Comedy legend Mike Myers recently opened up about experiencing intense anxiety during his early days at Saturday Night Live, feeling intimidated by his incredibly talented castmates.
Speaking on Vulture's Good One comedy podcast, the Wayne's World star candidly shared his initial struggles at SNL. "When I got to Saