw he completely upends that as he embodied the late Kerry Von Erich in the fantastic biopic about wrestling's first family, the Von Erichs

Renée Zellweger - The Thing About Pam

After a little bit of a career lull that included a four-year break from acting, Renée Zellweger returned in a big way in the late 2010s, culminating in an Oscar-winning performance as Judy Garland in 2019's Judy, which completely revived her career. Her best was yet to come because despite not getting the same accolades in the press, her performance as murderer Pam Hupp in The Thing About Pam was a complete transformation

Jared Leto - Chapter 27

Turning someone as good-looking as Jared Leto into someone as despised as the man who killed John Lennon is no easy feat. Leto's performance as Mark David Chapman is incredible and even though the movie has flown under the radar for years, it's worth seeking out just to see how different Leto can look from himself.

Missi Pyle - Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

How do you take a beautiful woman like Missi Pyle and make her look like a deranged Eastern European dodgeball player? Ask the makeup department for Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. The work they did, along with Pyle's acting, was amazing. There's no way to know it was her in any way unless you double-check the credits.

Sebastian Stan - A Different Man

A Different Man tells the hilarious and heartwarming tale of a struggling actor with a condition known as neurofibromatosis. Sebastian Stan plays the actor under a whole ton of wonderful makeup and despite the obvious limitation that makeup puts on the actor, Stan puts in a career-defining performance.

Chris Hemsworth - Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

While it isn't the most extreme example on this list, Chris Hemsworth's look in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is amazing. The only reason you really know it's him is that he uses his natural Aussie accent in the movie, which he doesn't do all that much these days. He's even won awards for the performance!

Ryan Reynolds - Blade: Trinity

Okay, we'll admit this isn't the biggest transformation on this list, but you can't deny that Ryan Reynolds has a completely different, more sinister look in Blade: Trinity. It's way different from what you expect from a standard Reynolds performance.

Nicole Kidman - Birth

Nicole Kidman is an amazing actress, but she's not one of those actors you expect to completely change her look for a role. Her part in Birth shows that she certainly can do that, and do it in spectacular ways.

Robert De Niro - Raging Bull

Robert De Niro famously put on a ton of weight for his role as Al Capone in The Untouchables. He also got completely jacked for Cape Fear. He did both for his incredible performance in Raging Bull. As a young Jake LaMotta he was cut and fit and as an older version of the boxer, he was flabby and overweight. Either way, De Niro looks less like himself and more like the real-life boxer. He certainly deserved the Oscar he won for the role.

Margot Robbie - Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary, Queen of Scots had a unique look that was only enhanced by the odd style of 16th Century Scotland. Still, Margot Robbie nails the look of the queen in a way that leaves the audience squinted to see if it's really the Australian actress.

Gary Oldman - The Darkest Hour

No one transforms quite like Gary Oldman. He's completely different in every role he plays and in The Darkest Hour, he completely embodies his role as Winston Churchill. It's not just the makeup, though that is perfect, it's also the voice and mannerisms he brings to the role that makes you believe you're actually watching the legendary prime minister.

Charlize Theron - Bombshell

Bombshell is one of those movies where you might think you're watching the real-life characters that the cast of Bombshell are playing. Charlize Theron's portrayal of former Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly tops the performances. It's pitch-perfect in every way.

Mike Myers has played many unforgettable characters over his career, from Wayne Campbell in the Wayne’s World sketch from Saturday Night Live and two follow-up movies, to Austin Powers (and he’s indicated Austin Powers 4 could still happen). But for more than 20 years now, there’s a generation that arguably knows him best as the voice of the Shrek movies’ title character. As it turns out, Myers was pitched on the role while attending the premiere of Saving Private Ryan (one of the best war movies ever made), and his initial reaction to the offer saw him dropping an amazing f-bomb.

If you’ve done any reading into the development of 2001’s Shrek, you know that fellow SNL alum Chris Farley was originally supposed to voice the character, but he sadly died in 1997 at the age of 33. Myers was tapped as his replacement, though his Shrek voice ended up sounding a lot different than how the character was conceived when Farley was attached. While discussing how Shrek’s Scottish voice came to be, Myers recalled to Vulture how Jeffrey Katzenberg, co-founder of what was then known as Dreamworks SKG, approached him about Shrek at the premiere of one of Tom Hanks’ best movies. Starting off, he said:

Ok, I can see where Mike Myers is coming from. Fresh off one of the most intense World War II movies, maybe it wasn’t the best idea to do movies from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery’s opening dance number wasn’t the best idea. It reminds me of one of the funniest moments on Seinfeld when Jerry and his girlfriend are making out during a screening of Schindler’s List.

So things didn’t get off to a great start, and it only got worse from there, as Mike Myers made it explicitly clear to Jeffrey Katzenberg that he was not a fan of the Shrek title. He came around not too long after, but here’s how Myers explained what happened:

It’s a good thing Myers changed his mind about the title, because he’s now voiced Shrek in four movies, and the film side of the franchise as a whole, which includes the two Puss in Boots spinoffs, has grossed over $4 billion globally. And after more than a decade away, we’ll finally get to hear him as the towering green ogre, as the long-awaited Shrek 5 was officially confirmed earlier this year, with Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy respectively reprising Fiona and Donkey, too. Still, I can’t help but smile at hearing that Myers immediately dropped an f-bomb when he first heard about Shrek. With absolutely no context for the story, yeah, I can see why he would think it’s weird.

Shrek 5 is due out on July 1, 2026, and while the first three movies can currently be streamed with a Peacock subscription, you’ll need a Max subscription to access Shrek Forever After. If by some chance you’re also now in the mood to watch Saving Private Ryan, make sure you’re signed up for a Paramount+ subscription.

We’re somehow just three years away from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery turning the ripe and randy age of 30, which seems fortuitous, considering Mike Myers’ titular lothario first emerged in 1997 after being held in cryogenic stasis for a 30-year stretch. So is it possible that after all these years, the fan-favorite super-cool spy could emerge from hibernation anew for a fourth feature hitting the 2025 movie schedule? Mike Myers probably won’t ever say no outright, but his latest update does inspire pangs of optimism.

The shagadelic franchise-spawning character has been rumored to return for a fourth film nearly since the Goldmember-infused third film released in 2002, so I have a specific container reserved for grains of salt to be taken with Austin Powers 4 news. That said, Myers’ consistently rosy outlook and genial personality always make his comments seem like swinging harbingers of the grandest news, baby, yeah.

So maybe I’m leaning too hard into that vibe when considering what he told TooFab when asked if Austin Powers was ever coming back. As he put it:

It's not as if he said the ink is drying on the contracts, but the outlet does note that Mike Myers “chose his words carefully” when answering. Sure, that could mean he didn’t want to promise too much with a generically positive response, but considering how often he’s been fairly open and eager to get a fourth film made — both Myers and director Jay Roach have expressed willingness if the story works — this somewhat more cryptic response possibly indicates a positive-skewing change.

One reason Myers has given for not already having gone whole-hog into an Austin Powers return was due to his duties as a parent. He and wife Kelly Tisdale share three children: son Spike and daughters Sunday and Paulina, who are aged 13, 10 and 9, respectively. It’s possible that he’ll be more available to take on a potential return to the Powers-verse now that the kids are older, but that’s obviously not clear at this point.

Also, let’s not forget that Myers reprised Dr. Evil for a Super Bowl commercial along with other returning co-stars like Rob Lowe, which had fans hoping that a far bigger return was somewhere in the pipeline. That was nearly three years ago, so it doesn’t seem like there was instantly positive momentum coming out of it, but still.

Myers talked to CinemaBlend about shifting to TV for his hilarious Netflix series The Pentaverate, a project that definitely meant a lot to him as its creator. As a big fan of the hyper-goofy conspiracy comedy, I’ve been bummed that the series wasn’t given a second season, but I have to hope that fans gearing up for his beloved ogre’s return in the animated sequel Shrek 5 sparks enough public interest to convince him to get back in the bald cap for a new Austin Powers project.

For what it's worth, Myers said less about Shrek 5 than he did about a possible return to Austin Powers, though that's likely more due to avoiding spoiling any story topics. Still, returning for one project only makes other returns more plausible. And while we're at it, let's get some Wayne's World 3 news on the table.

Even the greatest actors have ups and downs in their careers. For some, it's more dramatic than others. John Travolta was virtually forgotten about before Quentin Tarantino cast him in Pulp Fiction, for example. Then there was "The McConaissance," when Matthew McConaughey roared back to prominence. Those two are hardly alone in finding roles that brought them back. Here is our list of 32 roles that saved actors' careers. 

Pulp Fiction - John Travolta

This was a big one. In the late '70s, there wasn't a bigger star than John Travolta. On the strength of a hit TV show (Welcome Back, Kotter), and two huge hits at the box office with Saturday Night Fever and Grease, Travolta was on top of the world. Then, almost all of a sudden, poof, he was gone. In the 16 years between Grease in 1978 and 1994, he appeared in only 11 movies, and three of those were Look Who's Talking movies and most of them bombed. Then Tarantino came along and cast him as Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction and once again, Travolta was on top of the business and he's never looked back. 

Dallas Buyers Club - Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey exploded onto the scene in the early '90s in Dazed And Confused, where he delivered some of the most iconic quotes. In the mid-90s he started playing more dramatic roles in movies like A Time To Kill, Contact, and Amistad. By the early 2000s, he established himself as a popular lead in rom-coms. Then, after a few of his movies struggled to make an impact in the late 2000s, his star faded a little. That all changed in 2013 when he starred in, and won a Best Actor Oscar, for Dallas Buyers Club and The McConaissance was born. 

Stranger Things - Winona Ryder

With movies like Beetlejuice, Heathers,  The Age of Innocence, and Little Women, Winona Ryder was a superstar in the late '80s and early '90s. But in the early '00s, after some bad press for her shoplifting conviction, Ryder's star had fallen quite a bit and she even took a short break from acting. Though she never fell off the map completely, it wasn't until she starred in Stranger Things starting in 2016, that Ryder returned to the top. 

Judy - Renée Zellweger

Between Jerry McGuire in 1996 and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason in 2005, Renée Zellweger was one of the most popular and successful actors in Hollywood. With a slew of hits and awards,  Zellweger could do no wrong. Then, after a few less-than-successful movies, the industry showed how fickle it could be and she fell off the A-list. That all changed in 2019 with Judy, followed up with the TV series The Thing About Pam.

The Whale - Brendan Fraser

the 1990s were Brendan Fraser's decade. He had some massive hits, most notably The Mummy in 1999, but soon after, it's like everything dried up. He worked still, but barely and it left the world asking what had become of the heartthrob. He answered every one with his amazing performance in The Whale, winning the Best Actor Oscar and roaring back to the top. 

Birdman - Michael Keaton

In the 1980s, Michael Keaton delivered some of the funniest lines in some of the funniest movies. In the mid-90s and early 00s, his career slowed a bit. He was still working but wasn't the big star he'd been when he got the role in Tim Burton's Batman. That is, of course, until he starred as an actor much like himself in Birdman and brought the great actor back to the top of the A-list. 

House Of Cards - Robin Wright

When she burst onto the scene in The Princess Bride, the sky was the limit for Robin Wright. She reached new heights with her role as Jenny in Forrest Gump but found herself a tabloid regular with her marriage to Sean Penn. Ultimately, she found perhaps her greatest fame when she landed the role of Claire Underwood in Netflix's House Of Cards. 

Everything Everywhere All at Once - Ke Huy Quan

Has there ever been a feel-good story in Hollywood like Ke Huy Quan's return to fame after winning an Oscar for his role in Everything Everywhere All at Once? After decades of virtually not working in the industry, having found fame as a kid, Quan was once again the toast of the town. 

Halloween (2018) - Jamie Lee Curtis

She's been called the original slasher film "final girl" for her role in the original Halloween, and Jamie Lee Curtis rode that fame to the top of Hollywood. You might not remember, but in 2006 she actually announced her retirement from acting. Though she didn't give it up completely, she was very selective about roles, mostly playing supporting characters. That changed with 2018 Halloween when she roared back into the business head first. 

Sin City - Mickey Rourke

People forget just how huge Mickey Rourke was in the 80s. Men wanted to be him and women wanted to be with him, as they say. Then, he decided he'd put acting on the back burner and become a boxer. After a somewhat successful run, he returned to acting, and with Sin City and The Wrestler, Rouke was back on top in Hollywood

Scream - Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore became a huge star as a kid in the 1980s with movies like E.T. and Firestarter. In her teens, some personal problems derailed things a little, but when she starred in Scream, it brought her completely back and she's never looked back. 

Wild - Reese Witherspoon

When Reese Witherspoon won the Academy Award for her performance in 2005's Walk The Line, she was on top of the world. Just a few years later though, after a string of poorly performing romance movies Witherspoon dubbed her "love triangle period," her career hit a valley. Then came Wild which marked not only her resurgence as an actor but her transition to big-time producer as well. 

Iron Man - Robert Downey, Jr

There probably isn't a more famous comeback story than Robert Downey, Jr. After years of personal problems and addiction, his career looked like it was going to be completely wasted. Then Downey sobered up and landed the role of a lifetime as Tony Stark/Iron Man and the rest is history. 

Arrested Development - Jason Bateman

Jason Bateman has had quite a few ups and downs in his career. In the '80s, he was a teen star on the verge of big things, but then his career hit a serious lull. It really wasn't until the cult success of Arrested Development that Bateman once again commanded must-see TV. 

Ryan Reynolds - Deadpool

With big roles in 90s TV shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Two Guys And A Girl, Ryan Reynolds was poised for huge success. At first, that's what he found, but it started to fizzle out with a string of forgettable movies in the late '00s and early teens, including the disaster that was The Green Lantern. Then came another superhero movie in 2015 called Deadpool and now he will be doing that until he's 90. 

Yellowjackets - Christina Ricci

By no fault of her own, Christina Ricci's career hit a string of bad luck with projects that she shined in, but for one reason or another didn't capture the attention of audiences. That changed, obviously, with Yellowjackets starting in 2021. 

The Godfather - Marlon Brando

People forget that when Francis Ford Coppola cast Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone, Brando was on the outs in Hollywood. It's well-known lore at this point that Coppola had to fight to get the legend in the movie, but we're all grateful he did. 

24 - Kiefer Sutherland

With roles in Stand By Me, The Lost Boys,  and the two Young Guns movies, the late '80s and early '90s were big for Kiefer Sutherland. The mid and late '90s saw a bit of a lull with some box office disappointments. In 2001, Sutherland took on the role of Jack Bauer in 24, which quickly became one of the most popular shows on TV and Sutherland rode it to a new level of fame. 

 Orange Is The New Black - Natasha Lyonne

Legal and personal problems almost completely derailed Natasha Lyonne's promising career in the '00s. Thankfully, she got the help she needed and cleaned up, she scored a role on the Netflix hit Orange Is The New Black and she's continued to crush in a number of roles since. 

This Is Us - Mandy Moore

Around the turn of the century, Mandy Moore was unstoppable, starring in hit movies and charting on the Top 40. It was in 2016, however, when she was cast as the matriarch in This Is Us that her fame shot to an entirely new level. 

The Town - Ben Affleck

After a big decade in the '90s, Ben Affleck's fame in the '00s was more about the tabloids than it was about his filmography. It took a few years, but eventually, he proved to everyone how great a filmmaker he was with The Town in 2010, and ever since, he's been crushing it. 

Monster-in-Law - Jane Fonda

There weren't many bigger stars in Hollywood than Jane Fonda in the '70s and '80s. Then, in 1991, she announced she was retiring from acting, coinciding with her marriage to Ted Turner. She returned, to everyone's delight, in 2005's Monster-In-Law alongside Jennifer Lopez and has scoring hits ever since. 

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle - Neil Patrick Harris

Like his character on Doogie Howser, MD, Neil Patrick Harris was a prodigy. However after the hit show ended, he struggled to move into more adult roles. Surprisingly, it was playing a fictionalized version of himself in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle that landed him back on audiences' radar screens, and then he landed his most famous gig on How I Met Your Mother

Bohemian Rhapsody - Mike Myers

Mike Myers was everywhere in the 1990s. From SNL to Wayne's World (one of the best movies based on an SNL character) to Shrek to Austin Powers, he was on top of the world. In 2010, after a string of box office misses, he retreated from the scene, only to emerge with a glorious role in 2018's Bohemian Rhapsody. 

John Wick - Keanu Reeves

After proving to be box office gold for a couple of decades, Keanu Reeves had a string of misses in the late '00s, but when he teamed up with director Chad Stahelski for John Wick in 2014, he helped launch a whole new franchise that continues to pump out hits. 

Unfaithful - Diane Lane

Diane Lane has always been selective about her roles, going back to her early days in Hollywood in the '80s. This has led to multiple career "revivals" but the most notable has to be her turn in the hit Unfaithful in 2002 which earned her a Best Actress nomination at the Oscars in 2003. 

Airplane! - Leslie Nielsen

For a generation of audiences, Leslie Nielson will forever be known for his roles in some of the best parody movies like Airplane! and The Naked Gun. But before Nielson was delivering hilarious lines in those movies, he was known for his dramatic acting., though his career had slowed before he reinvented himself in the first Airplane!  

Striptease - Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds was one of Hollywood's biggest stars in the '70s, but a few poorly received movies in the '80s knocked him off that lofty perch. While many might point to his role in Boogie Nights in 1997 as reviving his career, it was really his hilarious performance in Striptease from a year earlier that put him back on the map.

No Country For Old Men - Josh Brolin

After finding success as a young star in the 1980s in movies like The Goonies, Josh Brolin hit a career drought that lasted more than a decade and left him wondering if he'd ever regain his earlier success. He did so and more after his amazing turn in No Country For Old Men in 2007 and has been one of Hollywood's best ever since. 

Trading Places - Don Ameche

With an amazing career that had started in the 1930s, Don Ameche's bookings dried up in the 1970s. Luckily for all of his, he landed a role as one of the Duke Brothers in Trading Places and he once again was a huge star, this time with a whole new, younger, generation of fans. 

Sea of Love - Al Pacino

It is easy to forget that even the greatest sometimes find themselves in slumps. Such was the case with Al Pacino in the mid 1980s. After all the incredible success of the '70s, he learned how fickle Hollywood can be and it wasn't until 1989's Sea Of Love that Pacino regained his rightful spot among the elite. 

Rocky Balboa - Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone is responsible for some of the biggest franchises in Hollywood history, but even the great ones stumble. Stallone had a pretty rough run of bad movies in the late '90s and early '00s, but when he returned to his roots in 2006's Rocky Balboa, he once again found his footing and not only starring in Rambo, reviving his other monster franchise, but he launched a new one with The Expendables.

Actors make good movies and actors make bad movies. It’s just the law of averages and part of the game. However, sometimes an actor shows up in a movie so repugnant that it becomes a detriment to their career or ruins it entirely. One day you’re winning the Oscar for Best Picture, the next you’re taking home some Razzies.

Come with us as we break down 32 movies that ruined an actor’s career and what made them so bad. The perennial A-listers who ran out of steam and up-and-comers whose rise to fame was cut short on this list are wild, to say the least.

The Love Guru (Mike Myers)

Mike Myers had a stellar career on Saturday Night Live and was one of the funniest movie stars of the latter part of the 20th century thanks to ‘90s comedy movies like Wayne’s World and Austin Powers franchises, but the 2000s weren’t as kind to the comedian. After a string of duds, Myers starred in 2008’s The Love Guru, a “comedy” so bad, so tasteless, and so unfunny that Myers never really rebounded outside of voice roles.

Showgirls (Elizabeth Berkley)

Elizabeth Berkley seemed like a star on the rise after ending her run on Saved by the Bell in the early ‘90s, but that all came crashing down after taking the lead role in Paul Verhoeven’s erotic drama, Showgirls. Sure, the movie about a young drifter finding her place in Las Vegas’ showgirl scene is considered a cult classic years later, but there’s a reason we didn’t see too much of Berkley on the big screen after this one.

Batman & Robin (Alicia Silverstone)

Alicia Silverstone was one of the “it” girls of ‘90s cinema thanks to iconic performances in the likes of Clueless, The Crush, and all those Aerosmith videos, so it only seemed natural for her to land one of the lead roles in Batman & Robin. Unfortunately for Silverstone, and everyone else involved, the movie was abysmal and resulted in a complete reboot of the franchise, one that wouldn’t arrive until Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins debuted nearly a decade later.

The Master Of Disguise (Dana Carvey)

Both before and after his SNL run, Dana Carvey appeared in classics like This Is Spinal Tap and Wayne’s World. That success would run dry with the 2002 release of The Master of Disguise, a movie that showcased Carvey’s zany characters, but not much else. 

Rollerball (Chris Klein)

Remember when Chris Klein seemed like a star in the making after great performances in Election and American Pie? Well, that was all ruined with the 2002 release of Rollerball, a remake of a better and more cohesive ‘70s movie of the same name. 

Norbit (Eddie Murphy)

Some of Eddie Murphy’s best movies were those where he played multiple characters, but Norbit is no Coming to America or The Nutty Professor. This 2007 comedy saw Murphy play an unhappily married couple and was received so poorly that people are still not convinced it didn't cost him an Oscar for his Dreamgirls performance.

Superman Returns (Brandon Routh)

It’s not like Brandon Routh never acted again after playing the titular hero in Superman Returns, but it’s safe to say his career never reached great heights after the 2006 movie either. He was great as Todd Ingram in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, but Routh hasn’t had a remarkable go of it after having such a grand start.

Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (Ahmed Best)

It’s not Ahmed Best’s fault Star Wars Episode I – The Phantom Menace was so bad. It’s not Ahmed Best’s fault Jar Jar Binks has become one of the most detested characters in the galaxy far, far away. And it’s not Ahmed Best’s fault his career was ruined by the 1999 prequel film. 

In The Cut (Meg Ryan)

Meg Ryan was coming off a string of appearing in some of the best romantic comedies of all time when she took on a more dramatic role in the 2003 thriller, In the Cut. But for some reason, Jane Campion’s thriller about a woman getting wrapped up in a series of murders just didn’t work.

Battlefield Earth (John Travolta)

Battlefield Earth, with all of its Dutch angles, terrible lines, and over-the-top performances was so bad that it canceled out all the goodwill John Travolta earned with Pulp Fiction not even a decade earlier.

Soul Man (C. Thomas Howell)

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Outsiders, and  Red Dawn all made C. Thomas Howell one of the brightest young Hollywood stars in the early-to-mid ‘80s, but then came Soul Man, a movie in which he wore blackface. Howell’s been in scores of movies since, but most are direct-to-video or bargain bin material.

Son Of The Mask (Jamie Kennedy)

A sequel no one wanted, Son of the Mask brought in Jamie Kennedy to try and recapture the energy of Jim Carrey more than a decade earlier. Despite his best efforts, the Malibu’s Most Wanted and Scream star just couldn’t do it (maybe the script is to blame), and he never really rebounded. 

Sahara (Matthew McConaughey)

Though not Matthew McConaughey’s worst movie, Sahara is far from being his best. Released nearly a decade before the Dallas Buyers Club and True Detective star won all kinds of awards during the peak of the “McConaissance,” this 2005 dud was one of the straws that broke the camel’s back.

Abduction (Taylor Lautner)

Remember when Taylor Lautner seemed like one of the biggest stars on the planet and then abruptly disappeared? Well, we probably have Abduction, his 2011 action thriller to blame for that. Though he would have a few movies after the Twilight saga ended the next year, but Grown Ups 2 and The Ridiculous 6 finished off what Abduction started.

John Carter (Taylor Kitsch)

John Carter was supposed to be the biggest movie and Taylor Kitsch was going to become the biggest action star, but neither happened after this 2012 box office disaster happened. The Friday Night Lights star would show up some more on the small screen in the years that followed with True Detective Season 2 and the bonkers Waco limited series.

The Godfather Part III (Sofia Coppola)

Before becoming one of the big filmmakers of her time and crafting movies like Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, and Priscilla, Sofia Coppola began as an actress, appearing in many films by her father, Francis Ford Coppola. But that acting career pretty much came to an end following the release of The Godfather Part III, in which she replaced Winona Ryder and was then torn apart by critics.

Josie And The Pussycats (Rachael Leigh Cook)

In the late ‘90s, Rachael Leigh Cook became a massive star thanks to her take on Laney Boggs in She’s All That. But then came the 2001 adaptation of Josie and the Pussycats, a movie so bad that no one was safe from its fallout outside of Rosario Dawson and Parker Posey.

The Postman (Kevin Costner)

Kevin Costner was on top of the world when he decided to direct and star in The Postman. But unlike Dances with Wolves, which earned him multiple Oscars and a ton of praise, this 1997 sci-fi epic didn’t impress anyone and set the actor back a bit. He’s since rebounded, but it’s not hard to imagine “what if” in this case.

After Earth (Jaden Smith)

With memorable performances in The Pursuit of Happyness and The Karate Kid, Jaden Smith seemed like the next second-generation star to take over Hollywood. But then came After Earth, a forgettable (at best) sci-fi thriller alongside his dad, Will Smith. 

Pinocchio (Roberto Benigni)

For a while there, it seemed like Roberto Benigni couldn’t do anything wrong as both an actor and filmmaker. Well, that all changed with his 2002 adaptation of Pinocchio, specifically the English dub, which earned a stunning 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes. He’s only appeared in a handful of movies since, including the 2019 adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s classic tale.

The Passion Of The Christ (Jim Caviezel)

Though he’ll always be recognizable thanks to his portrayal of Jesus in Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, Jim Caviezel’s career was never the same after this historic film. He’s still making movies, but not on the same level as The Thin Red Line, The Rock, or G.I. Jane, though his run on Person of Interest was impressive.

Cutthroat Island (Matthew Modine)

A few years before the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise took the pirate genre to new heights, Matthew Modine starred in 1995’s Cutthroat Island, a movie that would prove to be detrimental to his career for years to come. Modine would later find success again after working on shows like Weeds and Stranger Things, but it would take many years to get there.

Catwoman (Halle Berry)

Halle Berry was an Oscar-winning actress when she took on the lead role in Catwoman, which is often considered one of the worst superhero movies of all time. And while it would take a few years for the stink to wash off, Berry did have some fun with the experience and even accepted her own Razzy.

The Lone Ranger (Johnny Depp)

The Lone Ranger somehow received an Oscar nomination, which doesn’t make sense considering it stopped Armie Hammer from becoming a massive action star and cooled off Johnny Depp’s incredible box office run. Aside from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Depp hasn’t had a whole lot of success since.

The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Sean Connery)

Sean Connery famously retired from acting after appearing in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which is a shame because the late James Bond actor’s swan song was out of tune and off-key, to say the least. This abysmal book-to-screen adaptation of one of the best graphic novels of the 20th century is often forgotten 20-plus years after its release, and it’s probably for the better.

Welcome To Mooseport (Gene Hackman)

Gene Hackman has had one of the best careers in Hollywood history, but that all came to an end after the release of Welcome to Mooseport. Hackman, who seems to be living a quiet and reclusive life these days, hasn’t been on screen since this 2004 comedy starring Ray Romano. Though not the worst movie ever made, this box office and critical dud didn’t do anyone any favors.

Howard The Duck (Lea Thompson)

An ‘80s movie that has not stood the test of time, Howard the Duck is one of those comic book movies that came out before Hollywood figured things out when it came to the genre. Though Robin Williams jumped ship and salvaged his career, Lea Thompson wasn’t as lucky and went through a tough stage before finally rebounding.

Freddy Got Fingered (Tom Green)

Freddy Got Fingered was never supposed to be a good movie, but Tom Green’s bonkers big-screen gross-fest was enough to turn people off to the idea of the MTV personality and prankster ever getting a large sum of cash ever again. Those who have seen it know why, and those who haven’t should be warned.

Chairman Of The Board (Carrot Top)

Carrot Top is still making the rounds as a prop comedian, but the eccentric showman has not been given the lead role in a movie since the disaster of Chairman of the Board. Forgettable even by ‘90s standards, this movie was made for an audience of one: its star.

Boat Trip (Cuba Gooding Jr.)

Cuba Gooding Jr. in the ‘90s: Boyz n the Hood, A Few Good Men, Jerry Maguire, As Good as It Gets. Cuba Gooding Jr. in the 2000s: Rat Race, Snow Dogs, Boat Trip. That last film was tasteless, awkward, and just about killed the Oscar winner’s career.

Corky Ramano (Chris Katan)

Though not everyone from SNL can become a Will Ferrell, Kristen Wiig, or Bill Murray, it at least seemed like Chris Katan would find some success outside of Studio 8H. However, he had to go make Corky Ramano, which is probably the worst comedy to come from the group.

The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin)

The Great Dictator is a great movie, and perhaps one of the best of Charlie Chaplin’s career. However, it now has a legacy of poking fun at Adolf Hitler during a time in which the Nazi leader was systematically exterminating tens of millions of innocent souls across the Atlantic.

If you know me, you know I love animation. I’ve always been a fan, from the latest animated movies coming out as part of the 2024 movie schedule to classics that I could rewatch again and again. I also love animation on television, something that I grew up on and have come to appreciate even more. But there are just some characters voiced by actors that I genuinely could not imagine another actor voicing them – and today, we’ll be going over them. 

Robin Williams As Genie (Aladdin)

This is the obvious answer. Robin Williams as the Genie in Aladdin was honestly one of Robin Williams' best roles, and he wasn’t even on screen. He was able to give so much energy, wit, and fun to a character that was drawn, and it almost made you feel like Genie was a friend rather than some random side character.

Tim Allen As Buzz (Toy Story Franchise)

Toy Story is hands down one of the best Pixar films, and a big reason for this is the natural partnership between Buzz and Woody. Of course, I had to put Tim Allen as Buzz here. I’m pretty sure we can barely think of Buzz in any other way aside from Allen doing it, even if Chris Evans did give it his all in the Lightyear cast. 

Dante Basco As Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

“Hello, Zuko here,” is a line that has lived in my brain since I was literally a child and will forever be there. Dante Basco as Zuko is iconic. Not only is Basco basically the biggest Avatar: The Last Airbender fan out there, but he’s also voiced not one but two characters in the ATLA universe. However, he, like Zuko, can’t be beaten, and we will always love him voicing one of the best redemption arcs on television. 

Bryce Papenbrook As Eren Yeager (Attack On Titan)

Let me preface this by saying that yes, I know the primary voice roles for anime are the Japanese voice actors but have you ever heard an English dub actor who is just so good that it makes it almost impossible to watch it in Japanese? That’s Bryce Papenbrook with Eren Yeager in Attack on Titan. As one of my favorite anime, I started this series listening to Papenbrook, and I ended it with him, too, when I watched the finale again with the dub. He does Eren so well, and it’s hard to picture anyone else but him. 

Eddie Murphy As Mushu (Mulan)

Eddie Murphy is one of those actors where it feels like he plays himself in his voice roles, and he, as Mushu, is certainly one of them. I cannot tell you how often I quote this character. “Dishonor on you! Dishonor on your cow!” I mean, only Murphy could have that kind of delivery. 

Tara Strong As Timmy Turner (The Fairly Oddparents)

There are some voice actors out there who ultimately defined my childhood, and Tara Strong is one of them. I could put so many of her characters on here from multiple different TV shows, but I think the best one has to be Timmy Turner from The Fairly Oddparents. I couldn’t imagine Timmy having a distinct voice, and Strong brought so much character to his iconic kid. 

Seth MacFarlane As Stewie Griffin (Family Guy)

Family Guy has cemented itself as a show that just won’t stop, and the voice actors have pretty much stayed the same since the beginning. One that hasn’t changed is Stewie Griffin, who is voiced by the creator of the show, Seth MacFarlane, and obviously, he has to be here. I’m pretty sure Stewie is probably the most iconic character from the show, and it’s because of MacFarlane’s delivery and his hilarious lines. 

Tom Hanks As Woody (Toy Story Franchise)

Come on. You knew Tom Hanks would be here. Hanks is like the grandfather of our generation when it comes to voice roles, and his role as Woody will live on in our memories long after we’re all gone and Toy Story becomes a certified classic (if it isn’t already). Hanks is just that good, and I will listen to him voice Woody over and over again. 

Ellen DeGeneres As Dory (Finding Nemo)

Ellen DeGeneres isn’t exactly known for her movies, as she was mainly a daytime talk show host for many, many years, but her voice acting as Dory in Finding Nemo is top-notch. Dory wound up becoming just as big as the clown fishes that we followed in the movie and became a loveable character that children all around the world flocked to, and that’s because of DeGeneres and her voice skills. 

Jay Baruchel As Hiccup (How To Train Your Dragon)

Even though there’s a live-action How To Train Your Dragon set to release, you can’t beat the animated movies, and of course, Jay Baruchel is voicing Hiccup, the main character. Honestly, I think Hiccup would have been really tough to nail if the voice actor wasn’t right. Baruchel had to find the delicate balance between a surprisingly brave warrior and a kind of wimpy teenager and build on that for three movies straight – and he rocks it. 

Eddie Murphy As Donkey (Shrek)

Eddie Murphy as Donkey is everything. Look at me. Look at me and tell me you can picture someone else as Donkey because I surely can’t. This talking animal has cemented itself into pop culture with hilarious lines, memes, and so much more, and it’s because of Murphy’s delivery. Now I’m gonna go and make some waffles. 

Kaiji Tang As Gojo (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Kaiji Tang is an example of an English dub actor in anime who knocks it out of the park. I honestly love any version of Jujutsu Kaisen, and Season 2 was one of my favorite anime of 2023, but let me tell you, Tang, as Gojo, made it so much better. His line delivery is just phenomenal – it’s no wonder the character is, like, the anime community’s crush. With that smooth voice, it’d be hard not to crush on him.

Trey Parker As Eric Cartman (South Park)

There are so many outrageous episodes in South Park that make you squirm, and you want to know who’s behind most of them. Eric Cartman, because he’s a menace to society – so, of course, one of the creators is the voice behind him. Trey Parker is a naturally funny person, so he as Eric Cartman makes sense – only he could think of the most ridiculous and awful lines to say for a literal fourth-grader. 

Billy Crystal As Mike Wazowski (Monsters Inc.)

When making this list, I thought about putting maybe John Goodman as Sully, but then I really thought about it and realized that Mike is actually low-key more iconic. Mike, in general, is a great character with a good backstory and a hilarious sense of humor, but you want to know why he’s so funny? It’s because of Billy Crystal—I can almost feel him through Mike. Mike is Billy, Billy is Mike. 

Shameik Moore As Miles Morales (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse)

Miles Morales proved anyone can wear the mask in Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse, a film that became a huge hit and spawned a sequel and another movie coming out soon enough. However, a big reason why Miles is such a great character is because of the voice behind him, Shameik Moore. Since the first film, Moore has brought humility to Miles, but also that kind of smooth swagger that we know only he could have. He’s excellent, and I can’t wait to hear more from him. 

Tom Kenny As Spongebob (SpongeBob SquarePants)

How could I not include Tom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants from the SpongeBob SquarePants series here? This man is my childhood. Sure, there are impressionists out there who believe they can impersonate SpongeBob, but no one can do it like Tom Kenny, and I stand by that. 

Kaley Cuoco As Harley Quinn (Harley Quinn)

There have been multiple people who have voiced Harley Quinn in Batman TV shows and animated movies, but I’m sorry. Kaley Cuoco takes the cake, and I want her to be the animated version of Harley Quinn from now on. Her take on Harley in the TV show Harley Quinn is hilarious, on-brand, and unforgettable, and if you haven’t had the chance to watch her voice the heck out of his classic DC villain/antihero, then you have to. 

Mike Myers As Shrek (Shrek)

Obviously, I had to put Mike Myers on this list. While I do think Donkey is a little more iconic, Mike Myers as Shrek is pretty much the same as butter and toast, or Oreos and milk, or popcorn and movies—you get my gist. Myers as Shrek is pretty much the standard for celebrities voicing animated characters, and he’s quite hard to beat. 

Dakota Fanning As Coraline (Coraline)

Coraline is one of the best stop-motion films out there, and surprisingly, no matter how creepy it might be to others, it’s a comfort film for me. And, of course, I can’t imagine anyone else voicing Coraline other than Dakota Fanning. She was so young at the time but still brought so much sass and wonder to the character, and it made me love Coraline for the explorer she was. 

Dan Castellaneta As Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)

Oh, you know he would be here. The Simpsons is hands down the most iconic TV series of all time and has been around since the 1980s. Dan Castellaneta has voiced the patriarch of the Simpsons family since the very beginning and has cemented himself in television just as much as the rest of the cast. But you can’t get more iconic than Homer freaking Simpson. 

Christy Carlson Romano As Kim Possible (Kim Possible)

Kim Possible was a show from my childhood on The Disney Channel that made me want to be a spy. It likely led to a few injuries when I jumped from trees to show how cool I was. Either way, it was mainly because of Kim and how kick-butt she was while also being a remarkable teenager, and thanks to Christy Carlson Romano’s voice acting, she was made all the better. 

Christian Bale As Howl (Howl’s Moving Castle)

Howl’s Moving Castle is one of my favourite Studio Ghibli movies, and I have to admit that for this, I do like the English dub better because, come on, you can’t beat Christian Bale as Howl! That man has a voice as smooth as butter, and you will find yourself falling for Howl so quickly because of how he voices the character. Ugh, I’m getting butterflies just thinking about it. 

Antonio Banderas As Puss (Shrek 2)

Shrek has plenty of iconic voices, but you want to know who has one of the best ones? Antonio Banderas didn’t even show up in the Shrek franchise until the second movie. But Banderas’ voice was so popular that he spawned not one but two spin-off films – the second of which featured one of the best DreamWorks Animation villains of all time, so you know he’s iconic. 

Jeff Bennett As Johnny Bravo (Johnny Bravo)

Okay, so, if we’re being honest, Johnny Bravo is actually a pretty lousy person and very misogynistic, but man, is it funny to get his butt handed to him in so many situations? It’s because of Jeff Bennett and the way he voices him. He’s just so funny in a messed-up way. I love it. 

Matthew Mercer As Levi Ackerman (Attack On Titan)

Attack on Titan is a case where I tend to lean more towards the English dub than the Japanese because of some of the voice-acting choices, and Matthew Mercer as Levi Ackerman is just *chef’s kiss.* Don’t get me wrong, the Japanese voice actor Hiroshi Kamiya does a great job, too, but when I think of Levi, I think of Matthew Mercer’s voice, and that just means I literally cannot imagine anything else.

Jack Black As Po (Kung Fu Panda)

Po the Panda is one of those characters that has become a pretty big name for DreamWorks Animation. In reality, it’s really just Jack Black behind a microphone in the sound booth voicing some of the most hilarious moments ever. Sometimes, it feels like I’m almost just watching Jack Black on screen because Po is as funny as him.

Helena Bonham Carter As Emily (The Corpse Bride)

The Corpse Bride is an excellent stop-motion animated film that certainly has a specific group of people who watch it every year (me included during Halloween). I could talk about Johnny Depp as Victor, but I have to point out Helene Bonham Carter as Emily. She voices the character so well and gives so much life to a literal corpse. It’s one of Carter’s best movies. 

Chris Rock As Marty (Madagascar)

Chris Rock as Marty makes sense. While there were only three Madagascar movies, Rock voiced the zebra in each of them and killed it every time. I could literally watch an entire spinoff film on just Marty. I want more, Marty. Please give me more hilarious lines like “Oh, sugar honey iced tea!”

Bill Fagerbakke As Patrick Star (SpongeBob SquarePants)

You can’t have SpongeBob without his best friend, and Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick Star is a match made in heaven. Since the show’s beginning, Fagerbakke has voiced the sea star, and he’s perfect for the role. Honestly, I almost want to watch him and Kenny voiceover the Super Bowl again next year because he as Patrick and them together is just perfect. 

Matthew Lillard As Shaggy (Scooby Doo)

There have been many voice actors who have come and gone to voice Shaggy, but let’s be honest here – Matthew Lillard has become Shaggy. Ever since he did the live-action version of Shaggy in the Scooby-Doo films, we’ve loved seeing him as Shaggy, and then he began doing the animated version. He’s been voicing the character (except for Velma, but we don’t talk about that), and he’s fantastic. 

Oscar Isaac As Miguel O’Hara (Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse)

Oh, Miguel. TikTok’s boyfriend of Summer 2023. The man, the myth, the legend that somehow captured my heart and reminded me that I have a thing for fictional brooding men. Either way, Oscar Isaac voices Miguel, and yes, this man is Miguel, and I will not accept any other person voicing him. 

Idina Menzel As Elsa (Frozen)

I had to put Elsa here somehow. Frozen is one of the biggest animated franchises of all time, and it’s mainly because of Elsa, her ice powers, and the incredible force of Idina Menzel’s voice. There isn’t another singer/actress on the planet that could belt like that.

While there are plenty of other animated characters we could discuss, these were just some of the first ones that came to mind—and now I feel like having an animated movie marathon. 

Many of comedy’s most esteemed legends were once part of the Saturday Night Live cast, but that does not necessarily mean that NBC’s long-running series marked the beginning of their career. Some Studio 8H veterans first cut their teeth as part of The Second City — a Chicago-based improv troupe that also served as a jumping-off point for the likes of John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, and more. As for the many SNL stars who performed with Second City, we have them listed for you below.

Dan Aykroyd

Famous for co-creating the Blues Brothers and the Festrunk Brothers (arguably his single best SNL sketch), Not-Ready-For-Primetime Player Dan Aykroyd is also a veteran of Second City. In fact, the future Ghostbusters star and writer performed with the troupe in both his native Canada and Chicago.

Amy Poehler

Second City was actually just one of a few places where Amy Poehler studied improvisational comedy in the early 1990s before becoming an SNL all-star. The future Parks and Recreation cast member also trained at iO (then called ImprovOlympic) and was a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade.

Martin Short

Some of Martin Short’s funniest characters from his one-season stint on SNL actually originated from his time at Second City and on the troupe’s own sketch comedy series, SCTV. The most notable example would have to be childish pop culture obsessive, Ed Grimley.

Tina Fey

The dynamic power duo of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler first came to be when they performed at Second City together. Before becoming SNL’s first female head-writer, Fey also made history as a member of Second City’s first gender-equal cast.

Bill Murray

Before Bill Murray became Chevy Chase’s replacement Not-Ready-For-Primetime Player, he practiced improv at Second City. He recalled to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show that he started at the same time as John Candy and described his first-day performance as “pretty bad.”

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Despite her subsequent success in the Seinfeld cast, leading Veep, and other accomplishments, there are still many people who are not aware or have forgotten that Julia Louis-Dreyfus was on SNL. Even fewer people probably know about her early days studying improv at the Second City.

Rachel Dratch

During an interview with Today, Rachel Dratch — known best for playing Debbie Downer on SNL — discussed her days as part of Second City. She said — while noting how every Second City performer probably feels this way — that she believes she was part of a “golden age” for the troupe’s touring company, during which future icons like Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert were involved.

Cecily Strong

One of the few SNL stars who lasted at least 10 years on the show, Cecily Strong developed her impeccable comedic skills as part of Second City. The Emmy winner spoke to The Chicago Tribune about touring with the troupe on a cruise line of all places.

Chris Farley

Bob Odenkirk was the writer of the iconic SNL sketch in which Chris Farley first performed as motivational speaker Matt Foley at Studio 8H. However, the late comedic first introduced his character at Second City, which is where he was first discovered by SNL creator Lorne Michaels.

John Belushi

Before John Belushi made history on SNL, his rise in the comedy world began at Second City. It was at the company’s Chicago club where Belushi met Dan Aykroyd, starting a legendary partnership that led to the creation of, arguably, the best SNL-inspired movie, The Blues Brothers.

Bill Hader

Bill Hader’s experience with show business dates back to when he worked as a production assistant on the set of movies like the Arnold Schwarzenegger-led Collateral Damage, as he told Conan O’Brien once. However, it was his days performing with Second City that really paved the way for the star and co-creator of Barry to eventually join SNL.

Tim Meadows

Tim Meadows’ Second City stint began in 1989, when he began writing and performing revues like The Gods Must Be Lazy. Two years later, he began what would be a record-breaking run on SNL at the time, lasting 10 seasons, during which he made Leon “The Ladies Man” Phelps a household name.

Gilda Radner

Even before debuting on SNL (then called NBC’s Saturday Night), Gilda Radner became acquainted with fellow Not-Ready-For-Primetime Players like Dan Aykroyd as part of The Second City. It was there that she created Emily Litella, who went on to become an all-time great “Weekend Update” guest for her tendency to misunderstand the topic she was editorializing.

Mike Myers

Many of Mike Myers’ best characters who are most often associated with SNL were actually first introduced during his time with The Second City. The Canadian-born comic debuted Wayne Campbell and German talk show host Dieter as part of the troupe, specifically.

Jason Sudeikis

Jason Sudeikis actually had a fair amount of experience with improv even before he joined Second City, having trained at Chicago’s Annoyance Theatre and iO and forming J.T.S Brown early on. The future Emmy-winning Ted Lasso cast member was even a founding member of Second City’s Las Vegas branch before becoming an SNL writer in 2003 and, eventually, joining the cast.

Vanessa Bayer

As part of The Second City Touring Company, Vanessa Bayer performed in productions like Jewsical: The Musical and Girls’ Night Out: Uncensored. Soon after, she was on SNL impersonating Miley Cyrus, playing Jacob, the Bar Mitzvah Boy, and other memorable performances that eventually earned her an Emmy nomination the year she left Studio 8H.

Mary Gross

The versatile Mary Gross had a very successful run at Second City, having won a Joseph Jefferson award for her performance in the company’s revue of Well, I’m Off to the Thirty Years’ War in 1981. That same year, she joined the SNL cast, alongside fellow Second Citizen Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tim Kazurinksy, and would later star alongside other veterans in Christopher Guest’s music movie favorite, A Mighty Wind.

Tim Robinson

Tim Robinson would actually find even greater success following his SNL exit as the star of his Netflix sketch comedy series, I Think You Should Leave. His pre-SNL career involved a stint at Second City when he was just a teenager, according to Vulture.

Aidy Bryant

Aidy Bryant’s time with The Second City started when she enrolled in Columbia College’s comedy studies program, which allowed her to train full-time with the company. She would perform with Second City Theatricals on Norwegian Cruise Line alongside Cecily Strong before they both were cast on SNL in 2012.

David Koechner

After studying under iO co-founder Del Close, David Koechner — also known from the Anchorman movies and despicable The Office character, Todd Packer — joined The Second City and performed in revues in Rolling Meadows, IL. Alongside fellow future SNL performers Nancy Carell and Rachel Dratch, he performed in the company’s very first long-form improv show, “Lois Kaz.”

Alex Moffat

As a Chicago native, Alex Moffat has quite a bit of experience with the city’s improv scene, having been a part of iO, Annoyance Theatre, and, of course, The Second City. In 2016, he joined SNL and became best known for impersonating the likes of Tucker Carlson and Eric Trump during this six-year stint.

Jim Belushi

Jim Belushi followed in the footsteps of his older brother, John, by performing on SNL from 1983 to 1985, but similarities between their careers do not stop at Studio 8H. While John was a Not-Ready-For-Primetime Player, the future According to Jim star performed with Chicago’s Second City group from 1977 to 1980.

Mike O’Brien

Some might call Mike O’Brien an actor SNL never quite figured out how to use in sketches, save his funny pre-taped fake biopics, like The Jay-Z Story. Despite this, his Studio 8H stint is predated by plenty of improv studies in Chicago, including training at Second City and performing in a mainstage production of “America: All Better.”

Robin Duke

Robin Duke is one of the few SNL alums who had previously starred on The Second City’s SCTV. Her best-known work from Studio 8H is, just about, the perpetually annoying Wendy Whiner.

Chris Redd

There is actually a bit of a gap between Chris Redd’s time as a Mainstage understudy at The Second City (with which he toured both the United States and Europe) and his 2017 SNL debut. After leaving Second City, he had roles on TV shows like Empire and appeared in The Lonely Island’s 2016 mockumentary, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.

Brian Doyle-Murray

Bill Murray’s older brother, Brian Doyle-Murray, is an alum of both the Toronto and Chicago branches of The Second City, having served in the troupe in the early 1970s. In the early 1980s, he was a featured player on SNL, most notably as a “Weekend Update” host. 

Tony Rosato

Tony Rosato is probably best known for playing bumbling kitchen chef Marcello on SCTV. The late, Italian-born comedian never quite achieved an SNL moment as memorable, having joined the cast during the much-maligned first season without Lorne Michaels as EP.

Horatio Sanz

Horatio Sanz became a founding member of the Upright Citizens Brigade with other comedians he met while taking classes at The Second City. Some of those same comedians wound up sharing the stage with him on SNL, during which he appeared in multiple sketches that did not go according to plan, sometimes due to his own laughter.

Peter Aykroyd

Peter Aykroyd briefly became an SNL cast member in 1980 after his older brother, Dan, left the show. The late Emmy-winning writer and actor also had a stint at The Second City in common with his sibling.

Jerry Minor

While living in Detroit, Jerry Minor started writing and performing with other local sketch comedy groups before getting into improv at The Second City’s mainstage. In 2000, he was cast on SNL for what would be one season, during which he, most notably, played Grand Master Rap and impersonated notable figures like Al Sharpton.

Tim Kazurinsky

Tim Kazurinsky might be better known for his time at The Second City in the 1970s than his SNL stint in the early 1980s. In fact, he might even be better known for writing movies like About Last Night and starring in the likes of Police Academy than both.

Nancy Carell

It was while they were both performing for The Second City where a woman then known as Nancy Walls met her future husband, Steve Carell. However, between the two of them, she was one who became an SNL cast member for a year in 1995.

While a spot on SNL is something most aspiring comedians long for, it is still an amazing honor to have The Second City as their first gig.

What is it that makes a Saturday Night Live character worthy of becoming the star of their own recurring sketch? Is it the way they dress or style their hair, the general ridiculous nature of their given situation, or is it their manner of speaking? We would actually say that much credit goes to that last example of criteria, based on the many great SNL character catchphrases we have compiled below.

“Well, Isn't That Special?” - The Church Lady

The chameleonic Dana Carvey has portrayed many recurring characters, but perhaps his single funniest SNL sketch is “Church Chat,” in which he plays Enid “The Church Lady” Strict. The deeply religious TV host has returned to Studio 8H several times and the secret to her enduring success is her hilariously sarcastic delivery of her signature line with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, That's The Ticket" - Tommy Flanagan

The phrase, “That’s the ticket,” is not exactly unique to Jon Lovitz’s Tommy Flanagan — the president of Pathological Liars Anonymous (or so he claims). However, it became imbedded in the SNL character’s legacy by the way it accompanies his most amusing fibs.

"We Are Two Wild And Crazy Guys!” - The Festrunk Brothers

Legendary Not Ready For Primetime Player Dan Aykroyd and Steve Martin — arguably the greatest SNL host of all time — make up the swinging Czechoslovakian duo called the Festrunk Brothers. Of course, most people might know them better as the “Two Wild and Crazy Guys” from their vigorous mantra.

"New York's Hottest Club Is..." - Stefon

“Weekend Update” hosts just want Stefon (Bill Hader as the wild character he and John Mulaney created) to talk about the best family-friendly activities in New York. Instead, he would start his spiel by announcing the city’s new popular after hours joint, and it would only get funnier from there.

"We're Not Worthy!" - Wayne And Garth

Wayne Campbell (“Wayne’s World” creator Mike Myers) and Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) have come into contact with several celebrities (both on their cable access program and in their classic SNL spin-off movies). But, rarely have they been able to keep their cool around them, resorting to dropping to their knees, bowing, and declaring their undeserving presence.

"... I Live In A Van Down By The River!" - Matt Foley

The definitive performance by, arguably, the definitive ‘90s-era SNL cast member, Chris Farley, is his gut-busting portrayal of Matt Foley. In addition to being one of the most iconic divorced TV characters, the ill-advised motivational speaker’s most recognizable trait is his unfavorable place of residence (“a van down by the river”), which he reminds people of any chance he gets.

"Oooh, It's A Lady!" - Leon "The Ladies Man" Phelps

The most iconic character played by Tim Meadows (one of SNL’s longest-running cast members) is Leon Phelps, who would receive calls from men and women alike during his live romantic advice program. However, he always made it clear that he especially enjoyed attention from the opposite gender, which is exactly why they called him “The Ladies Man.”

"Cheeburger, Cheeburger, Cheeburger" - Pete Dionisopoulos

When Don Novello created the beloved SNL sketch from Season 3, “The Olympia Restaurant,” he might not have realized that simply repeating the word “cheeseburger” would create such an impact. Yet, John Belushi’s distinct pronunciation of it as the cafe’s Greek manager, Pete Dionisopoulos, served up a decadent comedy feast. 

"I’m Good Enough, I’m Strong Enough And Doggone It, People Like Me" - Stuart Smalley

Easily one of the most wholesome SNL characters ever conceived is Stuart Smalley, played by longtime series veteran and former U.S. senator Al Franken. He would begin each episode of his talk show, Daily Affirmations, with this personal affirmation that, perhaps, we should all be starting our days with.

"I'm Verklempt" - Linda Richman (Coffee Talk)

For various reasons — be it her strained relationship with her daughter or Barbra Streisand’s latest Oscar “snub” — Linda Richman often found herself overcome with emotion as host of “Coffee Talk.” By referring to these episodes as her being “verklempt,” the catchphrase became one of Mike Myers’ funniest quotes and never failed to get the audience howling.

"... Makin' Copies!" - Richard Laymer

Office worker Richard Laymer (Rob Schneider) is better known as “the Richmeister,” in reference to his tendency give his colleagues similar-sounding nicknames. This was typically followed by Rich acknowledging they were “makin’ copies” with the machine that just happened to be near his desk, much to their chagrin.

"We Want To Pump You Up!" - Hans And Franz

Austrian fitness “experts” Hans (Dana Carvey) and Franz (Kevin Nealon) had a pretty apt slogan for their program, Pumping Up, stating that they “want to pump [clap] you up!” However, we would discover that they failed to earn the respect of their famous bodybuilder cousin, Arnold Schwarzenegger, when he appeared in one of the most jaw-dropping SNL cameos as himself.

"Party On..." - Wayne And Garth

It was always a party on Wayne’s World, as co-hosts Wayne and Garth often reminded  audiences with this endearing, celebratory greeting. Of course, this phrase is also associated with another famous duo from the same era: Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter’s titular dudes from the Bill and Ted movies.

"I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not" - Chevy Chase (Weekend Update)

We can sum up Chevy Chase’s signature style of charming smugness and dry wit in just six words. It is with this same phrase that the future Community cast member began nearly every “Weekend Update” segment he hosted during his short, but memorable run on SNL in the 1970s.

"... But I Love Him" - Jodi Deitz (Bronx Beat)

The talk show Bronx Beat was, essentially, an excuse for New York housewives Betty Caruso (Amy Poehler) and Jodi Deitz (Maya Rudolph) to voice their boisterous, and sometimes condemning, opinions on various subjects — with Jodi’s husband being a frequent topic. However, her complaint over her spouse’s moronic tendencies was always accompanied with a tearful affirmation that he still made her happy.

"Give Me A Break" - Ed Grimley

It’s hard to believe that a legend like Martin Short was only on SNL for one season, especially with his impressive assortment of characters like Ed Grimley. The pop-culture obsessed, erratic man-child — borrowed from the actor’s SCTV days — had a few different catchphrases, but his delivery of and situational choices for using “Give me a break” made it a classic.

"It Just Goes To Show Ya, It's Always Somethin'. If It's Not One Thing, It's Another" - Roseanne Roseannadanna

One of the most iconic “Weekend Update” guest characters was Roseanne Roseannadanna, who ended each of her nauseating appearances declaring that, “It’s always somethin’.” The phrase would serve as the title for the late, great Gilda Radner’s memoir, in which she reveals she borrowed it from her own late father’s favorite expression. 

"Superstar!" - Mary Katherine Gallagher

While her intentions may have been hard to interpret at face value, Mary Katherine Gallagher’s commitment to becoming a “superstar” was made clear in the way she exclaimed the phrase with an irresistible gusto. As such, Superstar became the name of a 1999 movie that put Molly Shannon’s quirky Catholic school student in the cinematic spotlight.

"Would You Like To Touch My Monkey?” - Dieter (Sprockets)

West German talk show host Dieter (Mike Myers) is another one of those characters who had many iconic catchphrases at his disposal, with the most famous being “Would you like to touch my monkey?” While it initially sounds a bit suggestive, he is genuinely curious if the guests on his show, Sprockets, would be interested in petting his pet, Klaus.

"Oh No!" - Mr. Bill

Few SNL bits are more traumatic than the short films starring Mr. Bill. The meek, indefensible clay figure could never do anything to prevent the painful situations he found himself in, but to exclaim, “Oh no!” right before they occurred.

"Bring It On Down To ...-Ville!" - Dancing Mascot

Nearly every one of Five-Timers Club member Justin Timberlake’s SNL gigs see him dressed in a ridiculous outfit, performing spoofs of hit songs to promote a local business — such as Omeletteville or Wrappingville — and upstage the competition on the same sidewalk. The pop star and actor even referenced the recurring sketch and its signature quote during a “Weekend Update” appearance when he imagines a non-existent Thanksgiving episode in which we would have brought it on down “Turkeyville.”

"Talk Amongst Yourselves. I'll Give You A Topic..." - Linda Richman (Coffee Talk)

When in need of a moment to compose herself after becoming “verklempt,” Linda Richman always avoided leaving her Coffee Talk audience empty-handed by offering them a conversation piece to pass the time. Examples of her given discussion topics include “Rhode Island is neither a road, nor is it an island” and “Ralph Fiennes is spelled neither rafe nor fines” among many others.

"Buh-Bye" - Flight Attendants

One of the funniest David Spade quotes comes courtesy of a flight attendant who wastes no time letting passengers know he does not want to be there. The character and his iconic “Buh-bye” debuted in a Season 19 SNL sketch also starring Helen Hunt as his equally rude colleague.

"Oh. Well, That’s Different. Nevermind!" - Emily Litella

As the elderly Emily Litella, Gilda Radner appeared on “Weekend Update” numerous times to present an opposing viewpoint to an editorialized topic, only to be informed that her supposed hearing problems led her to dish on something entirely different from the intended subject. Some of the most classic examples include “violins on television” instead of “violence on television” or questioning why the Supreme Court made a decision on a “deaf penalty” when, in fact, it was a decision on the “death penalty."

"What're YOUUUU Doin' Herrre?" - Stuart (The Californians)

The key as to why a sketch as simple as “The Californians” has stood the test of time is Fred Armisen’s preposterously over-the-top West Coast accent when portraying Stuart, especially when asking why certain acquaintances are in his house. Apparently, as Bill Hader shared with Seth Meyers on Late Night, he and Kristen Wiig did not know Armisen would pronounced “What’re you doing here?” so cartoonishly, causing the sketch to not go quite as planned with their uncontrollable laughter.

"You Look Marvelous" - Fernando Lamas

The peak highlight of Billy Crystal’s brief SNL stint was his portrayal of Fernando Lamas as a talk show host who often gushed over how “mahvelous” his guests looked. The Argentinian actor’s son, Lorenzo Lamas, even said that his father actually loved the impression.

"It's Reno Time!" - Janet Reno

For as long as Janet Reno served the U.S. Attorney General, Will Ferrell played her for years as the misplaced host of a teen-centered musical program called “Janet Reno’s Dance Party.” On the final edition of the sketch, the real politician herself crashed through a brick wall to shout out her SNL doppelgängers catchphrase.

"... Is That Bad To Do Do Do...?" - Junice Merill

No character portrayed by Academy Award-nominated SNL star Kristen Wiig is really known for having any definitive catchphrases, but Junice Merill does have her own “catch-lyric.” When she and her sisters appear on The Lawrence Welk Show, she takes one moment of their performance to confess something grotesque and possibly illegal before asking if it is “bad” in song.

"Delta Delta Delta! Can I Help Ya, Help Ya, Help Ya?" - Delta Delta Delta Sorority Sisters

One of the youngest SNL cast members (being 23 at the time) is Melanie Hutsell, whose most famous character was a sorority pledge named Di. She and her fellow sisters (played by Siobhan Fallon and Beth Cahill) would answer the sorority house phone in this most hilariously upbeat way.

"I Got A Fever And The Only Prescription Is More Cowbell!" - Bruce Dickinson

One of the most iconic SNL sketches prominently featuring an A-list host is a faux clip of Blue Öyster Cult recording “Don’t Fear the Reaper” under the supervision of Christopher Walken as Bruce Dickinson. His likening of Gene Frenkle’s (Will Ferrell) cowbell as a cure for his metaphorical illness in this one-off sketch may not exactly count as a catchphrase, but is undeniably one of the most celebrated lines in the series’ history. In fact, Walken claims it “ruined” his life with how often people quote it at him.

"Don't Look At My Bum" - Simon

Mike Myers stars in a recurring sketch as a young British boy named Simon, who likes to show the audience his drawing from a bathtub. In many instances, as he would turn around to reach for another example of his artwork, the child felt compelled to remind his viewers not to stare at his “bum.”

"That's What Your Mother Said Last Night" - Sean Connery (Celebrity Jeopardy!)

For no discernible reason, Darrell Hammond’s Sean Connery was more interested in spending the entirety of his appearances in SNL’s best Celebrity Jeopardy! sketches taunting Will Ferrell’s Alex Trebek than winning the game. Most of his insults involved the host’s mother, whom he jokingly claimed to have a relationship with.

These SNL catchphrases prove that, sometimes, it is not what you say, but how you say it. These characters said it hilariously.

Easily one of the most legendary SNL stars of the 1990s is Mike Myers — the star and creator of numerous beloved SNL sketches, from “Wayne’s World” to “Coffee Talk.” However, you could say that his most unforgettable characters come from the big screen, like shag-a-delic spy Austin Powers or the titular ogre from the Shrek movies. Well, we decided to take a look at both Saturday Night Live and our favorite Mike Myers movies to find our picks for the comedian’s funniest quotes.

"A Nerd Says, 'What?'" - Saturday Night Live 

Cable access TV host Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) has used various iterations of this disorienting gag on his guests. In a 2011 edition of “Wayne’s World,” it’s at the expense of co-host, Garth Algar (Dana Carvey), after he explains an eyepatch does not actually make Jeff Bridges’ role in 2010’s True Grit “cycloptic.”

"That Must Be Lord Farquaad's Castle. Do You Think Maybe He's Compensating For Something?" - Shrek

What makes 2001’s Shrek a kids movie the whole family will love is jokes like this that adults can appreciate. Of course, what the titular ogre (Mike Myers) doesn’t realize at that time is that Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) makes his kingdom large to counteract his height. 

"Who Throws A Shoe? Honestly!" - Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery

One of Dr. Evil’s minions, Random Task, is a clear parody of Oddjob from one of the best James Bond movies, Goldfinger. While that villain’s signature gimmick was a throwable, razor-edged bowler hat, in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Random Task just throws his shoe.

"HEAD! MOVE!" - So I Married An Axe Murderer

One of the first times Mike Myers took on multiple characters in one title was in So I Married an Axe Murderer, in which he plays beat poet Charlie MacKenzie and his father, Stuart. In one of the darkly funny 1993 rom-com’s funniest moments, Stuart bluntly tells his younger son, William (Matt Doherty), to get his “huge noggin” out of the way of the TV, which sounds like “Heed! Move!” in his thick Scottish accent.

"We'll Just Take These Home, Run Them Over With A Fine Tooth Comb, Cross The ’T’s,’ And Dot The... Lower Case ‘J’s’ - Wayne's World 2 

When applying for a permit to put on “Waynestock,” Wayne and Garth are caught off guard when they meet a “partial ocular albino” played by Kevin Pollak in one of the best SNL movies, Wayne’s World 2. After several accidental comments about the office worker’s one white eye, Wayne finally catches himself from making yet another mistake with this smooth save.

"I'm Verklempt" - Saturday Night Live

The best kind of SNL character catchphrases are short and simple, much like that of “Coffee Talk” host Linda Richman (Mike Myers). This charmingly boisterous character never failed to get the audience roaring with laughter by the way she let them know she was suddenly overcome with emotion.

"For Five Minutes, Could You Not Be Yourself? FOR FIVE MINUTES!" - Shrek 2

Even after becoming friends, Donkey (Eddie Murphy) still finds a way to get under Shrek’s skin, such as when he can’t keep his mouth shut during their trip with Fiona (Cameron Diaz) to Far Far Away. The ogre’s plea is easily one of the most quotable lines of Shrek 2 and a fun way to tell a friend to can it in real life.

"I Once Thought I Had Mono For An Entire Year. It Turned Out I Was Just Really Bored" - Wayne's World

While on a date with Wayne, Cassandra (Tia Carrere) tells him that she has been so busy with her band that she almost thought her exasperation was caused by meningitis. Wayne responds by revealing that he went through a similar situation in one of Wayne’s World’s funniest lines.

“Basically, We Have All Our Rotten Eggs In One Basket. The Objective Of Operation Kino: Blow Up The Basket" - Inglourious Basterds

A nearly unrecognizable Mike Myers steals the show in a scene from one of Quentin Tarantino’s best movies, Inglorious Basterds, as General Ed Fenech opposite Michael Fassbender’s Lt. Archie Hicox. He uses this rather cheeky metaphor to explain that most high-ranking officials of the World War II-era German government are attending a propaganda film’s premiere, giving them a perfect opportunity to strike.

"Would You Like To Touch My Monkey?" - Saturday Night Live 

The most famous catchphrase uttered by Mike Myers’ recurring character, Dieter, may understandably sound like a double-entendre. However, the host of the West German talk show Sprockets is actually referring to his pet monkey, Klaus, when voicing this request to his guests.

"Believe Me, Donkey, If It Was Me, You'd Be Dead!" - Shrek 

As they grow closer reaching the tower where Fiona is held, Donkey catches whiff of something that he suspects is Shrek letting it rip. The ogre informs his companion that he is smelling brimstone after assuring him that his flatulence is deadly and, as we know from subsequent moments in the franchise, not very silent either.

"Yes, And It's The Choice Of A New Generation" - Wayne's World 

One of the most gut-busting moments from 1992’s Wayne World sees Wayne and Garth voicing their disapproval over product placement while, ironically, showing off various recognizable brands for the camera. One of the more clever examples occurs when Benjamin (Rob Lowe), tells them they could choose to play ball with sponsors or go back to cable access, prompting Wayne to quote Pepsi’s famous slogan at the time.

"No, I Think It's Repellent In Every Way. In fact, I Think Most Scottish Cuisine Is Based On A Dare" - So I Married An Axe Murderer

This is how Charlie responds when butcher shop employee Harriet asks if he actually likes haggis after buying some for his parents during an earlier visit. This biting So I Married an Axe Murderer joke is actually recycled from an SNL sketch starring Mike Myers and Kyle MacLachlan as the father-son owners of a Scottish delicacies shop.

"Everybody In The World Has 'Frampton Comes Alive!’ If You Lived In The Suburbs, You Were Issued It. It Came In The Mail With Samples Of Tide" - Wayne's World 2

In Wayne’s World 2, Cassandra shows Wayne a collection of records she bought at a yard sale, which includes Peter Frampton’s 1976 live album. Wayne is really not too far off from the truth when describing Frampton Comes Alive! as, essentially, a common household object considering its massive popularity at the time.

"Don't Look At My Bum" - Saturday Night Live

One of Mike Myers’ most charming recurring characters is Simon, an English child who hosts his own program from a bathtub. Sometimes, as he was reaching for another drawing to show off, he would accuse the audience of sneaking a peak at his rear end.

"No Stairway. Denied!" - Wayne's World

To those who first saw Wayne’s World on VHS or DVD, this gag seems to imply the guitar shop employee must have assumed Wayne was attempting to play to what really sounds like nothing like Led Zeppelin’s most famous hit. Per GQ, the actual first three notes of “Stairway to Heaven” could be heard in the theatrical cut, but the band and Warner Music Group “denied” the filmmakers from keeping the original audio from further home video releases.

“Well, Somebody Better Be Dying" - Shrek The Third

In Shrek the Third, this is how Shrek responds when he and Fiona are interrupted right as they are about to kiss. In the very next scene, his father-in-law, King Harold (another actor with sketch comedy experience, Monty Python’s John Cleese) announces that he is, indeed, dying.

"Well, That's The Kind Of Song Teenagers Can Crank Up The Volume In Their Car And Bang Their Heads To. 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Will Never Be That Song" - Bohemian Rhapsody 

In a memorable scene from the 2018 Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, this is how fictional record executive Ray Foster voices his preference for “I’m in Love with My Car” over the operative, eponymous track. Of course, the actor who plays him, Mike Myers, did, indeed, crank up the volume and bang his head in a car to this exact song in a famous scene from Wayne’s World that reinvigorated its popularity in the early ‘90s.

"Oh, Smashing. Groovy. Yay, Capitalism!" - Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery 

After Austin Powers (Mike Myers) awakens from a 30-year cryogenic slumber in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, he is at first bewildered to see a Russian general in his presence, until Basil Exposition (Michael York) tells him the Cold War ended. The spy initially assumes this means “capitalist pigs will pay for their crimes,” until Basil explains that things worked out in the United States’ favor.

“Let Me Get This Straight: You Pay This Woman To Sit On Babies? That's Disgusting. I'd Do It For Nothing" - The Cat In The Hat

The live-action, 2003 adaptation of The Cat in the Hat is not widely regarded as one of the best Dr. Seuss movies, but it does have its moments. Case in point: this cheeky little play on words courtesy of the titular feline (played by Mike Myers) and at the expense of Conrad (Spencer Breslin) and Sally’s (Dakota Fanning) babysitter, Mrs. Kwan (Amy Hill).

"If It's A Severed Head, I'm Going To Be Very Upset" - Wayne's World 

Wayne is approached by his “psycho hose beast” ex-girlfriend, Stacy (Twin Peaks cast member Lara Flynn Boyle), who is under the impression that she can wish him a happy anniversary two months after their breakup. Still, she insists Wayne open his gift, which he fears could be something very morbid, to say the least.

“Talk Amongst Yourselves. I’ll Give You A Topic: Rhode Island Is Neither A Road, Nor Is It An Island" - Saturday Night Live 

Any time Linda Richman gets “verklempt” and needs to take a moment, she offers the Coffee Talk audience a topic to discuss for the time being. Not only is this one of the funniest examples of the recurring gag, but also one of the more thought-provoking.

"Who Does Number Two Work For?" - Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery 

When Dr. Evil’s assassin, Patty O’Brien (Paul Dillon), attacks Austin Powers in a casino bathroom, the spy retaliates and takes the opportunity to interrogate the “cycloptic” gambler outside called Number Two (Robert Wagner). However, the “cowboy” in the nearby stall (played by Tom Arnold) assumes Austin is referring to a different kind of “number two.”

"I Can't Believe Paramount Is Spending The Money To Fly Us To England. I Would Have Thought They Would Just Use Two Doubles" - Wayne's World 2

Both of the Wayne’s World movies handle meta humor brilliantly, such as with this gag from the 1993 sequel. Wayne’s suspicions that the studio would not actually send him and Garth to the United Kingdom are proven correct, but only the audience is aware.

"I'm Afraid You're Gonna Ki- Leave Me"  So I Married An Axe Murderer 

In So I Married an Axe Murderer, Charlie (Mike Myers) breaks up with Harriet (Nancy Travis) and almost gives away that he fears she will kill him before replacing the word with “leave” as an explanation. However, it ends up sounding like he’s afraid she might “cleave,” which is exactly what he was worried about.

"No, Scott. I Have An Even better Idea. I'm Going To Place Him In An Easily Escapable Situation Involving An Overly Elaborate And Exotic Death" - Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery 

It really is amazing to think of how many James Bond villains could have succeeded if they just killed 007 on the spot instead of putting the skilled operative in unnecessary death traps. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery attacks this trope head-on when Dr. Evil (Mike Myers) reveals his plans for Powers, which his son, Scott (Seth Green), points out has flaws, to say the least.

"Yeah, And Monkeys Might Fly Out Of My Butt" - Saturday Night Live 

Few characters can master sarcasm quite as charmingly as Wayne Campbell. He has demonstrated this talent in just about every edition of his recurring SNL sketch with this hilarious bit.

"You Know, I Have One Simple Request, And That Is To Have Sharks With Frickin' Laser Beams Attached To Their Heads!" - Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery 

Probably the one thing that made Dr. Evil relatable was his interest in this odd combination of machine and beat that, admittedly, sounds pretty cool. He would finally get his wish in 2003’s Austin Powers in Goldmember when the newly wicked Scott presents his father with the long-desired gift.

"Oh, No No No No. Dead Broad Off The Table" - Shrek 

When Shrek finds a group of exiled fairytale creatures invading his swamp, he finds that the seven dwarfs have taken the initiative to put Snow White’s casket on his dining table. In their defense, the bed was taken by the Big Bad Wolf.

"Women: You Cannot Walk With Them, And Yet, You Cannot Club Them" - Saturday Night Live 

In a sketch called “Lothar of the Hill People,” Mike Myers plays the titular barbarian chieftain who converses with his brethren over their experiences and philosophies. One of the funniest instances of the recurring bit is when Lothar utters this unique take on an old adage.

"No One Gets Married At Your Age Unless They're Trying To Prove Something” - 54 

In 1998’s 54, Mike Myers plays Steve Rubell, the real-life co-owner of the famous, eponymous night club, Studio, who, at one point, comes on to Breckin Meyer’s character, Greg Randazzo with an indecent proposal. When Greg explains that he is, Steve insists that it can’t be genuine for a young man like him.

"Throw Me A Frickin' Bone Here!" - Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery 

When the freshly unfrozen Dr. Evil comes to his subordinates about his evil plans, he is soon informed that none of them apply to the way things are in 1997, prompting him to ask that they give him a break and try better to bring him up to speed. This line has since become one of the first things people quote when demonstrating their own impersonation of Austin Powers’ nemesis. 

These quotes are are undeniably groovy, baby.

In its several decades on air, Saturday Night Live has made icons out of many of its cast members. For some — including some of SNL’s one-season wonders — you might argue that the sketch comedy series is the peak of their careers, until you remember the acclaimed and widely beloved movies and TV shows they would go on to star in. Take a look at our picks for the finest work some of our favorite SNL stars have put out beyond their time at Studio 8H.

Eddie Murphy (Coming To America)

48 Hrs. and Beverly Hills Cop made him a movie star, but Coming to America might be the absolute best Eddie Murphy movie, especially as the first to show just how far the comic’s extraordinary talents extend. He gives his most heartfelt performance as an African prince searching for love in New York City, but that is far from his only role in this dazzling romantic-com from 1988.

Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids)

Along with her writing partner, Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig joined the club of Oscar-nominated SNL stars for penning this 2011 instant classic comedy. She also transcends what made her a Studio 8H all-star by leading the Bridesmaids cast with her most down-to-earth performance yet as a baker suffering an existential crisis after her best friend (played by Maya Rudolph) gets engaged.

Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems)

Some argue that an SNL star who should have been nominated for an Oscar is Adam Sandler for his performance in one of the best A24 movies, Uncut Gems. If self-destructive jeweler Howard Rattner had been played by anyone else but the guy behind “The Hanukkah Song” and movies like Happy Gilmore, it might have been tough to root for the protagonist of Josh and Benny Safdie’s anxiety-fueled, 2019 crime drama.

Kate McKinnon (Barbie)

After previously working with Margot Robbie in Bombshell and making the A-lister laugh uncontrollably in an SNL sketch, Kate McKinnon reunited with the Australian actor in the Barbie cast in 2023. The Emmy-winner is perfect as “Weird Barbie” — now a real doll in Mattel’s catalog — in co-writer and director Greta Gerwig’s cleverly satirical and surprisingly moving blockbuster based on the legendary toy.

Will Ferrell (Stranger Than Fiction)

We love Will Ferrell in funny movies like Elf and Talladega Nights, but never has he given a performance as tender, reserved, and relatable as his Golden Globe-nominated role in Stranger Than Fiction. That is only one reason director Marc Forster’s inventive 2006 dramedy is his best movie in our eyes.

Molly Shannon (Wet Hot American Summer)

The Wet Hot American Summer cast is full of actors who went on to become superstars, but one of the biggest names among that ensemble at the time was SNL great Molly Shannon. She stars in the 2001 cult-favorite summer comedy classic as camp counselor Gail, who seeks consolation for her second divorce from surprisingly mature adolescent campers.

Bill Murray (Lost In Translation)

To this day, many believe that Bill Murray should have won the Academy Award for his performance in one of the best movies of the 2000s, Lost in Translation. Also one of the best movies produced by Focus Features, he stars in writer and director Sofia Coppola’s Oscar-winning sophomore effort as a disillusioned actor who strikes up a unique bond with a young woman (played by Scarlett Johansson) who is also struggling to navigate her life after meeting in Japan. 

Tina Fey (Mean Girls)

From her time on SNL as a cast member and head writer to her development of beloved comedies like 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Tina Fey has had one of the most impressive careers in comedy, let alone show business in general. However, her one credit that has best stood the test of time is her sharply satirical high school movie, Mean Girls, which she adapted from Rosalind Wiseman’s book and also stars in as Ms. Norbury.

Dan Aykroyd (The Blues Brothers)

Dan Aykroyd may have a Best Picture Oscar winner under his belt (Driving Miss Daisy, for which he also received an acting nomination) and also wrote and starred in one of the beloved Ghostbusters. However, the movie that he will always be best known for is 1980’s The Blues Brothers, which is arguably the all-time best movie based on SNL characters (Ayrkoyd and John Belushi’s brotherly musicians, Jake and Elwood Blues) and one of the most important movies set in Chicago as well.

Gilda Radner (Haunted Honeymoon)

Highlights of Gilda Radner’s post-SNL career included sharing the screen with her husband, Gene Wilder, such as 1986’s Haunted Honeymoon, in which they play a couple staying in a spooky house to cure the groom’s anxieties. Unfortunately, the fun horror-comedy movie would also be her final film before she passed away in 1989.

Chevy Chase (Community)

After making a huge impact in so little time on SNL (not even two full seasons), Chevy Chase had a memorable film career (especially with National Lampoon’s Vacation movies), but it was his return to the small screen in the late 2000s that really had us especially impressed. He starred in the Community cast as Pierce Hawthorne — one of many Greendale Community College students experiencing often strange circumstances and meta pop-culture references in creator Dan Harmon’s inventive sitcom.

Chris Farley (Tommy Boy)

Perhaps the most influential ‘90s SNL actor was the late Chris Farley, whose one-in-a-million, energetic comedic talent made him a legend. He also made an impeccable team with fellow SNL actor David Spade in the hilarious road trip comedy, and one of the funniest and most iconic movies of the ‘90s, Tommy Boy.

Jimmy Fallon (Almost Famous)

Jimmy Fallon has had a stellar career, from his memorable SNL stint to hosting The Tonight Show, but most of his movies did not quite have the same impact — save his Oscar-winning feature-length debut in 2000. Fallon starred in writer and director Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous cast as the touring manager for Stillwater, Dennis Hope.

Amy Poehler (Inside Out)

Amy Poehler is the kind of performer who brings a sense of joy to everything she does, from her SNL days to the Parks and Recreation cast as Leslie Knope. Thus, it only makes sense that she would star as the personification of “Joy” in one of Pixar’s best movies: 2015’s Inside Out.

Will Forte (Nebraska)

We all know and love the masterfully goofy Will Forte from the “MacGruber” sketches and as the star and creator of a show canceled too soon called The Last Man on Earth, but 2013’s Nebraska showed a rare side of the actor we cherished seeing. He gives a somber, yet beautifully endearing, performance in director Alexander Payne’s Oscar-nominated drama as a man accompanying his estranged father (played by Bruce Dern) on a trip to collect a supposed million-dollar prize.

Maya Rudolph (The Way Way Back)

Maya Rudolph’s career outside SNL has been nothing short of impressive, but we were most impressed by her work in 2013’s The Way Way Back. From the Oscar-winning writing duo behind The Descendants (Nat Faxon and Jim Rash), this winning dramedy features Rudolph as Caitlin, a manager at a water park where teen protagonist Duncan (Liam James) works to escape a miserable summer at his mother’s boyfriend’s house.

Bill Hader (Barry)

Bill Hader never failed to surprise audiences with his impeccable impersonations and excellent commitment to character on SNL, but he surprised us in other ways with his first major small-screen follow-up. He played the title role of HBO’s Barry cast (in addition to co-creating the very dark comedy series), who is a hitman trying to reinvent himself as an actor.

Cecily Strong (Schmigadoon!)

One of the greatest surprises of John Mulaney’s SNL musical sketches was Cecily Strong’s smashing singing voice. It would also come in handy when she and Keegan-Michael Key led AppleTV+’s Schmigadoon! cast as a couple trapped in a world that looks and sounds like a lavish musical production.

Chris Rock (Nurse Betty)

In 2000, Chris Rock teamed up with Morgan Freeman as hitmen searching for a delusional widow (played by Renée Zellweger) convinced she is engaged to a soap opera character in director Neil LaBute’s sharp, quirky dramedy, Nurse Betty. We will, however, give an honorable mention for one of the best sitcoms starring an SNL vet, Everybody Hates Chris, which the comedian created and narrated.

Jane Curtin (3rd Rock From The Sun)

Years after playing an alien in, arguably, her single funniest SNL sketch (“The Coneheads”), Jane Curtin played one of the few human series regulars on a series also about otherworldly visitors trying to blend in. The former “Weekend Update” anchor starred on NBC’s hit sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun as Dr. Mary Albright, a colleague, and later fiancée, of Dick Solomon (John Lithgow) at Pendleton State University.

Andy Samberg (Palm Springs)

There is only so much that we are actually willing to reveal about our pick for Andy Samberg’s best effort outside of SNL, Palm Springs, for anyone who has not seen it yet. What we will say is that the 2020 rom-com — and one of the best movies on Hulu — stars the Lonely Island member and Golden Globe-winning Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor and Cristin Milioti as wedding guests who become embroiled in a very strange predicament.

Mike Myers (Shrek)

We love almost all of the characters Mike Myers has created or portrayed, from Wayne Campbell to Austin Powers, but picking his true all-time best work outside of Studio 8H is easy. Myers put on his best Scottish accent to voice the title role of 2001’s Shrek — the first movie to win the Best Animated Feature Oscar, for its sharp send-up of fairytale tropes and heartwarming unlikely romance.

Pete Davidson (The King Of Staten Island)

There have been some great Pete Davidson movies and TV shows over the years, but the former SNL star’s best work might also be one of his most personal. The Bupkis cast member based The King of Staten Island (which he co-wrote with director Judd Apatow) on his own life as the son of a firefighter who tragically passed on 9/11. 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ time on SNL often goes forgotten, but you cannot say the same about the career she had after the show, which includes Emmy wins for shows like Veep and joining the MCU. However, she really blew up when she joined the Seinfeld cast as Elaine Benes, who was the focus of many classic and hilarious moments on the legendary sitcom.

Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)

Jason Sudeikis is the kind of SNL performer who could make the Devil himself seem likable, which is why he was the perfect choice for the charming lead of the Ted Lasso cast for Apple TV+. Indeed, his Emmy-winning performance as the titular American football coach hired to manage an English football (a.k.a. soccer) team is key to its jubilant success.

Norm Macdonald (Dirty Work)

In 1998, the same year that the late Norm Macdonald was infamously fired from SNL, the actor came out with one of his best movies, Dirty Work. Also written by Macdonald and directed by Bob Saget, the comedy about a man who literally becomes a specialist in the business of revenge has gained a cult following despite getting bad reviews in the 90s.

Kenan Thompson (D2: The Mighty Ducks)

Before he became one of the longest-running SNL cast members, Kenan Thompson was part of Nickelodeon’s more kid-friendly sketch comedy, All That. However, before then, the Emmy winner made his acting debut in one of the greatest hockey movies, D2: the Mighty Ducks as the inventor of the Knuckle Puck, Russ.

Ana Gasteyer (Happiest Season)

As the creator of beloved sketches like “NPR’s Delicious Dish” and the astonishing ability to hide when sketches don’t go as planned, Ana Gasteyer’s SNL days do not get talked about enough. In 2020, she appeared alongside the Happiest Season cast in a brief, but memorable, role in the acclaimed LGBTQ+ romance dramedy.

Fred Armisen (Portlandia)

While he was still on SNL, Fred Armisen was the driving force of a whole different kind of sketch comedy series called Portlandia. In partnership with non-SNL sketch comedy actor Carrie Brownstein, the pair poked fun at life in Portland in a Monty Python-esque style of quirky and bizarre bits.

Tim Meadows (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping)

Despite his impressively long tenure, Tim Meadows is one of the most criminally underrated SNL actors and his big-screen presence is no different. Case in point: even one of his most prominent movie roles is from a vastly underrated, mockumentary-style comedy, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, from 2106 as Harry, manager to conner4real (Andy Samberg).

Tracy Morgan (30 Rock)

How fitting that one of Tracy Morgan’s greatest successes after being a sketch comedy show performer was playing a sketch comedy show performer. The comic stole every scene in creator and star Tina Fey’s brilliantly surreal broadcasting satire, 30 Rock, as over-the-top actor, Tracy Jordan.

Aidy Bryant (Shrill)

Even before she left SNL (a bit later than she anticipated as a result of Covid-19), Aidy Bryant had already ventured on with a series of her own called Shrill. The actor received an Emmy nomination for her performance on the Hulu original comedy (which she also co-created) as an overweight journalist aspiring to change who she is inside without changing who she is outside.

Even if Saturday Night Live is what these actors are remembered best for, that does not mean it will always be the best thing they are remembered for.

We could talk forever about our favorite SNL actors and their funniest sketches, but when was the last time we showed our appreciation for the people who were the real brains behind the operation? That is what we intend to do here as we look back at some of Saturday Night Live’s most celebrated bits and characters as we share the stories behind those who wrote them into reality.

NPR's Delicious Dish: Schweddy Balls (Ana Gasteyer)

The glorious piece of suggestive comedy that is “Schweddy Balls” is just one — let alone, arguably, the funniest — edition of a recurring sketch called “NPR’s Delicious Dish,” which was the brainchild of one of its stars, Ana Gasteyer. The Happiest Season cast member recalled to NPR — of all places — that she was still part of the improv comedy troupe, The Groundlings, when gastronomic radio shows from LA called “The Splendid Table” and “Good Food” inspired her to write the bit. 

Close Encounter (Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell)

We have SNL actor Mikey Day and writing partner Streeter Seidell to thank for what is widely considered one of Kate McKinnon’s best SNL sketches, “Close Encounter.” According to Day and Seidell’s talk with Vulture, they knew that host Ryan Gosling would not be able to stop laughing at Colleen Rafferty’s horrendous experience with an alien abduction because he wasn’t able to hold it together during any of the rehearsals.

The Olympia Cafe (Don Novello)

Comedian Don Novello is best known for playing Father Guido Scarducci on SNL, but he is also the unsung hero of “The Olympia Cafe,” which some may recognize better as the “cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger” sketch. According to Ultimate Classic Rock, the bit was inspired by an actual Chicago restaurant called the Billy Goat Tavern, which Novello and the sketch’s star, John Belushi, would frequent.

Matt Foley: Van Down By The River (Chris Farley, Bob Odenkirk, And Robert Smigel)

After seeing Chris Farley perform at Second City as his character, Matt Foley, Bob Odenkirk was inspired to write the sketch that introduced the motivational speaker to SNL in 1993. However, as the former Breaking Bad cast member revealed on Hot Ones, it was Robert Smigel’s last-minute idea for Farley to fall down onto the table.

More Cowbell (Will Ferrell) 

According to Rolling Stone, the faint sound of the cowbell on Blue Öyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” inspired Will Ferrell to write a now-classic sketch — that Christopher Walken believes ruined his life — revolving around the one playing the obscure instrument on the 1976 hit. He later discovered from an SNL art department employee whose father worked on the Agents of Fortune album that he had unwittingly captured the characteristics of the song’s real cowbell player… save the low-cut sweater and overzealous gyration.

Church Chat (Dana Carvey And Rosie Shuster)

On an SNL 40th Anniversary retrospective by People, Dana Carvey recalls performing as the Church Lady in his pre-SNL days at clubs, where he spontaneously improvised her famous catchphrase, “Isn’t that special?” He teamed up with writer Rosie Shuster to develop the character’s SNL debut, leading to the creation of “Church Chat” — which Carvey would revive as a host in later years.

Wayne's World (Mike Myers)

According to Primetimer, when Mike Myers showed then-SNL writers Conan O’Brien, Robert Smigel, Bob Odenkirk, and Greg Daniels his idea for “Wayne’s World,” they politely advised him against pitching it in the writer’s room. Well, the joke is on those nobodies because the sketch — a cable access program filmed in Wayne’s (Myers) basement and co-hosted by Dana Carvey’s Garth — was a huge hit that inspired one of the best SNL movies ever.

Haunted Elevator (Ft. David S. Pumpkins) (Bobby Moynihan, Mikey Day, and Streeter Seidell)

Wanting to break free from the political-heavy humor of SNL’s 42nd season, Bobby Moynihan, Mikey Day, and Streeter Seidell — after much trial and error — crafted a sketch for the Halloween show featuring a strange man who would become one of Tom Hanks’ best SNL characters: David S. Pumpkins. According to Vulture’s oral history, the trio was astonished by the success of “this dumb, dumb thing” that even inspired an animated special on NBC the following year.

Mom Jeans (Tina Fey)

In an interview with Jess Cage for Sirius XM, Tina Fey recalls purchasing a “really unfortunate pair of jeans” at J. Crew, and she decided to use that as fuel on writing night at Studio 8H. The result was one of SNL’s funniest commercial parodies, for which the future 30 Rock cast member and creator wore a prosthetic stomach and rear end.

MacGruber (Jorma Taccone)

Played by Will Forte, easily distracted special forces agent MacGruber was first envisioned by Jorma Taccone — one-third of the Lonely Island — according to Vanity Fair’s oral history. Having later spawned a feature film and a Peacock original series, you could argue that the recurring sketch hit a level of attention that resembled the love for the TV show that inspired it, MacGyver (whose star, Richard Dean Anderson, cameoed in one edition).

Two Wild And Crazy Guys (Dan Aykroyd, Steve Martin, Marilyn Suzanne Miller)

In collaboration with writer Marilyn Suzanne Miller (according to Ultimate Classic Rock), Dan Aykroyd partnered with SNL host hall-of-famer Steve Martin to create the Festrunk Brothers, who are better known as the “wild and crazy guys!” The Czechoslovakian swingers became a staple of the show, and they would return in more recent years alongside another famous duo: Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg’s highly inappropriate R&B singers.

Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton Address the Nation (Seth Meyers)

One of SNL’s sharpest pieces of political satire sees Sen. Hillary Clinton (Amy Poehler) struggling to remain civil during a non-partisan appearance alongside Gov. Sarah Palin (Tina Fey) in response to the latter’s Vice Presidential nomination. According to Vulture, then-head writer Seth Meyers penned that legendary SNL cold open, which also featured a few jokes by Poehler and Fey and Palin’s iconic line “I can see Russia from my house,” courtesy of Late Night producer Mike Shoemaker.

Stefon (Bill Hader And John Mulaney)

At The New Yorker Festival in 2014, Bill Hader recalled how a flamboyant barista he frequently bumped into and a strange email John Mulaney received about an aspiring club owner’s bizarre ideas — including “a room full of broken glass” — were the catalysts for Stefon. Hader also mentions that he tested the character in a particularly forgettable sketch opposite host Ben Affleck before making him Weekend Update’s city correspondent. The former Barry cast lead has never been able to play the role without laughing and covering his face, thanks to Mulaney’s last-minute cue card additions and Seth Meyers’ immaculate patience.

Lazy Sunday (The Lonely Island, Chris Parnell)

Chris Parnell was SNL’s resident rap star before the emergence of The Lonely Island (Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer), which is why they asked him to collaborate on a music video about him and Samberg seeing The Chronicles of Narnia. As they recall in Variety’s oral history, “Lazy Sunday” made SNL Digital Shorts a celebrated event, skyrocketed The Lonely Island’s stardom, and, most importantly, dawned a new era of viral comedy.

The Coneheads (Dan Aykroyd)

In the book Live From New York: The Complete Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, Dan Aykroyd recalls how he was watching TV in a heightened state of mind, and he noticed that people’s heads rarely hit the top of the screen. This gave him the idea for a sketch about characters with noggins that are several inches taller than the average humans, who eventually became the out-of-this-world family known as The Coneheads. 

Celebrity Jeopardy! (Norm Macdonald)

As the late Norm Macdonald revealed to Howard Stern (via SoundCloud), we have SCTV to thank for "Celebrity Jeopardy!” The comedian — who also played Burt “Turd Ferguson” Reynolds — took inspiration from the Canadian sketch comedy series’ game show parody “Half Wits” when crafting this recurring bit featuring Will Ferrell as an Alex Trebek driven mad by absent-minded famous people and taunting from Sean Connery (Darrell Hammond).

Debbie Downer (Rachel Dratch And Paula Pell)

Rachel Dratch recalled to Salon that while vacationing she told someone at a communal dining table that she was from New York, to which the stranger replied, “Were you there for 9/11?” That ultimately inspired her to team up with Paula Pell — with whom she later reunited for Wine Country — to create the character Debbie Downer, whose debut SNL sketch did not go as planned, but was all the more memorable for it.

Spelling Bee (Will Forte)

On a Reddit AMA hosted by Will Forte (via AMATranscripts.com), one user asked if the actor’s insanely long misspelling of the word “business” in Season 31’s “Spelling Bee” was recited as written or all spontaneous. The MacGruber cast lead revealed that the bit originated from his days on the improv comedy troupe, The Groundlings, and that he would have listed off even more random letters in the SNL sketch if he wasn’t being directly followed by musical guest Neil Young.

The Ladies Man (Tim Meadows, Dennis McNicholas, and Andrew Steele)

A character as lewd and crude as Leon Phelps might not be so successful these days, but, then again, it’s hard not to be charmed by any role portrayed by Tim Meadows. While promoting the 2000 movie, The Ladies Man, the Mean Girls cast member revealed to The Crimson that the lispy voice was his biggest contribution to the character, who was initially conceived by Dennis McNicholas and Andrew Steele.

The Californians (Bill Hader, Fred Armisen, And James Anderson)

While speaking to Seth Meyers on Late Night, Bill Hader shared how he and Fred Armisen would kill time before table reads by mockingly describing how they would get around in LA while donning over-the-top West Coast accents. Sometime later, Hader learned that Armisen and writer James Anderson took that gag, made it into a soap opera, and, thus, “The Californians” was born.

Girl Watchers (Conan O'Brien, Robert Smigel, Bob Odenkirk, And Greg Daniels) 

Retired late-night talk show host Conan O’Brien actually came up with a few of Tom Hanks’ best SNL sketches, such as “Girl Watchers,” in which the Oscar winner and Jon Lovitz comment on their losing streak with the ladies with contrarian confidence. O’Brien shared on Dax Shepard’s podcast, Armchair Expert, how he jokingly demonstrated this characteristic on a whim while hanging out with fellow SNL writers Robert Smigel, Bob Odenkirk, and Greg Daniels, who all worked together to turn into the classic sketch.

Hans And Franz (Kevin Nealon And Dana Carvey)

While Arnold Schwarzenegger has never hosted SNL, he would make a cameo alongside fellow Austrian bodybuilders, Hans and Franz. It probably comes as no surprise that the Terminator star — who was even interested in doing the scrapped Hans and Franz movie — is also the inspiration for the characters. Kevin Nealon told Juice that it all started when he and Dana Carvey caught an interview with the actor on TV that compelled them to talk like him for days.

Diner Lobster (John Mulaney And Colin Jost)

Season 43’s “Diner Lobster” was an instant classic that started a tradition of Broadway-inspired sketches anytime John Mulaney hosts SNL, but its road to success was longer than you may think. The comedian and Weekend Update anchor Colin Jost revealed in a featurette that they actually wrote the sketch eight years earlier, but no one wanted to touch it at the time.

Lunch Lady Land (Adam Sandler, Bob Odenkirk, Tim Herlihy, And Allen Covert)

One of Adam Sandler and Chris Farley’s funniest collaborations was a musical sketch set to a song called “Lunch Lady Land,” which the Uncut Gems star did not write himself. According to Uproxx, his co-composers were Bob Odenkirk, Tim Herlihy (father of Please Don’t Destroy’s Martin Herlihy), and Allen Covert.

Weekend Update: The Iceberg On The Sinking Of The Titanic (Bowen Yang And Anna Drezen)

The bit that made Bowen Yang one of SNL’s biggest stars was his viral “Weekend Update” appearance as the Iceberg that sank Titanic, who believes he is the real victim of the tragedy. He spoke to former SNL star-turned-Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon about how writer Anna Drezen texted him about the concept months before they decided to give it a try, despite not having much faith in it at the time.

Mary Katherine Gallagher (Molly Shannon)

Apparently, an unnamed SNL writer did not believe that Molly Shannon’s character Mary Katherine Gallagher had a chance of making it onto the show, as she told People in 2015. Luckily, the nervous schoolgirl did make it onto air and the White Lotus cast member’s energy and commitment to the role made her a hit. Even Whitney Houston would agree to appear alongside this superstar.

What Up With That? (Kenan Thompson, Bryan Tucker, And Rob Klein)

According to Rolling Stone, Kenan Thompson — the longest-running SNL cast member — came up with an idea in 2009 for a talk show host who becomes obsessively unable to stop singing his own theme song. After bringing the idea to fellow writers Bryan Tucker and Rob Klein and teaming up with musical director Katrees Barnes for the song, the idea eventually made it onto the show as “What Up With That?” which became a recurring hit.

Target Lady (Kristen Wiig)

Academy Award-nominated SNL star Kristen Wiig could be the show’s greatest female cast member, judging purely on the amount of diverse characters she has brought to the table, such as “Target Lady.” She told James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio that the role — originally conceived for The Groundlings — was inspired by an actual Target cashier she met with an “eggy” voice.

Papyrus (Julio Torres)

Ryan Gosling gives one of his funniest performances ever in a pre-taped SNL bit as a man driven insane by the fact that the logo for one of the most popular movies of all time, Avatar, is just a modified version of the common font “Papyrus.” Julio Torres told EW that this was initially a joke he used in stand-up until the Oscar-nominated actor suggested turning it into the hilarious viral hit that even James Cameron responded to.

Super Bass-O-Matic ’76 (Dan Aykroyd)

A 12-year-old Dan Aykroyd once witnessed his aunt — a Canadian cooking show personality — dump a whole fish, bones and all, in a blender for a bouillabaisse. That story, which he revealed to The Food Channel, was his inspiration for one of his funniest faux infomercials, “Super Bass-O-Matic ’76.”

The Barry Gibb Talk Show (Jimmy Fallon, Steve Higgins, Ken Scarborough)

Out of Jimmy Fallon’s many great collaborations with Justin Timberlake, one of the funniest is “The Barry Gibb Talk Show.” While having the actual surviving Bee Gees as guests on Late Night, Fallon recalled how he and his future sidekick, Steve Higgins, actually crafted the sketch together with fellow writer Ken Scarborough, who went on to become the head writer of Sesame Street.

Foreign Man: Mighty Mouse (Andy Kaufman)

On the very first episode of SNL, Andy Kaufman appeared, nervously starring at the audience while playing the theme song to Mighty Mouse and only exhibiting a more confidant demeanor to lip-sync the lyric, “Here I come to save the day!” According to Fandom’s SNL wiki page, the very bizarre bit — something totally on brand for the legendary comedian — was a branch of his character known as “Foreign Man,” which was one of his earlier and most iconic acts.

If you have ever found yourself watching one of these classic SNL sketches and wondered who came up with these ideas and how, now you know.

Is it just me, or is the 2003, Mike Myers-starring The Cat in the Hat movie actually kind of good?  

Yes, I know, I know. It probably is just me, since the movie was lambasted to high heaven when it first came out, having a critical Rotten Tomatoes score of only 10%. It was also one of the more regrettable characters from the comedian for many, as he was nowhere near as unforgettable as other Mike Myers’ roles, such as Wayne Campbell, or Austin Powers. In fact, most people probably wish they could forget him as The Cat in the Hat. 

And yet, is it strange that I actually really like this movie? Probably not if you’ve read some of my recent articles, like where I defended the likes of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, and the craptacular superhero flick, Batman & Robin. But, unlike those two aforementioned movies, I genuinely think 2003’s The Cat in the Hat is pretty good (as opposed to just being so-bad-it's-good), and I have five reasons why.     

The Adult Jokes Are REALLY Adult 

Since I didn’t have children all the way back in 2003, I didn’t see The Cat in the Hat when it initially came out. Lord no. Back in 2003, I was probably too busy defending movies like Ang Lee’s Hulk (which is definitely one of my favorite Marvel movies not in the MCU) or Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines to even bother seeing this kid's movie.  

No, no. I actually saw The Cat in the Hat quite recently, as (How else?) it was on Netflix, and my kids clicked on it. But, this wasn’t like when they clicked on Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which I also kind of like. No, I had already seen that movie and was just reappraising it. Here, I was watching for the very first time WITH my kids. And, let me tell you, I couldn’t believe some of the stuff that I was seeing in this “kids’ movie.” 

For instance, the first time my kids were watching it, I was kind of paying attention, but also kind of on my phone. However, when I heard Myers say, “Dirty ho!”, I instantly looked up and exclaimed, “What’d he just say?” The visual didn’t help, either, as I found him in a cat suit petting a garden hoe and getting ready to lick it, all set to some seemingly bow-chicka-wow-wow music. When my kids asked, “What? Why’d you get all excited?” I of course shrugged it off and said, “Oh, nothing, nothing,” but I damn well made sure to pay closer attention to the rest of the movie after that.  

Or, what about the infomercial where Myers is playing two separate cat variations, and says that the other one is stupid and that his mom is ugly? In this scene, the cat threatens to kill the other, blond-haired version of himself, and says that he’ll make it look like an accident. 

The fact is, these aren’t the kinds of jokes that you’d typically find in movies like Shrek or Kung Fu Panda (though Lord Farquaad is pushing it). No, no. These are jokes that are skipping the kids altogether, and just going straight for the adults. As long as my kids don’t actually get them, I’m kind of okay with that.    

It Really Does Visually Look Like A Dr. Seuss Book 

My mother-in-law really loves Jim Carrey’s version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and we watch it almost every year. If I’m being completely honest, though, I find that movie to be torture! I don’t find Carrey’s mugging for the camera to be funny in the slightest (which I’ll get back to later), and I also just really don’t like the story in the first place, so I always balk whenever we have to watch it.   

That said, one nice thing that I can say about that film is that it does look like a Dr. Seuss book, what with all the strange hairstyles and whatnot. However, The Cat in the Hat takes it to a whole other level with the vibrant colors, the bizarre architecture, and just the overall look of everything. 

In fact, the movie might be going overboard a little bit. I have The Cat in the Hat book, and I’ve read it several times, both as a child and as an adult, and in no way, shape, or form is it as explosively colorful as this movie. In fact, I have a hard time thinking of any movie that pushes it to 11 in the visual department like this one. Sure, Myers looks pretty ridiculous in that costume (and nowhere near as good as Carrey in his make-up), but everything around him looks amazing. No lie.  

I Never Get Tired Of Mike Myers' Manic Energy In This Movie 

I really like Mike Myers. Always have, always will. His manic energy has always been contagious, and I think Austin Powers was probably the best point in his career, as I never get tired of the “Yeah, babies” or the way he pronounces words like, “Lay-zer.” Honestly, there will be nothing better than that character for me, so I’m not putting The Cat in the Hat anywhere near that pedestal.

That said, I still think Myers does a really great job as the Cat. I mean it’s nothing, and I mean nothing, like any other version of the character, as he’s genuinely just going nuts in the role. I seriously can’t get enough of his high octane performance, however, as he really does carry the entire movie for the better portion of this movie’s extremely short 82-minute runtime.

I Don't Find It Annoying Like I Do The Jim Carrey Grinch Movie 

Can I just circle back to The Grinch movie for a second? One reason I really don’t like that film is that I find it extremely annoying. When I ranked the live-action Batman movies, I put Batman Forever pretty low on the list, and one of the main reasons is because I absolutely cannot stand Jim Carrey’s version of The Riddler. I know, I know. How could I hate it, right? That was when he was in his prime, just flying high off of the success from movies like The Mask and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.   

Whereas I love those two aforementioned Carrey movies, though, I detest his role as The Riddler, and I think he sinks the whole movie. Well, while he isn’t the star attraction of Batman Forever, he is the main focus in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and that performance has always just rubbed me the wrong way. In fact, I think I like everything about that movie except for Carrey, and it might be because I feel he’s playing more a Jim Carrey-type rather than The Grinch himself. 

However, I don’t feel that way about Mike Myers in The Cat in the Hat, which is strange since he’s doing the exact same thing. Instead of playing The Cat, he’s pretty much just playing Austin Powers meets Shrek, and…well, I actually find it enjoyable. The Cat in the Hat is a pretty short book as it is, and I find it impressive that Mike Myers is able to keep my attention for the entire time that he’s in it, which is more than I can say for Carrey's Grinch.  

It's Actually Not A Terrible Companion Piece To The Book That It's Based Off Of 

Lastly, as far as adaptations go, The Cat in the Hat isn’t terrible. I mean, there really isn’t much to the story as it is: two kids are bored, a cat comes around and basically messes up their house, only to fix it back up again before their mother gets home. The movie is pretty much just that. 

Honestly, I don’t think many fans of the book would come away saying, well, that was nothing like the story I grew up with, because it is. It very much is. When it comes to the plot, that is. It’s all the other stuff, like Myers’ performance, that people often cite as the problem with this movie, but as I said earlier, that just adds to the fun for me. So yeah, I think the movie makes for a pretty good companion piece to the famous children’s book. Hoes and all.

What do you think? Are you as harsh on this movie as pretty much everybody else? For more news on all things Dr. Suess, make sure to swing by here often!  

In the 30 years since Wayne’s World 2 was released, bringing to life a slapdash music festival that foreshadowed doom-laden events such as Woodstock ‘99 and FyreFest, fans have been eager to see Mike Myers and Dana Carvey returning to the big screen in tandem for a third film from the SNL-originated BFFs Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar. (Some more actively than others.) Despite a handful of schwing-a-licious and small-scale TV reunions coming together, nothing by way of a new movie has been announced. But Carvey lit a new fire beneath the fandom that may or may not be an artful way of hinting at Wayne's World 3.

No doubt knowing exactly the kinds of agog reactions the post would inspire, Dana Carvey shared the pic below, featuring former co-star Mike Myers in what would appear to be the set for Wayne’s basement, where their public access show is filmed. While staring at a grain of salt through rose-colored glasses, check out the comedian’s Instagram post and fail in your attempts not to spew chunks of pure bliss.  

Ex-squeeze me? A baking powder? Do you have any Grey Poupon? (Okay that third one doesn't cut the mustard, shyeah.) It's obviously difficult not to automatically jump on the hope that Carvey's post has everything to do with Wayne's World 3, and isn't just another ad campaign for UberPaints or something. The duo paired up for a fun Super Bowl commercial for UberEats in 2021, with Doja Cat appearing as well, so the ad route probably makes more logical sense in 2023 than a third movie, but since when have Wayne and Garth relied on logic to succeed? The first film's $121 million box office earnings, which made it one of the '90s biggest surprise hits, certainly didn't seem to mesh with rational thought at the time.

Not that another movie needs to exist purely for financial reasons, even though that’s par for the course. Dana Carvey’s post drew a lot of responses from fans who would go apeshit to see him and Mike Myers back as their eternally youthful rock-loving derps. Such as Josh Gad, who certainly wasn’t clamoring for “another short sketch and that’s it!” Rather, he commented with:

Not that I or anyone else would scoff disdainfully at the idea of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey rocking their signature Wayne and Garth looks for another Saturday Night Live special, as they did for the 40th anniversary. Hell, even if they got together for a karaoke version of “Bohemian Rhapsody” on The Voice, fans would jump at the chance to watch. But again, Wayne’s World 3’s existence would clearly be the ideal source of inspiration for this post.

Check out more comments from fans below, starting with actor Skyler Stone:

• Wait. What. What is this. You know I started a Facebook page a while ago for people that wanted Wayne’s World 3 to become a real thing. Am I to understand that… it is?!?! - @theskylerstone
• Wayne’s World 3 but it’s them streaming - @yowhatsupitsrob
• A trilogy?!?! Yes please!! - @clintcart
• DON’T PLAY WITH ME LIKE THIS - @shelbyjaems
• Whaaaaat. What is this. Is this another film? Be still my beating heart!! - @christinaschaarphotography
• Lookin for that Sports Illustrated football phone!😎 🏈 📞 - @jackclendenen

Many more fans commented on the post than those above, to be sure, but a lot of the comments were of the same shocked "is it really happening?" variety, while others understandably filled the space with quotes from the first two films. Not to mention multiple references to the famed painting scene in James Cameron's Titanic. 

To note, Dana Carvey did comment on his own post later, but only with a paint palette emoji. Which kinda strengthens its cryptic nature while also making it seem very much like this really is about paint or art, and not so much about a film sequel. But like my friend Jim Morrison was just telling me in a dream, "Love me two times." Which may not be relevant here, but it feels right. 

Also worth noting is Carvey's Fly on the Wall podcast co-host David Spade liked the post, so if anyone wants to crank out some Wayne's World and Joe Dirt crossover fan art, I am all eyeballs for it. In the meantime, I now feel obligated to rewatch both movies, which are available to stream for anyone with an HBO Max subscription.

Let's end with the all-too-true comment from MadTV vet and Dudesy podcast co-host Will Sasso:

Because no matter what Dana Carvey is referring to, we're still not worthy of it. But that hasn't stopped us from enjoying everything else in life, so bring on Wayne's World 3! 

Saturday Night Live's current season is going to look a little different when it returns in the new year, as longtime cast member Cecily Strong announced her final show during the sketch comedy's close-out episode for 2022. She’s opened up previously about her favorite SNL moments of her own, and she has also revealed the classic '90s sketch that was a go-to for her talent show performances as a kid.

Cecily Strong was a huge presence on SNL for 10 years, but her love for the long-running variety series started up at a very early age. As revealed to THR, which spoke to several of the show's Season 48 cast members about their favorite classic sketches, Strong admitted she knew as a very young girl that she wanted to be on SNL, and so her absolute favorites are too numerous to consider. However, she did share that she would recreate “Bill Swerski’s Superfans” sketches for talent shows, while also sharing her particular love for a fan-favorite cast member. In her words:

SNL having such a heavy impact on Cecily Strong in her youth is likely indicative that the series will always hold a special place in her heart for all the years after her surprising exit. But the real question now is whether there are any compilation videos from those talent shows showing her taking on the '90s sketch made famous by stars Joe Mantegna (as Bill Swerski himself), Chris Farley (as Todd O'Connor), Robert Smigel as Carl Wollarski, and Mike Myers as Pat Arnold. 

Though Strong didn't mention which of the characters she portrayed during those talent show years, she did also speak to her penchant for impersonating fellow vet Mike Myers, so it's likely safe to assume she wasn't a stranger to playing Pat. Check out one of the most famous Superfans sketches, with Cheers legend George Wendt swapping in for Joe Mantegna.

At more than 30 years old, that sketch is a reminder of days past both for the show and for pop culture as a whole. One can only imagine which sketches from the current era would be performed in elementary school talent shows these days. 

Cecily Strong is but the latest exit on SNL, following several departures earlier in the season. Even though the series has always featured a rotating cast whose stars tend to cut ties after reaching certain levels of fame, it's always hard not to miss the ones who leave. It's unlikely Strong will be replaced outright in the midst of Season 48, but we can probably expect some new blood for Season 49. 

Meanwhile, with her play and being part of the Schmigadoon! cast on Apple TV+, Cecily Strong is keeping plenty busy post-SNL. It’s unknown what other projects she’ll take down the line, but it wouldn’t be surprising if she nabs the role in another series or movie soon. Since she was absent from a few episodes of Season 48 already due to her stage work, fans were able to somewhat get used to episodes without her. Luckily fans are able to rewatch her episodes of SNL on Peacock with a subscription to relive her best characters. 

SNL is currently on hiatus for the holidays, but it will return to NBC on Saturday, January 21, for the first show of 2023, and the first episode without Cecily Strong. 

While the last Austin Powers film dropped 20 years ago, the franchise’s legacy has endured through multiple generations. Mike Myers and co. reprising their roles in a Super Bowl commercial made that abundantly clear. Despite no sign of Austin Powers in years, Myers found some unexpected fans – the British monarch. During a visit to Buckingham Palace in London, the Saturday Night Live alum recalled the cool Austin Powers tribute.

Myers brought up the unexpected event during his interview on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. The Canadian native mentioned he was a huge fan of the late Queen Elizabeth II. As his parents were English, the Austin Powers star got the chance of a lifetime to visit the late British monarch’s primary residence a few years ago. During his visit, he and Tonight Show announcer Steve Higgins got the chance to watch the changing of the guard. Everything followed protocol until the guards decided to show some appreciation to him and the spy parody franchise. In his words, Myers said:

What a cool homage to Myers and Austin Powers. Given his English roots, it was nice of the guards to acknowledge the film series’ influence. It makes sense, the comedic actor was thrown off by the surprise tribute. As he enjoyed it, the Wayne’s World actor experienced another unexpected occurrence.

Myers was aware enough to know the guard was breaking royal protocol. He didn’t want him or the guardsman to get in trouble for talking. The Shrek star didn’t want his moment to be taken away. But, at least, he got confirmation even royals are watching his work.

Fallon couldn’t let the opportunity pass Myers by to ask about Austin Powers 4. The actor was coy with his answer by hinting he couldn’t confirm nor deny the third sequel. He was even open to a Dr. Evil spinoff. After explaining his time was consumed with raising his children, he reassured his fellow SNL alum, saying he’ll see what he can do. His response was nothing new about the “will-he-or-won’t-he” status of the next Austin Powers sequel.

The Austin Powers franchise was a huge part of pop culture in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery became a pop culture sensation, spawning parodies and imitations on television and film. Not only did the 1997 spy farce take over the culture, it was also a critical and commercial success, raking in $67.7 million worldwide. Its follow-ups, The Spy Who Shagged Me and Austin Powers in Goldmember, kept the momentum, grossing $312 million and $296.7 million, respectively, at the box office.

While fans wait for confirmation of a fourth film, go stream the Austin Powers film series through platforms like Netflix and HBO Max.

I have heard some say that the age of the movie star is dead and that audiences no longer go to the cinema just to see their favorite actor’s latest release. However, I think that the large ensemble of stunningly talented A-listers from Amsterdam — in which three friends uncover a political conspiracy while investigating a murder in 1933 — might be the perfect way to challenge that theory. 

If you were not interested in seeing writer and director David O. Russell’s latest release — a captivatingly mysterious period piece — before, just learning who is in the Amsterdam cast might be enough to change your mind. See for yourself by reading on to see who is playing who and where you might know them from.

Christian Bale (Dr. Burt Berendsen)

Following his Oscar win for 2010’s The Fighter and nomination for 2013’s American Hustle, Christian Bale re-teams with David O. Russell to play kindhearted, one-eyed war veteran-turned-surgeon Dr. Burt Berendsen in Amsterdam — his latest of many period dramas, including Empire of the Sun, Newsies, The Prestige, and Rescue Dawn, to name a few. 

The Welsh actor is better known for darker roles, such as modern horror villain Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, Trevor Reznik in The Machinist, John Connor in Terminator Salvation, or Dick Cheney in Vice. Also in 2022, the Dark Knight Trilogy’s Batman actor returned to the comic book genre to play Gorr in Thor: Love and Thunder, which his Ford v. Ferrari co-star, Matt Damon, also cameoed in.

John David Washington (Harold Woodman)

In his first collaboration with David O. Russell as lawyer and Burt’s Army buddy, Harold Woodman, we have John David Washington — who, like Bale, has also starred in a few period pieces (his film debut, Malcolm X, in 1992, and BlackKklansman and The Old Man and the Gun in 2018) and worked with Christopher Nolan (2020’s Tenet).

Denzel Washington's son really launched his acting career with the HBO series, Ballers, leading to roles in movies like the thought-provoking crime drama, Monsters and Men. Washington has also starred in a few Netflix original movies, such as when he played the title role of Beckett cast as and one of the titular duo from Malcolm & Marie in 2021.

Margot Robbie (Valerie Voze)

Also working with David O. Russell for the first time as Valerie Voze — who met Burt and Harold during World War I — is Margot Robbie, who also has a few things in common with Bale, having been in multiple DC movies (starring as Harley Quinn), made a cameo as herself in The Big Short, and once parodied one of his movies in the 2016 short, Australian Psycho. 

The Australian actor is also known for many historical/fact-based dramas, such as her breakout role in The Wolf of Wall Street, her Oscar-nominated performances in I, Tonya and Bombshell, and when she played a fictionalized version of Sharon Tate in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Audiences may also recognize Robbie as Charlotte in 2013’s About Time, as Jane in The Legend of Tarzan, or from the Australian soap opera that jump-started her career, Neighbours, which she recently appeared on again 2022. 

Rami Malek (Tom Voze)

As Valerie’s brother, Tom, we have Rami Malek, who has won an Oscar for a biographical drama (as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody) and worked with John David Washington’s father in the 2021 detective thriller, The Little Things. 

After debuting with a small role on Gilmore Girls, he made his feature film debut as Ahkmenrah from the Night at the Museum movies and went on to star in acclaimed dramas like The Master and Short Term 12, and blockbusters like The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2 before achieving Emmy-winning success with USA series, Mr. Robot. Malek furthermore played a Bond villain in No Time to Die, and joined the cast of Christopher Nolan's upcoming Oppenheimer.

Anya Taylor-Joy (Libby Voze)

With her role as Tom’s wife, Libby, Amsterdam marks Anya Taylor-Joy’s latest effort to diversify her career outside of her enduring Scream Queen status, which she established with her (credited) feature film debut in 2016’s The Witch (her first collaboration with The Northman director Robert Eggers) and maintained with starring roles in Split, Thoroughbreds, Last Night in Soho, and The Menu, most recently. Her other, less scary period pieces include her stunning lead performance in Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit cast, recurring role on the platform’s Peaky Blinders, and title role in the Jane Austen adaptation, Emma. 

Andrea Riseborough (Beatrice)

As Burt’s estranged wife, Beatrice, we have Andrea Riseborough, who has also acquired Scream Queen status in recent years from her chilling performance in one of the best Black Mirror episodes (“Crocodile”), devastating turn in the title role of 2018’s psychedelic revenge flick, Mandy, and arguably more devastating turn in Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor in 2020. 

Amsterdam is certainly one of the British actor’s more lighthearted credits, which also include 2008’s Happy-Go-Lucky, 2014’s Best Picture Oscar winner, Birdman, 2017’s Battle of the Sexes, and Amazon’s The Electric Life of Louis Wain, but does not include the otherwise notable Oblivion from 2013, 2016’s Nocturnal Animals, or the 2018 true crime miniseries, Waco.

Chris Rock (Milton King)

Milton King — Burt and Harold’s Army buddy — seems like a major departure for comedian and former SNL star Chris Rock, until you realize he effectively steals the show in Amsterdam with his humorous social commentary. Not to mention, the actor best known for comedies on both the small screen (he created and narrated Everybody Hates Chris, for instance) and the big screen (such as Head of State, the Madagascar movies, and several collaborations with his buddy, Adam Sandler) has explored various of genres. He has done crime thrillers (New Jack City and Fargo Season 4), action (Lethal Weapon 4 and Bad Company), and even horror (Spiral: From the Book of Saw, which he also wrote the story for).

Alessandro Nivola (Detective Hiltz)

Playing the overly suspicious gumshoe, Detective Hiltz, is Alessandro Nivola, who last worked with David O. Russell in American Hustle, but broke out in 1997 as Nicolas Cage’s on-screen brother in Face/Off. This led to roles in other major releases like the third of the Jurassic Park movies in 2001 and Oscar darlings like A Most Violent Year and Selma from 2014. In more recent years, he reunited with his Inventing the Applewhites co-star, Joaquin Phoenix, for the Amazon original thriller, You Were Never Really Here in 2017, appeared in Disobedience the same year, and starred in The Sopranos prequel movie, The Many Saints of Newark, as Dickie Moltisanti.

Matthias Schoenaerts (Detective Lem Gitwiller)

As Hiltz’s partner and WWI veteran, Lem, we have Matthias Schoenaerts, who made his acting debut at 13 in the Oscar-nominated Belgian drama, Daens, years before working with director Paul Verhoeven on 2006’s Black Book, sharing the screen with Marion Cotillard in 2012’s Rust and Bone, and making his English-language debut the next year with the crime thriller Blood Ties. Also in 2014, Schoenaerts appeared in the American remake of his 2008 thriller, Loft, starred in a pair of acclaimed period dramas in 2015 (Far from the Madding Crowd and The Danish Girl), and starred in Netflix's The Old Guard cast as a badass immortal.

Michael Shannon (Henry Norcross)

As an American who comes to the main trio’s aid named Henry, we have Andrea Riseborough’s Waco and Nocturnal Animals co-star, Michael Shannon, who actually received an Oscar nomination for that 2016 film — his second after his supporting role in 2008’s Revolutionary Road. He should have received a nod, as far as I am concerned, for his performances in Take Shelter and probably every other movie he has done with director Jeff Nichols. Man of Steel's General Zod is also known for other acclaimed films like Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water, Rian Johnson’s Knives Out cast in 2019, and (also in 2022) the Bullet Train cast. 

Mike Myers (Paul Canterbury)

As Paul (a character who slightly resembles his Inglourious Basterds role), we have Rami Malek’s Bohemian Rhapsody co-star and Margot Robbie’s Terminal co-star, Mike Myers — yet another SNL vet who is known for creating and portraying irreverent characters like the title role of the Wayne’s World movies, the title role of the Austin Powers movies, and most of the characters from Netflix’s The Pentaverate. His other notable credits include 1993’s So I Married an Axe Murderer, 1998’s 54, and, arguably, his definitive role as the titular ogre from the Shrek movies.

Timothy Olyphant (Milfax)

While he has played villains before (i.e. Scream 2 and Live Free or Die Hard), Chris Rock’s Fargo Season 4 co-star, Timothy Olyphant, has never played a character so menacing and physically transformative as Milfax in Amsterdam. The actor also previously starred alongside Margot Robbie in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in a role that reflected his penchant for starring in Westerns and, often, to Emmy-nominated acclaim — such as when he led both the Deadwood cast on HBO and the Justified cast on FX, and guest-starred on the Season  2 premiere of The Mandalorian. 

Zoe Saldaña (Irma St. Clair)

I cannot say I have seen Chris Rock’s Death at a Funeral co-star and Christian Bale’s Out of the Furnace co-star, Zoe Saldaña, play a role quite the like the reserved yet radiant morgue nurse Irma St. Clair — save, perhaps, her characters from Drumline, The Terminal, and Guess Who, for instance. I am more used to picturing her as a fierce, ass-kicking action hero from such films as the more recent Star Trek movies as Uhura, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies as Gamora, and the Avatar movies as Neytiri, just to name a few.

Taylor Swift (Liz Meekins)

I also cannot say I have seen Taylor Swift — who has been acting since her first appearance on SNL, before nailing her sole hosting gig, more than a decade ago — give a performance quite as strong and convincing as when she played Liz Meekins in Amsterdam. The Grammy-winning musician’s other acting credits include a 2009 episode of CSI, 2010’s romantic ensemble comedy, Valentine’s Day, the animated Dr. Seuss adaptation The Lorax, the 2014 Lois Lowry adaptation, The Giver, and Tom Hooper’s 2019 adaptation of Broadway’s Cats.

Robert De Niro (General Gil Dillenbeck)

Last, but certainly not least, as respected military general Gil Dillenbeck, we have frequent David O. Russell collaborator Robert De Niro, who is also known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese — such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull (which earned him his second Oscar) and Goodfellas — and plenty of other gangster movies, like The Godfather Part II (which earned him his second Oscar). The living legend is certainly not one to shy away from all kinds of genres, having done horror with Angel Heart, various comedies (one of the best being Meet the Parents), heist thrillers like Heat, and a comic book flick (2019’s Joker).

It is always a pleasure to see an ensemble as stacked and as stellar as the Amsterdam cast and, luckily, the film — now in theaters — is also worthy of their talent.

Wayne’s World is a rewatchable comedy classic across multiple generations. Of course, much of that rewatch value is owed to the chemistry of Saturday Night Live cohorts Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar. The film is still relevant enough for the onscreen duo to reunite for a Super Bowl commercial. But working with Carvey was more than just turning a popular sketch into a comedy classic. Myers opened up about how working on the cult classic with his fellow SNL alum indirectly affected Austin Powers.

Much like Wayne’s World, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is regarded as a classic on Myers’ lengthy acting resume. The SNL alum mentioned Carvey’s influence while being interviewed by GQ. He revealed Wayne was just in his “trunk of characters” after previously debuting the character on Canadian television. After making a splash on the late-night sketch show, producer Lorne Michaels pitched Myers one movie idea. But the actor resisted and pushed for a film focused on the cable-access rock enthusiasts. Of course, the gamble paid off as the comedy became the series’ first box office success. After more than three decades, the Austin Powers actor spilled what it was like co-starring with Carvey.

Knowing how the comedian’s performance influenced the spy comedy proved how great he is. That’s why he’s regarded as one of SNL’s greatest cast members. Of course, Myers is no slouch either. Looking back now you can see a few of Carvey’s mannerisms and physicality in the movie. Myers’ writing had traces of his Wayne’s World 2 co-star as well. The Shrek actor revealed how his co-star’s comedic energy and timing influenced his movie performances.

The madcap behavior of Austin Powers is finally explained. The Love Guru actor understood writing or reading the script is completely different from performing it. Admitting his co-star’s contribution to the successful spy satire was a nice gesture after burying the hatchet years ago. Of course, this was nice to learn considering Carvey almost quit the film over his contributions being cut from the original script.

Of course, since his success in comedy movies, Myers has shifted to streaming with his Netflix series The Pentaverate. You can catch it along with some of Netflix’s best TV shows by getting a Netflix subscription. If you want to relive every outlandish Wayne and Garth moment, you can watch Wayne’s World by getting an Apple TV+ subscription.

Netflix is one of the behemoths of streaming after becoming one of the first companies to dive in deep, and it has a wide selection of new release films as well as some great originally crafted programs. However, the thing I love most about the platform is that older, seemingly forgotten films can get a second wind when discovered again by subscribers. One particular Mike Myers flick that was universally hated by critics and received a devastating 9% on Rotten Tomatoes actually landed on Netflix’s Children and Family Top Ten List earlier this week, so apparently the audience was down for a rewatch with their kids.

While most Dr. Seuss film adaptations do pretty well and become beloved childhood memories, Mike Myers’ Cat in the Hat doesn’t fit that bill, well, at all. Despite having the Dr. Seuss legacy behind it and a cast full of recognizable stars like the unforgettable Mike Myers, Dakota Fanning, and Alec Baldwin, Cat in the Hat just didn’t do it for critics - although the audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes is a bit more forgiving at 55%.

As far as critic reviews go, they were pretty merciless. Martin Thomas laid into Cat in the Hat for over an hour for Double Toasted’s weekly movie roast segment, and apparently he could have kept on going if time allowed. After calling the Mike Myers film the precursor to Cats in terrifying cat-people films, here is what Thomas said near the end of his hour long, live review of Cat in the Hat:

Critics seem to overwhelmingly agree that Cat in the Hat is a great example of chaotic bad and takes a brief, beloved children’s book and stretches it into an unwelcome exaggeration. With over 150 critic reviews, the Mike Myers film, again, sits at just 9%. Typical viewers have a much more friendly opinion on the film, though its 55% compiled from over 250 reviews isn’t anything to celebrate either.

Even with the audience rating the film's just a touch above the middle ground, but they apparently liked it enough to want to revisit it with their children. The film came out almost 20 years ago, which is long enough for those former children watching the film upon its release to have little ones of their own. 

In the end, it looks like the nostalgia factor just may win out against the voice of critics. One of the best things about having kids is showing them all the stuff you saw at their age. Give those new kids a few years to grow up and Mike Myers’ Austin Powers films may be trending, although those certainly have a much better rating than the film we're writing about today.

Those with a Netflix subscription can indulge in that nostalgia of Cat in the Hat, but there is also a brand new Mike Myers project on the streaming platform. The Pentaverate sees Myers shift from comedy films to a binge-able series, and is a far cry from the character he played in Cat in the Hat.

You want to talk about one of the best character actors ever? To me and to many others, Mike Myers has always been among the first name that comes to mind. 

From his early days on Saturday Night Live to his movie personas that have taken on a life of their own, Mike Myers has created some of the funniest characters to grace television and the cinema in the modern era. To celebrate the Canadian star's impressive career, we've put together this feature reflecting on his most unforgettable characters – starting with one that I grew up on... 

Shrek (Shrek Series)

We can’t have a Mike Myers list without mentioning the green man himself, Shrek. 

For four movies in the Shrek series – and a possible fifth one – Mike Myers voices the titular green ogre: a mean creature with a hidden heart that is only revealed when he meets Princess Fiona and finds the true meaning of love. It's arguably the greatest success of the actor's career. 

Mike Myers’ incredible voice-acting skills take this character to a new level, and kids and adults alike find him loveable. He has continued to be a fan favorite for audiences everywhere – except for Mike Myers’ own children, but that's a small exception. 

Austin Powers (Austin Powers Series)

“Oh, behave.”

When a lot of movie fans think of Mike Myers, Austin Powers from the Austin Powers series is one of the first characters they ever think of. His disgusting teeth, eccentric personality and ridiculous spy films are hard to forget – primarily because he’s just so damn funny, and Myers rocks it in this role from start to finish. 

With a possible Austin Powers 4 in the works, it might not be that long before we get to see the titular character again, and his returned would be welcomed if the comedy standard can be continued. There are so many jokes from the Austin Powers franchise that have somehow stood the test of time, and I can’t wait to see how a new story may add to the legacy of the international man of mystery. 

Dr. Evil (Austin Powers Series)

I mean, obviously. 

From that hilarious egg-like head, to the way he positions his pinky finger when he says “one million dollars,” Dr. Evil is the perfect parody of a Bond villain in so many ways, and only Mike Myers in the Austin Powers franchise could portray him. Every moment is he is on screen is hysterical, and Myers adds a perfect flourish of sass. 

The character is so popular that fans have inspired the idea of a possible Dr. Evil solo movie – but since nothing like that has been confirmed, we’re just going to have to wait and see if that ever gets made. If it does, you can bet my butt will be in the theater to see it and ready to laugh.

Linda Richman (Saturday Night Live)

This is the first of many Saturday Night Live characters on this list. Mike Myers portrayed the iconic Linda Richman on the sketch show – a Barbara Streisand superfan that has plenty of brilliant moments in her special segment, “Coffee Talk.” There is nothing quite like seeing Richman speak to guests like Bill Murray, Madonna, and more with her big New York personality, Yiddish phrases and tendency to become emotionally overwhelmed (or as she puts it, "I'm a little verklempt.") 

With many appearances during Mike Myers’ run on Saturday Night Live, Linda Richman was a staple character for him – and a personal one as well, as he has said that Linda Richman was based on his former mother-in-law (according to People).

Pat Arnold (Saturday Night Live)

As a sports fan myself, I love Mike Myers as Pat Arnold on Saturday Night Live – a character that was part of a recurring sketch series called “Bill Swerski’s Superfans” parodying the sports culture of Chicago during the 80s and 90s and the fandom that surrounded it. 

Paired with Joe Mantegna, Chris Farley, and Robert Smigel, he brilliantly pulls off the midwestern accent and portrays a perfect caricature of a sports fan from the region at the time, letting you smell the beer and sweat as they root for "Da Bears."

Wayne Campbell (Wayne’s World)

Mike Myers’ Wayne Campbell first appeared on Saturday Night Live in the recurring sketch Wayne’s World, and his popularity only grew over the years, culminating not only with Wayne’s World movie, but also a sequel co-starring Dana Carvey as Garth Algar. And you really can’t get much better than Wayne Campbell. 

He’s a rock and roll lovin’, good-time character that you just can’t help but love, and Mike Myers performs the attitude to perfection. His chemistry with Dana Carvey in particular is a huge reason he inspires so much love. Wayne and Garth have a friendship like no other, and it was brilliant to seem them reunited years later to do a Super Bowl ad together – my childhood, fulfilled. 

Dieter (Saturday Night Live)

Dieter was one of those characters that confused me as a kid just because of the strange stuff he would say. But honestly, as I've gotten older, I wouldn’t want it any other way, as Mike Myers is terrific as this Saturday Night Live character.

Dieter, who was the host of a German variety show called Sprockets, is a great character that interviewed supposed art-world celebrities (played by other SNL cast members) to try and get their hot takes on the culture surrounding them, and it is hysterical. Watching his old sketches will make you as “happy as a little girl.”

Simon (Saturday Night Live)

Okay, look: Simon is a little creepy. I don’t think I need to see a grown man in a bathtub... but it’s works because it's Mike Myers. Simon, a boy who does “drawerings” and creates stories that feel a little too adult for him to fully get is a perpetually hilarious sketch, and often features other celebrities join in on his bath-time shenanigans (my personal favorite being Danny DeVito’s time in the tub). 

In my eyes, I look at Simon and almost think of him as a precursor to Austin Powers, because if Austin was a kid, him and Simon would get along very well. Their personality is so similar it’s astounding. Perhaps that's something that Austin Powers 4 can make canon somehow.

Stuart MacKenzie (So I Married An Axe Murderer)

Last but not least, we have to take a look at Stuart MacKenzie, from So I Married An Axe Murderer. Mike Myers also plays protagonist Charlie MacKenzie in the film, but there’s just something about Stewart, Charlie’s father, that I love even more. 

Stuart MacKenzie has an unyielding passion for his homeland of Scotland, evidenced by a literal wall of fame of famous Scottish figures in his home, and Mike Myers is laugh-out-loud funny flinging around ridiculous conspiracy theories. He's a character that you want to sit down with and have a drink – a nice scotch, naturally.

Mike Myers has some truly beloved characters, and these are just some of my favorites from his decade-long career. I’m sure that over time, we’ll only get to see more of his creations become famous. Now, if more news about Austin Powers 4 could come out, that would be great.

His most recent series, The Pentaverate, is now streaming on Netflix.

Some spoilers below for those who haven’t yet watched Netflix’s The Pentaverate, so be warned!

For the first time since 2008’s The Love Guru, former Saturday Night Live star Mike Myers is at the center of his own scripted universe for Netflix’s absurdly delightful (and similarly polarizing) comedy The Pentaverate. It was quite the shock when the six-episode series’ existence was first revealed back in 2019, not only for being a spinoff of the Myers-starring 1993 feature So I Married an Axe Murderer, but also for being the actor/writer/producer’s first full-on narrative project for the small screen. Not to mention The Pentaverate is his initial foray into streaming-only territories. And when speaking to CinemaBlend, Myers and series director Tim Kirkby made the experience sound positive enough that I wouldn’t be surprised if another TV project was already being cooked up.

The Pentaverate is a far-flinging tale of passionate local journalists, a secret cabal of geniuses, the power of conspiracy theories, and Maria Menounos. Its vast array of wild and wacky (and often perverse AF) sequences wouldn’t have all fit within the runtime of a traditional theatrical feature, and not all TV and streaming platforms would have allowed safe passage to everything Mike Myers and Tim Kirkby put into the ethers. As such, I asked Myers about working with Netflix on something with the longevity of a TV series, particularly a project featuring a scene that introduces a faux Netflix exec into the show itself during an uproariously over-the-top pool hall exchange in Episode 2. Here’s how Myers bemusedly began his response (as also seen in the video above):

While there have certainly been meta, wall-breaking moments in Netflix series before, it’s hard to think of a show that delivers them with the frequency and variation of The Pentaverate. From the hilariously broad Key & Peele nod in the premiere to Jeremy Irons’ narrator introducing Stranger Things to the marked difference between “fuzzy” Canadian TV and the crisp HD-ness of the U.S., the show pokes lots of post-modern fun while still upholding this universe’s baffling reality. Which should be impossible for anything that includes a character like Myers’ van-living Anthony Landsdowne, but here we are.

Speaking to those elements and more — maybe I’m talking about Anthony’s dolphin queef question, and maybe I’m not — Mike Myers championed Netflix for essentially granting him and The Pentaverate’s team a creative greenlight as soon as he laid out what he wanted to do. In his words:

Director Tim Kirkby, whose work on The Pentaverate is aces throughout, has helmed episodes of brilliant, bizarre, and envelope-pushing series such as Veep, Look Around You, Man Seeking Woman, Brockmire, and Fleabag. And he also praised Netflix and its execs for approaching the show with arms and minds wide open, saying:

To that end, Mike Myers followed up in kind, drawing attention to how important it is within the comedy world to allow jokes and moments to build and grow from early on, as opposed to stepping in immediately with the ever-loathed concept of “studio notes.” Can you imagine how quickly other studios would have squashed the idea of a scene in which one of Myers’ characters meets Shrek, as voiced by Myers himself? (With apologies to his Shrek-averting children.) He continued:

Gotta love an overly literal use of a James Bond villain’s name from the man who gave the world Austin Powers and Dr. Evil. And who reprised Dr. Evil earlier this year for a Super Bowl commercial that also featured The Pentaverate’s memory-hindered explainer-person Rob Lowe.

Could Mike Myers follow up on The Pentaverate with another Austin Powers spoof, potentially co-starring his super-fan Ken Jeong, or perhaps a long-form return to Wayne’s World’s central duo? Only the Canadian treasure himself can answer that one, but those with Netflix subscriptions can spend the meantime streaming all six episodes of the twisting and turning series. 

For the first time since exiting Saturday Night Live in 1995, comedic actor Mike Myers is once again a TV star, so to speak, with the release of his new Netflix series The Pentaverate, a delightfully absurd story of local journalists, secret organizations and a growing trust in conspiracy theories. Myers portrays a variety of characters within the show’s universe, with a smattering of excellent co-stars filling out the roles that the Wayne’s World vet didn’t take on, including the always exuberant Ken Jeong. The Masked Singer host just so happens to be a superfan of Myers, and told CinemaBlend that being part of The Pentaverate amounted to one of the best experiences of his professional career. 

Without getting bogged down with spoilery details, suffice to say Ken Jeong plays a casino-owning mogul named Skip Cho, whose knowledge about chaos theory is almost as expansive as his adoration of powdered stimulants. The role allowed Jeong to share quite a few scenes with Mike Myers throughout the six-episode stretch — which is largely the case for everyone, considering how many characters Myers played — and when CinemaBlend spoke to Jeong and fellow co-star Debi Mazar ahead of The Pentaverate’s release, the Community vet was overflowing with praise and adoration for the comedy series’ creator. In his words: 

I love the idea of Ken Jeong chilling by himself in a movie theater, completely agog while watching the introduction of Myers' Fat Bastard. How many friends did Jeong tell to get in his bell-lay?

One of the spotlights of Netflix’s May releases, The Pentaverate seems like it’d be the ideal project for anyone like Jeong who’d want to get fully invested in watching Mike Myers in his element, since the beloved Canadian was the glue bringing the project together. Ken Jeong continued laying out the compliments, drawing attention to just how many different talents Myers showcased both on screen and behind the scenes. 

How many actors working today could be compared to the athletic trifecta of LeBron, MJ, and Durant? (Donald Glover, perhaps, although he also might be the one to make that comparison himself.) To Jeong’s point, it’s rather amazing that Mike Myers and his writing team crafted these six scripts knowing just how much work needed to happen to pull everything off, and was then able to pull off showrunner duties on top of having to sit in the makeup chair for hours and hours amidst filming for all of his various characters. It’s a wonder he didn’t make one of his roles someone who sleeps a lot, just to have a point in his day when he could lay back and relax a little. 

Ken Jeong also had praise specifically for how Mike Myers crafted the role of Skip Cho, and not only because it was geared for Jeong in the first place, but for how there was still a certain amount of narrative depth for a role that could have easily served solely for one-liner comedy. 

I think it’s safe to say that Ken Jeong appreciates Mike Myers quite a bit more than he does a certain former politician who was unmasked this season on The Masked Singer. And now let’s start the speculation train regarding Myers being one of the celebs in Season 8. Considering the past two years have seen him reprising Wayne Campbell and Dr. Evil for Super Bowl commercials, it would be awesome if the SNL vet performed as one of his many fictional characters, as opposed to himself, to really throw the judges for a loop. 

The Pentaverate is currently available to stream for anyone with a Netflix subscription, and it absolutely should be watched by anyone who has ever enjoyed anything from Myers’ career, since it synthesizes the comedian’s influences and sense of humor splendidly. 

Whether you’re a kid or a kid at heart, you know Mike Myers’ work in one form or another. Adults that grew up with Saturday Night Live and Wayne’s World are likely to have kids that may have watched Shrek at one point in their lives. For specific generations, the Dreamworks animated franchise with a prestigious cast is required and/or fondly remembered viewing. However, for Myers’ own children, they never really latched onto their father’s iconic role, all thanks to some deep seated skepticism. 

During his recent interview on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show, the legendary comedian revealed just how much of his past output his children have dug into. The good news is that not all of his past projects have slipped by the youngsters in the house. This lead to what some might call the bad news, as Mike Myers gave the following explanation as for why the green ogre just doesn’t cut it for his kids: 

Forgive my surprise at what we’ve just read, but I never thought I’d see the day where children would prefer the infamous Cat in the Hat live-action adaptation over any of the Shrek movies. Yes, the Dr. Seuss adaptation considered so reviled and nightmarish by some that it inspired an IT style trailer parody over a decade later is somehow preferred in the household of Mike Myers. Maybe a swamp based ogre’s world view really is incompatible with the more cynical, city based youth of today.

This would perhaps explain why a Shrek reboot has been in the works, as the most recent update on the saga that supposedly ended with Shrek Ever After is still on the books over at Dreamworks/Universal. Oddly enough, producer Chris Meledandri is keen on keeping the voice cast from the original films, opting to reboot the story only. As such, the writers should probably keep the following notes from Mike Myers’ children in mind: 

If there’s a bright side to this story, it’s the fact that the first Austin Powers movie seems to hold up with younger children. While this is a claim being based on a very small sampling of people, perhaps this is enough motivation for Mike Myers to also push ahead with Austin Powers 4, which also has a potential revival in the works.

Again, I’m still having a problem guessing how younger children would latch onto that Myers project over something that’s build for kids. However, so long as future generations aren’t reviving the likes of The Love Guru, the world will continue to be in good, if not confusing, hands.

Mike Myers fans young and old can rejoice, as his latest project has just debuted. You can catch Myers in The Pentaverate, an offbeat comedy series that’s among the new series Netflix has to offer in May 2022. How that project will go over with audiences of all ages is yet to be seen, so you may want to test the waters with a showing of So I Married An Axe Murderer before you move forward.

Moving back to the world of current events, the schedule of 2022 movie releases will be able to keep you informed as to what current films will be available in the weeks and months to come.

During the Super Bowl this year, comedian Mike Myers revived one of his all-time classic on-screen characters: Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers film franchise. It reminded us how Myers, in his prime, had a unique gift to create original personalities out of whole cloth, and shape them into unforgettable members of pop culture history. One of those characters, the perpetually optimistic headbanger Wayne, is seeing his feature-length movie Wayne’s World celebrating its 30 year anniversary (don’t hurl!), and director Penelope Spheeris is using the occasion to clear up some long-standing rumors. 

Back in 1992, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey carried their popular Saturday Night Live characters of Wayne and Garth (whom they recently reprised) from the sketch comedy show to the big screen. As was the case in those days, SNL characters frequently got standalone movies, but few of them worked as well as Wayne’s World. The singalong to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody remains one of the most memorable scenes in this, or any other, comedy, and Wayne’s World director Penelope Spheeris clears up a major misconception about its use to Variety, saying:

There’s no question that "Bohemian Rhapsody" was the perfect choice for that scene. The peculiar nature of the Queen hit meshed beautifully with the quirky humor Mike Myers was weaving into Wayne’s World. And so much about his character was an appreciation for classic rock icons such as Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin, so I’m not certain a Guns n’ Roses song would have worked in that format. Here, revisit the scene, in case it has been a while since you last watched it.

As it turns out, Mike Myers has a long history both with the song, and with the band. He tells an emotional story about how he and his brothers loved the song Bohemian Rhapsody as teenagers, and when it came time to write Wayne’s World, he included that tune. He does tell Stephen Colbert that the studio DID want Guns n’ Roses, but Myers pushed back because he didn’t grow up with that band. With the help of Lorne Michaels, Mike Myers got his way, and the rest was history. 

Celebrate the anniversary of Mike Myers’ Wayne’s World in your own unique way. Maybe by watching the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, where the comedian cameos as the EMI agent who tells the band Queen that they can’t have the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” on their album. Talk about going full circle.

Traditionally, the Super Bowl is an event that appeals to more than just football fans. The halftime show is always a topic of conversation. (Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” from 10 years ago even has a Hulu documentary special.) But of course, the event's timeslot also features some creative and funny commercials, and it looks like Super Bowl LVI is throwing it back to pretty much the best James Bond parody in history. This year, you'll see Mike Myers, Rob Lowe, and Mindy Sterling reprise their Austin Powers roles in GM’s 2022 ad. And luckily, there are sneak peeks ahead of the big game!

It seems that during this year's game, GM will continue to promote its EV (electric vehicles) plan, which would see the company go completely electric by 2035. The American car company has now dropped three new sneak peek videos to their YouTube channel, each clip showing a snippet of their upcoming Super Bowl commercial, featuring a different villainous character from the Austin Powers franchise. 

One of the most recognizable of these characters is, of course, Dr. Evil. Mike Myers plays the bald, gray suit-clad mastermind (along with also playing the titular character in the franchise). The villain, of course, has some of the most memorable quotes from the show (“Throw me a frickin’ bone!”). That’s why fans are sure to be invested in this ad after seeing this newly released clip. You can check him and his “iron pinkie” out below:

The only bittersweet part of this is that we can't get a Mini-Me cameo, as actor Verne Troy sadly passed away back in 2018. While fans unfortunately won’t be able to see him take back up the role, they do get to see Rob Lowe and Mindy Sterling nail their reprisals in their respective clips.

Rob Lowe played a younger version of Doctor Evil’s number 2 in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. In the new commercial, he's seen in his maniacal glory, complete with his A+ laugh (second only to Doctor Evil, of course). Mindy Sterling, meanwhile, takes back up her role as the mean Frau, and she forcefully cracks her whip. It’s been a long time since we’ve been met with her crass scream, and I’m here for it.

GM uses the “EV” in “Evil” to play on their new energy endeavor, and the nostalgic throwback makes it work, even if the connection is ever so slight. Even though only a few seconds of each character have been dropped thus far, the promise of seeing them all back together again in an evil scheme, if only for a commercial’s length, makes me super pumped for the Super Bowl. It even softens the blow of my team (the Chicago Bears!) not making it to the championship game.

Super Bowl LVI airs live on NBC at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 13th. You can also watch the biggest football event of the year, right along with GM’s evil Austin Powers reunion and all the other top brands’ commercials, using a Peacock subscription. 

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I remember when Brad Pitt was easily the biggest name in the Inglourious Basterds cast (despite not actually being the main character) when it first came out in 2009. Arguably, he still is, but after Christoph Waltz earned his first Oscar, Diane Kruger became a household name, and Michael Fassbender and others started doing superhero movies, Quentin Tarantino’s World War II epic (very, very loosely inspired by the 1978 B-grade period piece The Inglorious Bastards) soon became a star-studded modern classic. Those stars have had a lot of notable movies, TV shows, and more on their plates since changing history with a loud bang, so, let’s see what they are up to these days, starting with our American hero.

Brad Pitt (Lt. Aldo “The Apache” Raine)

Technically, this superstar first collaborated with his Inglourious Basterds director for 1992’s Quentin Tarantino-penned, Tony Scott-directed True Romance before playing Lt. Aldo Raine (one of Brad Pitt’s most badass characters), and his Oscar-winning Once Upon a Time in Hollywood role as Cliff Booth.

He later starred in more grounded World War II-era dramas (2014’s Fury and Allied in 2016), sort of followed X-Men movies star Michael Fassbender’s footsteps by making one of the funniest superhero movie cameos as Vanisher, and even became The Jim Jefferies Show’s Weatherman on Comedy Central. Pitt is reuniting with Deadpool 2 director David Leitch for 2022’s Bullet Train (also starring his Lost City of D co-star Sandra Bullock), is teaming up with Damien Chazelle for the first time with Babylon, and has many upcoming producer credits, such as an adaptation of the horror graphic novel, Black Hole.

Mélanie Laurent (Shosanna Dreyfus)

I believe Inglourious Basterds’ true hero is Shosanna, played by Mélanie Laurent - who was previously known best for having Pierre Laurent, voice actor for the French-language version of The Simpsons, as a father. Playing the resilient Jewish refugee led to roles in more American films, such as the Academy Award-winning Beginners in 2010, the 2013 magic show/heist thriller combo Now You See Me, Denis Villeneuve’s Enemy the same year, a true Nazi-hunting story called Operation Finale, and two Netflix movies - including 6 Underground with Ryan Reynolds and Oxygen in 2021.

Laurent still stars in and even helms French-language films to this day, including The Mad Women’s Ball (premiering exclusively on Amazon Prime September 17, 2021), but also a new English-language directorial feature in the works, called The Nightingale, starring sisters Elle Fanning and Dakota Fanning.

Christoph Waltz (Col. Hans “The Jew Hunter” Landa)

Other than Hitler, of course, the biggest thorn in Aldo and Shosanna’s sides is Col. Hans Landa - played to Academy Award-winning perfection by Austrian-born Christoph Waltz, who also worked almost exclusively in Europe before Inglourious Basterds. Quentin Tarantino directed him in a second (and more heroic) Oscar-winning performance from 2012’s Django Unchained, before Waltz revisited his villainous talent in comedies like Horrible Bosses 2 or even series like Quibi’s Most Dangerous Game, to name a few, in addition to another kindly mentor role in Alita: Battle Angel from 2019.

Next, Waltz is starring in Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, reprising his Bond villain role in No Time to Die, playing Mikhail Gorbachev opposite Michael Douglas’ Ronald Regan in a miniseries about their 1986 meeting, and is voicing a fox for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, most notably.

Diane Kruger (Bridget Von Hammersmark)

Secretly working against Landa and the Third Reich is German actress Bridget von Hammersmark - played by German actress Diane Kruger, who actually broke into American cinema pretty early before landing starring roles in films like Troy (opposite Inglourious Basterds' Brad Pitt) and the National Treasure movies with Nicolas Cage. She would then go back and forth between playing more heroes (such as a Texas detective on FX’s The Bridge), more antagonists (like in the 2013 Stephenie Meyer movie The Host), and another World War II-inspired femme fatale in Robert Zemeckis’ Welcome to Marwen from 2018.

Netflix’s The 355 was originally set to be next of Kruger’s 2021 movies before it was postponed to the 2022 movies schedule and, unless Quibi’s serialized Swimming with Sharks remake does not find a new home soon, you will likely see her next in the romantic drama, First Love.

Eli Roth (Sgt. Donny “The Bear Jew” Donowitz)

While better known for directing and cameoing in horror movies, Eli Roth was appointed by friend and collaborator Quentin Tarantino (who helped produced the Hostel movies) to star in Inglourious Basterds as Sgt. Donny Donowitz and direct Nation’s Pride - the film-within-a-film where its premiere is the setting of the explosive third act. The director has since branched out slightly beyond his typical gore fests to dabble in the action genre (his 2018 Death Wish remake with Bruce Willis), and even family films (The House with a Clock in its Walls) and documentaries (Fin - his upcoming investigation of shark deaths). Speaking of, his AMC docuseries History of Horror has been renewed for a third season you can expect in 2021, and his adaptation of the popular video game Borderlands is expected to hit theaters the following year.

Michael Fassbender (Lt. Archie Hicox)

Appearing as British Army officer and Basterds ally Lt. Archie Hicox for less than 20 minutes in Inglourious Basterds was enough to pave the way for Michael Fassbender to become one of the most acclaimed and busiest actors of his time. Soon after, he would be cast in the Marvel movies (not the MCU, however) as Magneto, earn two Oscar nominations (for the Brad Pitt-produced 12 Years a Slave, and the Aaron Sorkin-penned Steve Jobs), tried his hand at video game movies with Assassin’s Creed, and joined the Alien movies franchise as two different android characters.

Fassbender will next star in Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins, appear in a feature-length sequel to the hit Kung Fury short, work with director David Fincher on The Killer, and rumors suggest Mel Gibson’s The Wild Bunch remake may be his latest western.

Daniel Brühl (Fredrick Zoller)

Playing Nazi turned film star Fredrick Zoller in Inglourious Basterds also proved to be a star-making turn for Daniel Brühl, whose biggest role in the American mainstream had been a small part in The Bourne Ultimatum in 2007. His next antagonistic role in a period piece was Formula One racer Niki Lauda (opposite Chris Hemsworth) in Rush before later playing a respectable 19th-Century psychiatrist on the TNT series The Alienist, for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination.

Brühl recently played Baron Zemo a second time in Disney+’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast, will star in a different sort of comic book flick with Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service prequel The King’s Man, and is re-enlisting into the German Army for the First World War with a new adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.

Til Schweiger (Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz)

While a fair share of American audiences might not have known Til Schweiger before Inglourious Basterds burned the name Hugo Stiglitz into their brains, he has been acting in English-language releases since the late 1990s, including 2003’s Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life opposite Angelina Jolie, and the raunchy Rob Schneider comedy Deuce Bigalow: European Gigalo in 2005.

Despite his subsequent fame from films like 2011’s The Three Musketeers or Muppets Most Wanted in 2014 (both also starring Christoph Waltz), the German actor and filmmaker’s most recent American film appearance was in Atomic Blonde from 2018. However, he is still working steadily in front of and behind the camera and will soon appear alongside the likes of Ben Foster and Michael Caine in Medieval - a retelling of Jan Ziska’s defeat of the Teutonic Order and the Holy Roman Empire in the 14th Century.

B.J. Novak (Smithson "The Little Man" Utivich)

Also known for his work in front of and behind the camera is B.J. Novak, who was best known as a writer, director, and star of The Office cast before playing the unfortunately nicknamed Smithson Utivich in Inglourious Basterds. He would later follow-up his tenure as Ryan Howard by trying his hand at comic book movies (The Amazing Spider-Man 2), biopics directed by John Lee Hancock (Disney’s Saving Mister Banks in 2013 and 2016’s The Founder), and other TV shows like HBO’s The Newsroom or The Mindy Project, which his friend Mindy Kaling created and starred on.

Novak created an anthology series called The Premise (formerly known as Platform) that is premiering to FX in September 2021 and is working on his feature-length debut as a writer and director with the horror film Vengeance, which is currently set for a 2021 release as well.

Mike Myers (Gen. Ed Fenech)

Another Inglourious Basterds star who broke out on a popular comedy series is Saturday Night Live cast veteran Mike Myers, who became one of the most famous comedians in the world thanks to characters like Wayne from Wayne’s World as well as lending his voice to the Shrek movies as the titular Ogre. Thus, it was quite surprising for the almost completely unrecognizable Canadian to make a cameo in a Quentin Tarantino movie until going undercover become more of his thing, such when he hosted the Gong Show reboot as Tommy Maitland or appeared in Bohemian Rhapsody as a fictional record producer. Myers is currently working on Oscar-nominated Silver Linings Playbook director David O. Russell’s next film and developing a Netflix original comedy series reportedly called The Pentaverate, but whether or not we should expect Austin Powers 4 remains to be determined.

Few filmmakers know how to put a movie cast together as well as Quentin Tarantino. In terms of using each actor appropriately and to the best of their talents, and propelling a few members into extremely successful careers, the Inglourious Basterds cast just may be his masterpiece.

The big game is almost upon us, football fans. And, with Super Bowl LV coming down the pike so quickly, you can bet that we're already starting to get to see some of the commercials which will (hopefully) help to brighten our lives in the coming days. One such spot which has been revealed reunites the Wayne's World duo of Dana Carvey and Mike Myers, and while they both seem to have stepped back into their iconic roles easily, Carvey, somehow, looks exactly the same.

Super Bowl commercials are very well known and loved for bringing in celebrities to either do things we've never seen then do before, or to have them revisit some of their most famous roles in (sometimes) very odd situations. I'm sure this year will be no different, and former Saturday Night Live mainstays and Wayne's World stars Mike Myers and Dana Carvey have now brought Wayne and Garth back to help remind all Super Bowl viewers about Uber Eats. But, one of them appears to have found a way to make time stand still. Take a look at the ad, which was posted to the brand's YouTube page, below!

Wow. Alright, first off, it's not as though Mike Myers doesn't look good back in his shoddy black wig, black tee and Wayne's World cap, and he's certainly slipped reliably into Wayne's speech pattern and movements. But, Dana Carvey as Garth is just so shockingly the same after all of these decades, that's it's hard not to notice.

Seeing as how this spot is only a teensy bit over half a minute long, and Wayne and Garth talk about how they'll see us for the game "which for legal reasons cannot be named," I'm guessing that we'll get to see an even longer spot come Super Bowl evening. And, should that happen, that will give us more time to marvel over this reappearance of the classic characters.

Wayne and Garth made their debut on SNL in early 1989, and quickly became popular characters which Mike Myers and Dana Carvey would reprise many times on the show, mostly through the end of 1992. Obviously, the sketch about two young metalheads who co-host a public access TV show from the basement of Wayne's parent's house took off to the point where the sketch was turned into only the second movie based on an SNL sketch (with 1980s The Blues Brothers having paved the way).

Lorne Michaels clearly made the right choice there, because Wayne's World went on to become the tenth highest grossing film of 1992, and spawned a sequel which came out the following year.

It's always nice when Dana Carvey and Mike Myers take the time to pay tribute to something they'll always be known and loved for and decide to revisit Wayne and Garth. Who knows? Maybe the realization that they'll likely be asked to step back into character until their dying day has convinced Carvey, especially, to stay in peak Garth form as long as possible.

While we wait to hear if this Super Bowl ad leads to any updates on a potential Wayne's World 3, you can revisit the original sketches via Peacock, and the two movies on a variety of services. For more to watch right now, check out our guide to winter / spring 2021 TV. Party on!

Can you believe it's almost been 20 years since Shrek came out? Because I can't. DreamWorks Animation's 2001 CG-animated comedy made a huge, sloppy splash upon release, and we're still feeling its reverberating waves throughout pop culture today. Would we have Despicable Me without Shrek, for instance? The satirical take on the familiar fairytale tropes provided hearty laughs for audiences of all ages, while its winning romanticism and heartfelt message provided an emotional sincerity that allowed the movie to become the animated hit we know it as today. 

While it spawned a few sequels that didn't capture the same critical appeal, the Shrek franchise was a very lucrative property, complete with a spin-off, several specials, and a potential fifth film looming forward. Though the movie features many famous voices, the main cast all saw their profiles rise thanks to this Oscar-winning hit. Here's what Shrek's voice cast is doing now.

Mike Myers (Shrek)

As the titular ogre, Mike Myers brought Shrek to life and helped the character become an unlikely household name. Once set to star Chris Farley before the actor's tragic and untimely death, Myers became more-than-a-suitable replacement, bringing heart, humor, warmth, and passion to the role of this eventually smitten social outcast with a great deal of irreverence for fairytale lore. As an actor, the Saturday Night Live veteran was previously best known for his work in Wayne's World and the Austin Powers trilogy, both of which he helped write. Following his portrayal of the green character, in addition to the sequels that followed, Myers starred in The Cat in the Hat, Inglorious Basterds, and The Love Guru, the latter of which he also wrote and produced. Additionally, he recently starred in Bohemian Rhapsody and Terminal in minor roles, the former as a tribute to Wayne's World.

Recently, Mike Myers played Tommy Maitland, a gregarious English emcee, in ABC's short-lived two-season revival of The Gong Show. It was played as a secret in the first season, though the promotions were open about it before the second. Additionally, Myers served as a producer, though he was credited as his character. Outside of his acting work, Myers directed the 2013 documentary Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon, and in 2016, he published his first book, Canada. 

Next, Myers has signed on to star and executive produce a currently untitled comedy series for Netflix, which will last six episodes and feature Myers playing a variety of characters. Details are slim otherwise, and it's unknown if the show is still in development and when we can expect it to premiere. There's also the lingering promise of Austin Powers 4, though the tragic death of Verne Troyer puts those possibilities in doubt.

Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona)

As Princess Fiona, the young woman locked away in a castle who finds an unlikely suitor in Shrek, Cameron Diaz played the most transformative role in Shrek, it's safe to say. Originally set to be played by Janeane Garofalo, Diaz became another late addition to the cast, though she certainly provided a memorable voice-only performance in the animated hit. 

In the years since Shrek's release, Diaz has notably been seen in Gangs of New York, In Her Shoes, The Holiday, Bad Teacher, My Sister's Keeper, Knight and Day, The Box, The Green Hornet, and The Other Woman, to name a few titles. After she appeared in 2014's Annie remake, Diaz stepped away from acting and this film remains her last title. Diaz married musician Benji Madden in 2015, and the married couple welcomed their first child, Raddix Chloe Wildflower Madden, on December 30th, 2019.

Outside of acting, Cameron Diaz published The Body Book: Feed, Move, Understand, and Love Your Amazing Body in 2013. The former actress also recently published The Longevity Book: The Science of Aging, the Biology of Strength, and the Privilege of Time. Additionally, with Katherine Power, Diaz launched an organic wine brand called Avaline earlier this year.

Eddie Murphy (Donkey)

As the fast-talking, wise-cracking Donkey, Eddie Murphy turned this little creature with a big heart into one of the most beloved animated characters of the early 21st century. It also gave Murphy's career a fallback after his career was threatening to stall. The Saturday Night Live veteran is one of the most acclaimed stand-up performers ever, and his film work in 48 Hours, Trading Places, Coming to America, The Nutty Professor, Doctor Dolittle, and the Beverly Hills Cop movies made him one of the most bankable comedy stars of the '80s and '90s. 

As a voice actor, outside of Shrek, Murphy also lent his talents to Mulan and the animated series, The PJs. He also earned an Oscar nomination (and almost a win) for his acclaimed supporting turn in Dreamgirls. It's believed that his acting work in Norbit might've prevented him from getting his much-expected Oscar glory.

After an unremarkable string of movies, including Meet Dave, Imagine That, Tower Heist, and A Thousand Words, Eddie Murphy made a triumphant comeback in 2019's biopic, Dolemite is My Name, based on the life of Rudy Ray Moore. He received a Golden Globe nomination for this performance. Up next, Murphy will reprise his role of Prince Akeem in Coming 2 America, which is expected to come out later this year. There's also development on Beverly Hills Cop 4 currently in the works, which is expected to be released via Netflix. Additionally, last year, Murphy returned to host Saturday Night Live for the first time in decades.

John Lithgow (Lord Farquaad)

As Lord Farquaad, the tyrannical ruler of Duloc, John Lithgow gave a booming voice to an antagonistic character of short stature. A well-versed veteran of the stage and screen, Lithgow has lent his talents to numerous projects over the years, including 3rd Rock from the Sun, for which he won three Emmys, Dexter, for which he won another Emmy, The Crown, for which he won another Emmy, Terms of Endearment, Harry and the Hendersons, Dreamgirls, Footloose, The World According to Garp, and, most recently, Pet Sematary (2019) and Bombshell. 

Some other recent acting credits include Rise of the Planet of the Apes, This is 40, Love is Strange, Interstellar, Pitch Perfect 3, Daddy's Home Two, and Late Night. In addition to his screen work, Lithgow has won two Tony Awards for 1973's The Changing Room and 2002's Sweet Smell of Success.

In addition to this acting work, John Lithgow also published Dumpty: The Age of Trump in Verse, a book of poems and illustrations, with a follow-up, Trumpty Dumpty Wanted a Crown, expected to be released in September. Lithgow can currently be seen in HBO's Perry Mason. He's also expected to star in the new FX series, The Old Man.

Conrad Vernon (Gingerbread Man)

As Gingerbread Man, better known by his loving nickname "Gingy," Conrad Vernon played an endearing voice throughout the Shrek series. His likable supporting role in this DreamWorks Animation franchise is a scene-stealer, as the wailing high-pitch squeak of this edible persona is always quick for hearty laughs. While this performance is a winner, voice acting isn't his claim-to-fame. 

Vernon works primarily behind-the-scenes, notably serving as a story artist and additional dialogue on Shrek before he got a big boost with the sequel. Specifically, he became a co-director on Shrek 2, paving the way for him to helm/co-helm Monsters vs. Aliens, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, Sausage Party, and 2019's The Addams Family. He also did story artistry for Trolls and The Emoji Movie, the latter of which he directed in select sequences. Next, Vernon is expected to call the shots on the upcoming Addams Family sequel.

Vincent Cassel (Robin Hood)

As "Monsieur" Robin Hood, Vincent Cassel provided a uniquely arrogant and slimy version of Robin Hood, one who proved to be more antagonistic than past iterations of the character. A French actor who rose to prominence with his acclaimed performance in 1995's La Haine, Cassel is also well-known for his performances in Eastern Promises, Ocean's Twelve and Thirteen, Black Swan, and Jason Bourne. 

Most recently, Cassel was seen in this January's Underwater. He also appeared in the newest season of HBO's Westworld. While Shrek is the only time Cassel has notably done voice-only work in an American film, Cassel has done the French-language versions of other prominent American films, including all the Ice Age movies, where he voiced Diego, as well as Robots and Lascars.

Cody Cameron (Pinocchio/Three Little Pigs)

As both Pinocchio and The Three Little Pigs, Cody Cameron's voice work in Shrek gave life to four of the funniest standout characters in the animated hit, and he'd get more time to play them in the sequels to follow. Outside of his voice work, Cameron was also a story artist and dialogue writer for the film, and he would continue to expand his resume behind the scenes. He was also a story artist on Shrek 2, Madagascar, Shrek the Third, Surf's Up, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and, most recently, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. He would go on to direct Open Season 3, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, and several episodes of Netflix's new animated series, Green Eggs and Ham, based on the Dr. Seuss book of the same name.

Chris Miller (Magic Mirror/Geppetto)

As the charismatic voice behind Magic Mirror, as well as the briefly-heard Geppetto, Chris Miller gave life to a memorable new take on the reflective character — in more ways than one. As a voice actor, Miller continued to play different characters throughout the Shrek franchise, though he worked primarily behind-the-scenes at DreamWorks Animation. He was a story artist and dialogue writer for Shrek, and he was head of story on Shrek 2. He also did story artist work on Antz, Madagascar, Monsters vs. Aliens, and, most recently, The Addams Family. Miller later went on to co-write/co-direct Shrek the Third and he directed the 2011 Shrek spin-off, Puss in Boots. 

Beyond providing the voice of Magic Mirror, Miller is also known as the voice of Kowalski in the Madagascar movies.

Aron Warner (Big Bad Wolf)

Though he played a very limited role in the first Shrek movie (he's not even credited for it on IMDb), Aron Warner's voice performance as Big Bad Wolf became a growing part of the Shrek sequels, notably with Shrek 2's cold opening. Outside of his voice portrayal, Warner served as a producer on the first three Shrek films and he was an executive producer on Shrek Forever After. Warner previously produced Antz and he became an executive produce Free Birds, The Book of Life, and, most recently, last year's The Angry Birds Movie 2. He was also one of the writers behind Shrek the Third.

Christopher Knights (Thelonius/Blind Mouse)

As Thelonius, Lord Farquaad's henchman who is always wearing a cloaked hood over his head, Christopher Knights played one of the best, most scene-stealing characters in Shrek, and it's a deep shame that the character didn't play an active role in the sequels. Nevertheless, as one of the blind mice, Knights continued to be heard throughout the franchise, and he also lent his voice to other DreamWorks Animation projects, notably as the voice of Private in the Madagascar movies and The Penguins of Madagascar spin-off. 

Outside of his voice work, Knights was the first assistant film editor on the first Shrek, and he remained an associate editor on the sequels to follow. He was also an associate editor on Shrek 4-D, Megamind, and Abominable. He was also the editor on 2014's rom-com, Lust for Love.

Who is your favorite Shrek character? Which voice do you like the most in this animation sensation? Let us know in the comment section below!

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Everyone has a preferred era of Saturday Night Live, which typically stems from whatever generation the viewer grew up in. For instance, if an SNL fan reached adolescence in the ‘90s, they probably have cherished memories of Adam Sandler, David Spade, or Mike Myers, to name a few, inventing some of the long-running sketch comedy series’ most iconic characters and moments.

Indeed, even after it had aired long enough to dangerously brush against saturation, the ‘90s proved to be kind to Saturday Night Live, and remains one of its more fondly remembered decades for sketches you immediately know by name. From “Schweddy Balls” to Saturday TV Funhouse’s “The Ambiguously Gay Duo,” it was truly a great time to be an SNL fan.

Unfortunately, some of our favorite ‘90s era cast members are no longer with us, such as Chris Farley, Jan Hooks, and Phil Hartman, but those who have survived are still leading career to make their fans, peers, and Lorne Michaels proud. This is what the following eleven ‘90s SNL veterans have been up to since their last Saturday night in Studio 8H.

Adam Sandler

Adam Sandler’s winning streak as a writer, actor, and producer since leaving SNL in 1995 is undeniable, despite some bumps (i.e. Pixels, for one). Sandman went from singing about holidays on “Weekend Update” to rapping about his pockets' contents on his Netflix special 100% Fresh, while creating iconic cinematic characters (Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, etc.) in between. Recently, Sandler received Oscar buzz (to no avail, unfortunately) for 2019 thriller Uncut Gems and has a couple of spooky features coming, including creepy Netflix comedy Hubie Halloween and a fourth installment of the animated Hotel Transylvania franchise, for which he is expected to reprise Count Dracula.

Molly Shannon

Following her sketch comedy debut on In Living Color, Molly Shannon became an SNL “superstar” from 1995 to 2001, especially as quirky Catholic school student Mary Katherine Gallagher, who earned her own 1999 movie. The comedian has since stolen scenes on many films and TV series (some that star fellow SNL vets), including Wet Hot American Summer and the Hotel Transylvania franchise, but has also taken a few dramatic turns, such as playing a terminally ill teenager’s mother in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and a co-worker of a mentally disturbed Alison Brie in 2019’s Horse Girl. Shannon will next be seen with SNL alum Vanessa Bayer for her upcoming TV pilot Big Deal.

David Spade

In addition to playing a Total Bastard Airlines steward or Dick Clark’s insufferable receptionist, David Spade’s 1990-1996 SNL stint is probably remembered best for infamous ribbing (to put it lightly) at former cast member Eddie Murphy. Otherwise, co-starring with Chris Farley in Tommy Boy, voicing Kuzco in The Emperor’s New Groove, and even playing the title character of Joe Dirt are just some roles that have kept him a relevant voice in comedy. In addition to leading top-rated Netflix rom-com The Wrong Missy in 2020, taking shots at pop culture is still Spade’s bread and butter, which he still does as host of Comedy Central’s nightly discussion program Lights Out.

Ana Gasteyer

Ana Gasteyer's Martha Stewart impersonation may be the best in the show's history, which is why she has reprised it on SNL outside her 1996-2002 run and, among other sketches, is key to her welcomed presence in the various, eclectic roles she has landed in TV and movies since, from playing a judge on The Good Wife to an alien abductee on TBS' People of Earth. The year 2019 saw Gasteyer disguised as a tree on The Masked Singer, reunite with many other SNL alumni in Netflix's Wine Country, and release a Christmas music album called Sugar & Booze. Her forthcoming projects include satirical rom-com Happiest Season and animated series Magical Girlfriend Friendship Squad.

Chris Rock

Despite lasting just three years, Chris Rock's satirical brilliance on SNL defined him as one of the most (literally) recognizable voices in comedy today, as further evident by his hit semi-autobiographical sitcom Everybody Hates Chris, voicing Marty the Zebra in the Madagascar series, his three feature-length directorial efforts thus far, and much more. However, it seems the stand-up icon is turning over a new leaf lately, playing a 1950s mafia leader in Fargo's fourth season, producing and starring in upcoming Saw reboot Spiral, and appearing in announced sports biopic I Am Maurice. Yet, one who is far from abandoning comedy is Rock, who will be seen in Robert Zemeckis' The Witches remake and was tapped to direct the pilot of Kenan Thompson's upcoming sitcom The Kenan Show.

Julia Sweeney

If you didn't realize Julia Sweeney played Pat on SNL, the 1990-1994 cast member would probably be happy to know that as the ambiguity of her most famous character's gender was the joke. You might more easily recognize the actress and author as a teacher from Stuart Little's orphanage, her 2019 appearance on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or from Sweeney's award-winning 1998 documentary God Said, "Ha!", chronicling her and her brother's struggles with cancer, which her Pulp Fiction director Quentin Tarantino helped produce. Currently, Sweeney can be seen on fellow SNL lady Aidy Bryant's Hulu comedy Shrill and comedian Abby McEnany's Showtime series Work in Progress, which Sweeney also produces.

Mike Myers

Another great post-SNL success story is that of Mike Myers, who popularized "schwing" with "Wayne's World" and its two cinematic spin-offs years before popularizing "swing" with his Austin Powers trilogy, but the success of either is nothing compared to the four Shrek movies in which he voiced the titular ogre. The Vancouver native's film and TV appearances grew increasingly mysterious, from his unrecognizable cameo in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds to hosting the 2017 Gong Show revival under heavy makeup as Tommy Maitland. However, he looks to be returning to more familiar territory by playing multiple characters in a recently announced Netflix series and there has been talk about bringing back Dr. Evil for a spin-off movie.

Dana Carvey

We cannot mention "Wayne's World" without Garth, played by Dana Carvey, who has made a recent return SNL for no other reason than to bask in his flawless skills of impersonation and bring back his most famous characters, especially The Church Lady. Carvey's 1986-1993 run might be the peak of his career, however, considering his following efforts include variety program The Dana Carvey Show, whose abrupt failure was the subject of a 2017 documentary, or the 2002 Razzie-nominee The Master of Disguise. Still, nowadays, every brief moment the comedian is back into the mainstream, such as for his 2016 Netflix stand-up special or voicing a dog in The Secret Life of Pets movies, it is always met with celebration.

Cheri Oteri

If you don't remember Cheri Oteri by name, you might as one-half of an enthusiastic cheerleading duo with Will Ferrell or for her spot-on Barbara Walters impression during her 1995-2000 SNL. Additionally, you might recognize her as Gail Hailstorm in Scary Movie, the voice of Sleeping Beauty in Shrek the Third, or from her 2016 Scream Queens appearance. Among her forthcoming roles from in front of the camera or within the recording studio, Oteri is part of a voice cast including Katherine McNamara and Steve Gutenberg for The Adventures of Bunny Bravo and will share the screen with Jeremy Piven and Taryn Manning in the indie comedy Crabs in a Bucket.

Norm MacDonald

An incomparably dry, shamelessly blunt delivery made Norm MacDonald one of the most brilliantly savage "Weekend Update" anchors in SNL's history. The celebrated comedian got his own self-titled sitcom a year after his firing from the sketch comedy, but it would be the first of several short-lived attempts at his own series, including 2011's non-scripted Sports Show on Comedy Central, which would later pave the way for his popular interview podcast Norm MacDonald Live which was picked up after four years as Netflix series Norm MacDonald Has a Show in 2018, but only lasted one season. His most recent successes have been in voice work, such as a recurring role as a gelatinous alien on The Orville and a starring role as a talking pigeon on Adult Swim's Mike Tyson Mysteries.

Rob Schneider

Norm MacDonald has the struggle to lead a successful TV show in common with fellow '90s-era SNL veteran Rob Schneider, who showed much promise with his impressive variety of characters, most famously the nickname-spewing office employee Richard Laymer. The father of rock star Elle King also proved to be an effective comic relief in 1993's futuristic Sylvester Stallone thriller Demolition Man, but as a leading man, his most notable roles include a desperate male prostitute, a half-man, half-animal, a thief who switches bodies with Rachel McAdams, and himself in two self-titled, short-lived sitcoms. However, it is always a treat to see him show-up for his obligatory cameo in just about all of his buddy Adam Sandler's movies.

What do you think? Do these 12 funny people prove that the ‘90s had the best cast on Saturday Night Live, or are you still faithful to the Not-Ready-for-Primetime Players? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for more updates on your favorite SNL veterans, or alumni of other movies and TV shows and their current whereabouts, here on CinemaBlend.

For well over 40 years, Saturday Night Live has provided comedy lovers with a treasure trove of talent, with multiple generations of comedy superstars getting their start on NBC's late night sketch comedy series. That hasn't changed, either, as the newest SNL season premiered this weekend, and continued spotlighting comedy's brightest new talents inside this cast. Let's take a look back through the annals of "not ready for primetime players" over the decades to pick out the biggest stars.

Naturally, there are a high volume of incredible talents that came out of Saturday Night Live. We're only looking at the 15 biggest stars. Let us know your favorites in the comments.

Will Ferrell (1995-2002)

Certainly among the biggest comedy stars working today, Will Ferrell came at a pivotal point in Saturday Night Live's history. Through his fearless brand of absurdity and gleefully over-the-top comedy, mixed with delightful bits of sophistication, Ferrell allowed SNL to expand into a transitioning 21st century. His impressions of Harry Caray, Alex Trebek, Robert Goulet and President George W. Bush are among his best, and he also famously fronted "Short Shorts For The USA," which was credited as the skit that helped people laugh again after 9/11.

These days, Will Ferrell is celebrated as one of Hollywood's most famous working comedy actors. Some of his biggest movies include Anchorman 1 & 2, Talladega Nights, Step Brothers, Elf, Old School, and Zoolander. In addition to his acting work, Ferrell also co-founded the comedy incubator website FunnyOrDie.com.

Adam Sandler (1991-1995)

After struggling through the late 1980s to capture its early success and notoriety, Saturday Night Live got the rejuvenation it needed from a number of talented new stars ushered in through the early '90s. One of the brightest stars was Adam Sandler, a comedian known for his goofy boyish charm, his quirky songs and his flair for sudden rage.

While Adam Sandler wasn't as adept as other SNL vets with his impersonations of real-life figures, he had beloved original characters like Opera Man and Pepper Boy, and tunes like "Lunch Lady Land" and (more famously) "The Hanukkah Song" still get radio play decades after their releases. After being fired from SNL, Sandler became a big screen mainstay with hits like Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, and more. Next, Sandler stars in Uncut Gems, which is already getting the comedian serious Oscar buzz.

Chris Rock (1990-1993)

As a comedian, Chris Rock gained prominence during the 1980s, but it was when he joined SNL that Rock became a household name, paving the way for a prominent career as a stand-up and movie star. Through SNL, Rock offered up spot-on-ish impressions of Arsenio Hall, M.C. Hammer, Michael Jackson and Whoopi Goldberg, not to mention original characters like Buster Jenkins, Kevin Stubbs, Nat X, Onski and Young Pop, to name a few.

Although Chris Rock only had a three-year tenure on Saturday Night Live, it helped paved the way for hi s exceptionally huge stand-up comedy career, which sold out concert halls and arenas and earned Rock major HBO and Netflix deals. (Not to mention getting more black comedians onto SNL.) Rock continued to push himself on TV with The Chris Rock Show and Everybody Hates Chris, winning four Emmys in the process. And his big screen work includes Lethal Weapon 4, Dogma, Madagascar, Head of State, I Think I Love My Wife and Top Five, among others.

Bill Murray (1977-1980)

One of the most elusive yet distinctively unique talents in Saturday Night Live's storied history, Bill Murray has always been a bit of an enigma. He carries a quiet charisma, somewhere between average man charm and oddball rarity, but he built himself up as not merely one of the sharpest minds in comedy, but one of the most intriguing dramatic actors of the century. Murray got his first brushes at fame through SNL on Seasons 2-5.

Known for his mix of absurdity and casual sweetness (and crassness), Bill Murray became one of the most profitable stars of the '80s and '90s. His most famous movies include Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Caddyshack, Stripes, Lost in Translation, for which Murray got a Best Actor nomination (and almost won). Murray continued to impress in the 2000s when he took on less farcical roles in Wes Anderson films such as Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums and Moonrise Kingdom.

Kristen Wiig (2005-2012)

Among the most famous contemporary Saturday Night Live's talents, Kristen Wiig quickly went from bit player to major standout. The show practically became "The Kristen Wiig Hour" before she left in 2012, with the comedian being known for playing odd and absurd characters, as well as more rigid, bent-out-of-shape characters. This mix of weird and relatable helped cement Kristen Wiig as one of comedy's major stars.

While Kristen Wiig had developed a core following throughout her time on the show, it was ultimately her work in Bridesmaids — as both an actress and screenwriter — that finally made her a mainstream talent. She was nominated for an Oscar for the R-rated comedy's screenplay, and it didn't take too long before Wiig vacated SNL to continue working on different projects, each with varying levels of success comparatively, such as the Despicable Me series and the Ghostbusters reboot.

Bill Hader (2005-2013)

Through his knack for killer spot-on impersonations, as well as his interest in playing odd and goofy characters with a straight face (unless he adorably broke), Bill Hader became one of the biggest modern SNL stars. That is primarily thanks to his Emmy-winning work on HBO's sensational Barry, but Hader also earned great praise through his lovingly strange, quotable work on SNL.

While Stefon is the character that Bill Hader is likely best known for on Saturday Night Live, the comedian could voice a variety of different celebrities, and it was clear that he was on the rise and ready to do great work. Barry has certainly lived up to that potential, and there are many folks out there who believe Hader deserves Oscar attention for his turn in September's IT: Chapter Two. Clearly, Hader's career continues to grow.

Chris Farley (1990-1995)

Easily among the most tragically gifted performers in Saturday Night Live's history, there's reason to believe that, if he were still with us, Chris Farley would not only be one of the biggest comedy superstars on the planet, but likely an award-winning actor to boot. The comedian, who could play any variety of characters and often get the biggest laughs and biggest heart tugs (even when he played bit roles), was always quick to win audiences over.

After appearing in Tommy Boy, Beverly Hills Ninja and Black Sheep, Chris Farley wasn't getting the roles that served him best, but he had big projects in the works. He was the original voice of Shrek, and he was set to star in a biopic on silent film star Fatty Arbuckle. Alas, Farley passed away from a drug overdose in 1997, when he was 33, and didn't get to move to the next phase of his career.

Jimmy Fallon (1996-2004)

Famous for his earnest, boyish charm and his knack for breaking during sketches, Jimmy Fallon was considered the cute boy of the Saturday Night Live ensemble. Through his inability to stay in character, as well as Fallon's musical talents and handful of impressions, he stayed on the show for a good while before he decided to jump into movies, starring in films like Taxi and Fever Pitch.

Eventually, Jimmy Fallon took over for Conan O'Brien on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, before Jay Leno stepped down (for real) and gave over the keys to The Tonight Show to Fallon. He has been the host of the NBC late night talk show since 2014.

Tina Fey (2000-2006)

Similar to Will Ferrell, Tina Fey came at a pivotal point of restructure for Saturday Night Live. The comedian molded the show to her writing and acting talents, turning into the head writer and one of the lead Weekend Update hosts. She boosted her profile through writing the acclaimed teen comedy Mean Girls, before she became the lead actress and the head writer for 30 Rock.

Tina Fey was known/celebrated for her dry wit, her everywoman charm, and her blunt, straightforward comedy delivery. She continues to be beloved as a best-selling author, movie star and television showrunner, notably as the co-creator of Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Also, after her SNL tenure, Tina Fey became known for her frequent guest appearances to play Sarah Palin.

Amy Poehler (2001-2008)

Similar to Tina Fey, Amy Poehler had a sensationally dry wit and excellent comedy delivery, which made her rise up the ranks during her extended time period on Saturday Night Live. She appeared in a variety of sketches, but it was Poehler's Weekend Update that became her biggest claim to fame.

These days, Amy Poehler is perhaps best known as the lead actress on the recently concluded NBC series, Parks and Recreation. The actress was also famously the voice of Joy in Pixar's excellent Inside Out. Poehler recently made her directorial debut with Netflix's R-rated comedy, Wine County.

Chevy Chase (1975-1976)

Chevy Chase certainly didn't spend a lot of time on Saturday Night Live, leaving the show in a wave of controversy after only one season. But Chase made a big legacy for himself through the show, providing a nice blend of charisma and funny antics. He was also the first person in history to say the infamous words, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"

Chevy Chase had no trouble making a name for himself outside of Saturday Night Live. He starred in Fletch, Caddyshack and National Lampoon's Vacation, to name a mere few hits. Recently, Chase played a regular role in Community, which turned into another source of controversy. He is also famously one of the few people banned from hosting SNL again. In any case, Saturday Night Live wouldn't be what it is today if it weren't for Chase.

Eddie Murphy (1980-1984)

There are a few cast members from the early days of Saturday Night Live who became major superstars almost instantly. Eddie Murphy is one such talent. The comedian, who blended his fearless edge with a nice attention to character and playing up the absurdity of bits, soon found himself to be one of the most famous stand-up comedians and actors in Hollywood, particularly thanks to movies like 48 Hours, Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop.

In the years since, Eddie Murphy continued to find fame through The Nutty Professor movies and the Shrek films before earning a wealth of acclaim through his electric turn in Dreamgirls. Murphy was close to winning an Oscar for movie, but Norbit reportedly killed those prospects. Nevertheless, Eddie Murphy has earned Oscar buzz again for the Netflix biopic Dolemite Is My Name, which finds Murphy playing the legendary Rudy Ray Moore.

Mike Myers (1989-1995)

Through his unique charisma, strange comedy talents and love of eccentric, quote-friendly characters, Mike Myers quickly rose up the ranks at SNL, to the point where he was given his own project (alongside Dana Carey) with Wayne's World, based on one of SNL's most popular reoccurring skits. For many folks, the movie remains one of the best made from SNL — if not the best. And, that goodwill helped Wayne's World expand with a sequel.

It didn't take long before Mike Myers' popularity paved the way for his next movie, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, which wasn't an instant hit but earned a following. With its first sequel, the franchise became a box office juggernaut. When Myers lent his pipes to Shrek, he became a bonafide A-lister...before The Love Guru helped take that away. Recently, Myers appeared in Bohemian Rhapsody and he's now working on a Netflix show.

Andy Samberg (2005-2012)

Andy Samberg played a key role in keeping Saturday Night Live on its feet during the 21st century. Specifically, through "Lazy Sunday" and other digital shorts he made with The Lonely Island, Samberg carved a new way for Saturday Night Live to stand out in the digital era — producing YouTube-friendly content which kept the show's brand alive and well in a changing media landscape.

Key on capitalizing this building Internet fame, Andy Samberg's film career didn't find the same success. He starred in Hot Rod, That's My Boy, and Popstar, the former and the latter of which have their respective fanbases, but didn't take the box office by storm. In any case, Samberg found himself on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which really worked to his sensibilities. It recently aired its sixth season earlier this year, with the newest season probably also debuting at mid-season, in early 2020.

John Belushi (1975-1979)

Yet another tragic story from one of Saturday Night Live's most beloved talents, John Belushi was one of the standout players during SNL's earliest run. The actor's livewire performances and raw comedic energy made him an instant sensation, and someone Hollywood wanted on the center stage. Sure enough, it didn't take long before John Belushi was earning both success and acclaim in music and film.

Through The Blues Brothers, Animal House and his involvement with Saturday Night Live until 1979, John Belushi was a huge star on the big screen, the small screen and on the radio. Alas, Belushi's troubled history with substance abuse led to his untimely death in 1982 when he was 33-years-old.

These are a few of the great talents from SNL. But, we should only expect more in the future!

Mike Myers is finally jumping on the streaming train, and has partnered with Netflix for a series that sounds like his kind of bag. No, we're not talking about voicing Shrek, or hosting The Gong Show in disguise, although the latter does sound closer to what he has in the works. Myers will be the star and executive producer of his very own comedy series that fans of Austin Powers will almost certainly appreciate.

The upcoming series, which is presently untitled, will see Mike Myers doing what he does best: playing characters. In what sounds like a return to a popular gimmick he's used throughout his comedy career, Myers will star in a half-hour comedy series in which he'll play multiple characters. Unfortunately, the limited series is only set for 6 episodes, although it's entirely possible that Netflix could negotiate for more if it's a hit.

Right now, there's no telling what this new untitled series will be about, although one would think it doesn't have anything to do with Austin Powers. Myers did hint last year he's trying to get things rolling on the fourth installment, although there was no mention of it being rolled out as a series. That said, how cool would it be if it was, or this deal with Netflix eventually leads to Austin Powers 4 being a Netflix exclusive project?

It's more likely that this is an entirely new idea, given Mike Myers has a love of creating bizarre and hilarious characters. Not all of his characters have been hits (see The Love Guru), but Wayne Campbell, Austin Powers, Dr. Evil, and Fat Bastard have each made his character gimmick a hit and one of the more-appreciated forms of his comedy. It would be great to see these characters again, although some new iconic characters could be good as well.

It will also be interesting to see if Mike Myers goes to the bullpen and calls up a few old Saturday Night Live friends for this project. Dana Carvey and Will Ferrell are obvious choices, and maybe even Adam Sandler, considering his relationship with Netflix. It would be great to see those two do something together, in particular, especially given their lack of collaborations outside of Saturday Night Live.

Mike Myers won't be going at this series alone, and is joined in executive producing duties by John Lyons and Jason Weinberg. Associate producers include Mackenzie Cyr and Justin Capraro-Gentuso which rounds out the entirety of what we know about this show so far. We don't even have a release date to expect, so this feels like a very fresh deal between Myers and Netflix.

While it's a bummer we don't have a release date for this upcoming project, there's no shortage of great things coming to Netflix in the near future. Stick with CinemaBlend for the latest on the streaming service, as well as the latest breaking news on television, movies, and pop culture.

When Wayne's World used Queen's “Bohemian Rhapsody” as the ultimate headbanger, it revitalized the song's reputation and created one of the most iconic moments in comedy history. So with Bohemian Rhapsody deeply in the mix during this year's Academy Awards, it was the perfect time to bring Mike Myers' Wayne and Dana Carvey's Garth back together for one more ride. And as you'll see below, that's exactly what happened, as for one night only, Wayne's World returned to celebrate the music of Queen:

It certainly helps that Mike Myers was a co-star of the Academy Award winning film, in a scene where he specifically says that a moment like the one in Wayne's World would never happen with the film's titular song. But to bring back Dana Carvey and to have the two of them riff yet again as the legendary Wayne and Garth of Aurora, Illinois is a moment that every 90's kid has been dreaming of for some time.

A fitting moment of reciprocity for the cultural longevity of the famous Queen tune, this tribute to both Wayne's World and Bohemian Rhapsody was one of the highlights of the evening's proceedings. And of course, what Wayne's World reunion would be complete without Myers and Carvey proclaiming, on one of the biggest stages in the world, that they are not worthy to be in the presence of the surviving members of the band that brought them to the party.

It certainly was a fantastic night for Bohemian Rhapsody, with four wins out of the film's five nominations, and having Mike Myers and Dana Carvey introducing the film's respective clip highlighting the Best Picture-nominated film was just the cherry on top for all involved. It's a cyclical game of congratulations really: without Wayne's World, Bohemian Rhapsody may have never happened. Likewise, without the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” making that moment in Wayne's World all the more memorable, that film may not have made its own crater of nostalgic remembrance on the world when it did.

While Bohemian Rhapsody didn't ultimately take the Best Picture award, it certainly was one of the a huge winners of the night. And, in their own way, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey are winners, as they got to bring back their most iconic Saturday Night Live characters in the service of Queen during the Academy Awards. If it gets any better than that, feel free to correct us in the comments below.

Bohemian Rhapsody , starring Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Allen Leech, Tom Hollander, and Mike Myers, is available now on Digital HD, 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD; and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all of the post-game coverage of the 91st Academy Awards you could ask for!

While James Bond is still chugging along 56 years after he made his big screen debut in Dr. No, the character who's a parody of 007, Austin Powers, has been absent for 16 years. There's been talk for a long time about whether or not Austin Powers 4 will actually be made, and Mike Myers' latest comment suggest that currently the fourthquel stands a good chance of moving forward. When asked when we're going to see the next Austin Powers movie, Myers responded:

Between family life and working on other creative endeavors, it sounds like there just hasn't been any time for Mike Myers and director Jay Roach to collaborate on Austin Powers 4 over the years. However, listening to Myers' tease while speaking with Access, he makes it sound like rather than just being a pipe dream, the pieces are starting to fall into place for Austin Powers 4.

It's important to clarify that this does not officially mean that Austin Powers 4 is happening. Even if the project is finally coming together over a decade and a half after the release of Goldmember, it may be a while before New Line Cinema announces it's on the way. Still, for people who've been eagerly waiting for Myers to don the glasses, sketchy-looking teeth and colorful suits again, this update is surely most welcome.

Two years back, Jay Roach, who directed all three of the Austin Powers movies, stated that Austin Powers 4 was in a "latent phase," but that might change if he and Mike Myers found the right idea. A year later, Myers echoed that sentiment, saying that they didn't want to make Austin Powers 4 until they came up with something that "lived up to the concepts" in their minds. If Myers feels confident that Austin Powers 4 is "looking good," then it seems that the men finally thought of a worthwhile idea.

Mike Myers has previously expressed interest in having Austin Powers 4 be told from Dr. Evil's perspective, so maybe that's still the idea he and Jay Roach are most comfortable tackling. Or maybe those two have changed their minds and want Austin Powers 4 to more closely take after its predecessors. Sadly, because Verne Troyer passed away, we wouldn't see Dr. Evil paired with Mini-Me again, but Myers has hinted that Austin Powers 4 might contain a tribute to Troyer.

I'm also intrigued by Mike Myers revealing that we will see Dr. Evil again soon, though not in Austin Powers 4. In 2014, Myers reprised the bald criminal mastermind for a Saturday Night Live cold open, and earlier this year, Dr. Evil showed up in a sketch on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Methinks another one of these brief appearance from the man who loves sharks with frickin' laser beams and doesn't understand currency amounts might be on the way.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates about Austin Powers 4, particularly if it gets an official green light. For now, you can plan your visits to the movie theater over the next year accordingly by looking through our 2018 and 2019 release schedules.

Long before Rami Malek and Bohemian Rhapsody, there was Wayne and Garth. An entire generation likely associates Queen's eponymous, operatic "Bohemian Rhapsody" with the headbanging antics of the stars of Wayne's World, from the 1992 comedy. In a clever touch of creative casting, Bryan Singer recruits Wayne himself, Mike Myers, for a role in Bohemian Rhapsody, and we got the skinny from the cast on what it was like sharing a pivotal scene with the man who helped peddle Queen to the mainstream masses. We found out:

Why is this such a big deal? Maybe you haven't seen the comedy Wayne's World, which was an offshoot of the skit that Mike Myers created on Saturday Night Live. You know, party time, excellent, all of that. But truly you have to be living under a rock to not know that Myers and his co-star, Dana Carvey, helped make Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" more popular by featuring it in a now-legendary scene where they head-bang to the tune while driving.

It's an epic tribute to an epic song. Relive it here:

The new movie Bohemian Rhapsody performs clever stunt casting by adding Mike Myers is a small supporting role that's crucial to the development of the actual song, "Bohemian Rhapsody." Myers isn't exactly a prolific actor these days. He was last seen hosting The Gong Show on television in character as a made-up person, Tommy Maitland.

In Bohemian Rhapsody, Mike Myers plays a fictional EMI record executive named Ray Foster. He doesn't believe in the song "Bohemian Rhapsody," and gives the Queen band members grief because it runs more than six minutes -- way too long for radio play back in the day.

As CinemaBlend's interview with the Bohemian Rhapsody cast continued, Joseph Mazzello, who plays Queen bandmate John Deacon, explained how cool it was to work with Myers because of his extreme preparation. Mazzello told us:

From the sound of it, working with Mike Myers early in the production set the tone for the rest of the cast, as they realized the importance of committing to their roles, and bringing them to life on screen. And it worked for Rami Malek, as most of the early praise for Bohemian Rhapsody is falling on the star of Mr. Robot, and his interpretation of the late Queen singer, Freddie Mercury.

It was Malek who reflected that Mike Myers arrived on set at a very good time, elaborating to CinemaBlend:

And that goes a long way to understanding why Mike Myers would want to be involved in a movie like Bohemian Rhapsody. He carved his niche in the Hollywood stratosphere by making audiences laugh on movies like Austin Powers or the Shrek films. But Myers was never shy about going for emotion to sell a scene. He's a natural fit here.

Want to watch the stars of Bohemian Rhapsody talk about the joy of working with Mike Myers in his pivotal scene? We have it here for you right now:

Led by Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody tells the story of Queen, how a UK band found a singer in young Freddie Mercury, and how this musical genius carried an unsuspecting rock outfit to global superstardom.

In our review for the film, Mike Reyes notes that the film tries hard to cover a vast expanse of the band's history, maybe glancing over some important beats in the journey of Freddie Mercury, the man. But it's clear that the movie wants to spend the bulk of its time on the creation of the song of the movie's title, and also in recreating Queen's historic performance at Live Aid in 1985.

For a while, Bohemian Rhapsody was thought to be an Oscar vehicle for Rami Malek. And that's still very much a possibility. Even the lukewarm reviews are going out of their way to praise Malek's turn as Freddie Mercury, capturing the confidence and creativity that was found in this experimental musician. Just listen to the wrinkles that he brings to songs like "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We Are The Champions" to understand what Mercury could have contributed to rock's anthology if he didn't leave us too soon.

Bohemain Rhapsody stars Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Joseph Mazzello, Ben Hardy, Aidan Gillen and Gwilym Lee. And Mike Myers, of course. The movie has opened in select global markets, but is expected to push into the States on November 2, where it will compete against Boy Erased, Nobody's Fool and Disney's Nutcracker and the Four Realms for audience attention.

To stay up to date on all movies coming to theaters, be sure to bookmark our 2019 Movie Release Schedule, and check it often.

There are arguably two events on television that have been met with a lot of denials, despite the evident truth. Jon Snow's "death" and Mike Myers being The Gong Show host Tommy Maitland. Despite rampant viewer speculation, the answer to whether Myers was playing Maitland, remained "no." That all changed this past January, when, over six months after the show premiered in June 2017, ABC confirmed the truth and renewed the series. So, why did Myers go to such extremes to create this character? Myers explained, saying:

Leave it to Mike Myers to put his unique spin on things. The actor's answer to Vanity Fair does provide tremendous insight into that process. The truth that Tommy Maitland is, in fact, a character, conjured from Myers' thriving imagination is unlikely to be a shock to many people. Even with the reality out there, viewers are undoubtedly curious as to what led to Myers making such a commitment. Albeit, his decision is not all that surprising, given his track record of creating characters he literally disappears into.

You have to admire not only his dedication to pulling off this character, but then denying his own feat for months. The laughs are not only left to the antics that occur on The Gong Show. A quick read of Mike Myers' intricately drawn and detailed backstory for Tommy Maitland, which can be read on ABC's website, offers an equally indelible laugh. The fact he put so much thought into it clearly catapulted Tommy Maitland into a realm of tangibility the audience has responded to strongly.

Mike Myers says he knew that people would figure it out. Arguably, the fun for the audience has involved Myers having to maintain the character in the face of that. Would The Gong Show revival have done as well without such an interesting twist? It is hard to know. One thing is more certain: it has not hurt the reboot. When contemplating the hilarious bit of subterfuge, Myers did not take into account how long he actually planned to keep his being Tommy Maitland a running ruse. Myers shared:

This is not the first time viewers have had to do a double-take where Mike Myers is involved. He has disappeared into countless characters throughout the years, thanks to his run on SNL. Meaning he employed the disappearing act long before the Austin Powers franchise. In his second movie, So I Married an Axe Murderer, he played two roles: Charlie McKenzie, who bears Myers' likeness, and Charlie's father Stuart, who does not. No matter how he appears, though, what remains the same is Myers' ability to make us laugh.

Make sure your summer is filled with laughter and interesting characters. The Gong Show returns for Season 2, Thursday, June 21 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. For upcoming new and returning television shows you can watch soon on ABC and elsewhere, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's summer premieres.

Head to the next page to check out the ridiculous Season 2 trailer.

Check out Mike Myers bringing it as Tommy Maitland in the trailer for Season 2 of The Gong Show below:

Remember, The Gong Show will return for Season 2 on Thursday, June 21 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC

As far as 90s culture goes, there are few comedy properties quite as iconic as Austin Powers. The James Bond spoof featured comedian Mike Myers in a variety of roles, and folks have been throwing out "Yeah, baby!" in decades following. Because nostalgia has been dictating TV and film production, many are wondering if the Austin Powers franchise could eventually return to the silver screen for more poop jokes and fembots. While it certainly seems like a possibility that Austin could make a reappearance, it seems franchise star Mike Myers is actually more interested in his nemesis Dr. Evil. When asked about the future of the franchise, Myers revealed how he'd like to focus on Dr. Evil, saying:

Although no future plans for the Austin Powers franchise have been made, Mike Myers seems to understand the power of the internet and a passionate fandom. He'll need to drum up excitement to be given two more movies within the Austin Powers franchise, so all those 90s kids longing to return to the property need to make their voices known.

Mike Myer's comments to ET are sure to be intriguing for those familiar with the Austin Powers franchise. While Dr. Evil, Fat Bastard, and Mike Myers' other characters are all given time to shine, the trilogy is largely told through the spectacled eyes of the International Man of Mystery. Goldmember helped to expand Dr. Evil's past, but it would be a unique idea to focus the next movie on the villain.

Changing the format to focus on Dr. Evil might be exactly what Austin Powers needs to return, without seeming desperate or tired. A Dr. Evil movie would be able to provide the fans with something new, while also potentially introducing a new generation to the ridiculous characters that were introduced in 1997 original.

Of course, bringing a Dr. Evil into the world will have its own set of challenges. Perhaps the most obvious at the moment is the recent death of actor Verne Troyer, who played Mini-Me in the two Austin Powers sequels. The relationship between Dr. Evil and his clone has always been one of the franchise's most ridiculous and surprisingly sweet plot points, and it just won't be the same without Troyer's character. The actor tragically passed away April 21, 2018 at the age of 49 after suffering from alcohol poisoning.

Considering how many long awaited sequels and reboots are currently arriving in the silver screen, it seems plausible that Austin Powers could return at some point. While Mike Myers seems eager to reprise his role(s), a strong enough story will likely have to be crafted in order for a studio to get in bed with it. After all, a new sequel will likely be compared to the myriad other reboots out there.

Mike Myers is set to appear in the Freddy Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, as well as Margot Robbie's upcoming heist thriller Terminal. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Austin Powers actor Verne Troyer passed away recently. His co-star Mike Myers recently appeared on television and spoke about the life the actor lived and the happiness he brought to people. Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live Myers talked about the memorial service for Troyer which he attended and the remarkable life that the man had lived. Check out his comments below.

Austin Powers fans were saddened to learn recently that, at the age of 49, Verne Troyer, who played Dr. Evil's "Mini-Me" in the franchise, had passed away. Mike Myers spoke a bit about the memorial service that he attended for his friend, which included a photo montage of Troyer and all the various places that he had visited over his life. For a man who wasn't expected to survive his teens, it was remarkable just the sort of life Troyer lived in his just short of five decades.

Mike Myers also tells a remarkable story of attending a state dinner for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the Obama administration, in which both President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau asked him how "Mini-Me" was doing when he met them. It's just one example of the way Myers says Verne Troyer impacted people. Myers says this wasn't an isolated incident as people would always ask him about Troyer. Clearly, people cared about him.

While people frequently feel connections to celebrities, in the case of Verne Troyer, it was something a little different. While Troyer had numerous film and TV roles over the years, none of them were nearly as memorable as his turn in the Austin Powers movies. There was something about that specific performance which made people remember him and still ask about him, even over a decade after the last time he played the role of Mini-Me.

Part of that love for Verne Troyer may have come from the way that he used his celebrity in the years since becoming famous. Mike Myers tells Jimmy Kimmel that Troyer would frequently volunteer to do charity work in the various places he would visit.

The exact details of Verne Troyer's death still aren't known. The actor was rushed to the hospital on April 3 and he passed away April 21. While he reportedly was suffering from alcohol poisoning when he was admitted to the hospital, we still don't know for sure exactly how, if at all, that played into his actual death.

While Verne Troyer may be gone, his performances are still here, which means he still will have the ability to bring love and joy to people.

It's been 16 years since the last Austin Powers movie but it seems that the franchise is still as popular as ever, following Mike Myers appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He brought Dr. Evil out of retirement for a bit during Fallon's monologue as the most recent person to be fired from the Trump Administration. Check it out.

A number of people have recently left the executive branch, which is, of course, great fodder for the late night talk shows. Jimmy Fallon brought it up last night and claimed that he had an exclusive interview with somebody who had just been fired. It turned out to be Mike Myers dusting off his role as Austin Powers nemesis Dr. Evil.

Dr. Evil says he was originally going be hired as the Secretary of Evil, because of course, but ended up as an "idea guy." Of course, those ideas are pure Dr. Evil. Rather than building a border wall, he wanted a moat filled with spiky blowfish, one assumes because he was all out of ill-tempered sea bass.

Unfortunately, we never learn exactly why Dr. Evil was fired from his job in the White House. However, we'll likely learn as Dr. Evil will, of course, be writing a tell-all book. Dr. Evil also announced his own plan to run for President, including his own merchandise, which, if it really existed, is a hat I would buy.

Based on the popular response from the audience, it seems that there are a lot of people who still remember, and enjoy, Dr. Evil. Could something like this renew interest in the franchise? The door to a fourth Austin Powers film has always been open, the players simply haven't found an idea worth turning into a film yet. Maybe getting into character will help the ideas flow.

Mike Myers himself hasn't been in the public eye as much in recent years, though that will change this summer, as Myers has a credited role in the Margot Robbie noir-thriller Terminal which recently released its first trailer.

While we may never get another big screen Austin Powers, it's clear that Mike Myers hasn't lost a step in the performance of Dr. Evil. The evil laugh still sounds great and while the character may have become a little stale of the course of three films, it's been long enough now that we can remember what was so funny back then.

Books! The written word is the original gateway to the imagination, and has led millions of avid readers to digest the work of their favorite authors or series. Countless of these stories have been adapted to the big screen (some multiple times), but as any reader can tell you, a great book does not always make for a great movie. Book adaptations can go sour real fast, as fans of the Stephen King's Dark Tower series recently learned. There are a number of reasons for why these movies end up failing hard, but knowing those reasons doesn't exactly remove the scowl from any hardcore reader of the book.

Even the best of novels can be turned into a crummy movie, no matter how classic it is or how hard production works to live up to a particular novel's legacy. Not everything can be a Harry Potter or a James Bond, and even the technically bad Twilight movies have their big fan bases. No movie should have to be 100% faithful to the source material, but it can't forget to, well, BE GOOD. A book adaptation can get it so wrong that it can never earn back our forgiveness, and these are 10 movies that likely still piss people off.

The Hobbit Trilogy

A prequel to The Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit trilogy failed to live up to J.R.R. Tolkien's original masterpiece. Despite having great casting in Martin Freeman as Bilbo, plus the return of Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey (the best Gandalf), these three movies were a bust from start to finish. Peter Jackson phoned it in for three movies straight, overly relying on CGI, cartoonish action, and references to the original trilogy over memorable characters. The films have their bright spots for sure (Smaug is noticeably epic), but ultimately the decision to split one normal-sized book into three movies was its real undoing.

Gulliver's Travels

Gulliver's Travels is Jonathan Swift's satirical look at societal rules and travel novels was written almost 300 years ago. The most well-known part of this story is Gulliver's encounter with teeny-tiny people on the island of Lillipy, who have tons of quirky customs (what end you crack an egg is the source of a political divide). The movie envisions the story in modern day and includes Jack Black, the Bermuda Triangle, poop humor, giant robots, and Guitar Hero III -- a little man gets sucked into Jack Black's butthole for crying out loud! Let's just say it takes some liberties, making it a shallow effort just trying to capitalize on name recognition.

World War Z

This adaptation of Max Brooks' zombie horror novel never had an easy time. Multiple rewrites, productions troubles, and an extensive third act reshoot all plagued World War Z about as a well as any zombie virus. While not a totally bad film, its generic plot and crappy ending prove how difficult it can be to streamline an unconventional novel. The book is a collection of accounts from multiple perspectives recounting how the world dealt with an international zombie outbreak. The movie opted to focus on one point of view (Brad Pitt) but wasn't quite able to do much with it. That wall of zombies was pretty cool, though.

The Scarlet Letter

This is an example of how deviating from the source material can pretty much tank a movie. This 1995 adaptation of the classic novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hollywood-ified Nathaniel Hawthorne's original work. The story follows a Puritan woman who -- by modern definitions -- is slut shamed for having an affair with a minister and forced to wear a scarlet letter "A." It's about sin, betrayal and lust, which the movie version confuses for more softcore sex scenes with Demi Moore. The novel doesn't end well for her or her lover, but the movie ends with a convenient last-minute save that allows them to live happily ever after together, missing the entire point of the novel. But man, look at how steamy Demi Moore and Gary Oldman are!

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Written by Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a popular sci-fi comedy series that began as a radio show but then spawned into book and television series'. The books, which are probably the most digested format, are odd, uniquely funny, and pretty confusing (in a good way). They don't easily lend themselves to adaptation on film, which people saw firsthand when the movie version was released. Starring Martin Freeman, Sam Rockwell, and Zooey Deschanel, the movie doesn't quite match the spirit of the novels and ends up being just confusing (in a bad way). It's not a trainwreck by any means, but it's a fairly generic look at one of the most un-generic properties.

All the King's Men

All the King's Men, rated as one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, was already adapted into a film in 1949 that went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. When they did it again in 2006... well, it's a movie, I can tell you that much. Despite boasting a star-studded cast (Sean Penn Judd Law, Kate Winslet, Anthony Hopkins), with Steven Zaillian directing, the film failed to live up to TWO different versions of itself. It has a Rotten Tomato score of 11%, which writes that the movie "lacks political insight" in a story where politics is used as a lens into themes of consequence and morality. There's no life in the film, as scenes just drag on, and Sean Penn's Louisiana accent is better left on the page where it can only hurt your eyes.

Bonfire of the Vanities

Brian De Palma crafts some great thrillers, but he bit off more than he could chew with Bonfire of the Vanities. Adapted from the 1987 satirical novel of the same name written by Tom Wolfe, the story follows a wealthy New York City stock broker who accidentally runs over a young black man, tracing the highly-publicized trial that follows. The movie version softens up the events and characters of the novel and loses most of its bite in the process. Tom Hanks is miscast in the lead role, and the film is just unable to match the in-depth look Wolfe hooked readers with in his novel.

Dune

Dune has drummed up a cult following since its release in 1984, but it remains divisive among book fans. The plot, which chronicles rival noble families competing for control of a harsh desert world with a valuable resource, was hard to follow and over stuffed. The film couldn't keep up with the novel's dense text that created a world that fascinated readers, and the result was a film that critics hated, and one that tanked at the box office. Even writer-director David Lynch distanced himself from the project,and there are some versions where he is credited under a pseudonym. Lynch later admitted that he probably never should have done the movie at all. That being said, Denis Villeneuve should still try to remake it.

Bicentennial Man

The Positronic Man is a novel by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg, based on a short story by Asimov. The book tells the story of Andrew, a robotic helper to the kindly Martin family that slowly develops human emotions and creativity over time. Andrew eventually replaces his mechanics with synthetic organs, abandoning his immortality so that he may finally be considered human. The novel is a thoughtful and subtle look at what it means to be human, so of course, you cast Robin Williams in the lead role of the movie adaptation. Called Bicentennial Man, the movie interjected more goofy humor and some very unsubtle sentiment that chiseled away the sharper source material until all that was left was just a genuinely bad movie.

The Cat in the Hat

You should not see this movie in a box; you should not see it with a fox or any other living creature because no one can know that you saw this. This movie -- which came in a temporary bad live-action Dr. Seuss phase before they decided to just do bad animated ones -- is pretty horrible. The Cat in the Hat is as classic as children's literature gets, yet that is not a medium that suits full-length feature films. Starring Mike Meyers as the title demon, there's really nothing positive to say about The Cat in the Hat. It's got weird sexual innuendos, bad special effects, and is mostly unfunny. The Cat in the Hat book taught me to read; The Cat in the Hat movie taught me I might be better off blind.

Although Mike Myers got his big break on the small screen thanks to his gig on Saturday Night Live, he's probably best known nowadays for his contributions to the big screen in franchises like Austin Powers and Shrek. Now, Myers may be heading back to TV for a brand new job, but... well, it's not exactly clear. News broke today that ABC has chosen British comedian Tommy Maitland as host for its revival of The Gong Show, but it turns out that Tommy Maitland didn't seem to exist until quite recently, and he looks an awful lot like Mike Myers in prosthetic makeup. Check him out:

The photo of Tommy Maitland comes from his Twitter account, which is just one step that seems to have been taken to establish him as somebody who definitely exists and was not just invented for the purposes of a game show reboot. The story gets even more elaborate in a press release from ABC, which reveals that "Thomas Winston Maitland" was born in 1944 in the U.K. He became known when he began work as an announcer for a British radio show and landed minor roles in the Carry On film franchise.

According to ABC, he wrote a book, made 11 films, is hugely popular in Italy, and made a huge impression on Will Arnett when Arnett was a teenager. Arnett is executive producing The Gong Show for ABC, and he reportedly specifically reached out to Maitland to work as host. Maitland has openly admitted to coming out of retirement for The Gong Show for the money, and he told THR that he already has two potential catchphrases picked out.

Based on the uncanny resemblance between this "Tommy Maitland" and Mike Myers, Myers' history of wearing prosthetics to play a wide range of characters, and the fact that THR has hinted that Myers and Maitland are one and the same in the wake of an interview, I'd say that the odds are pretty good that we'll be seeing Mike Myers tackling hosting duties on The Gong Show when it debuts on ABC this summer. That said, we might not get confirmation of his involvement for a while, if at all. If Myers and Maitland are the same person, then ABC, Myers, and Will Arnett all went to pretty great lengths to sell the ruse. Kudos to them for going all-out, I suppose. If anybody could pull this off, I'd definitely put my money on Myers.

We can confirm some of the other folks who will appear on The Gong Show. Celebrity judges who will weigh in on contestants' talents (or lack thereof) will include Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, Alison Brie, Andy Samberg, Elizabeth Banks, Joel McHale, Dana Carvey, Will Forte, Anthony Anderson, and Jack Black. Tune in to ABC on Thursday, June 22 at 10 p.m. ET to catch "Tommy Maitland" in his Gong Show hosting debut, and don't forget to check out our midseason TV premiere guide and our summer TV premiere schedule to discover all your viewing options now and in the coming weeks. Be sure to drop by our rundowns for cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations as well.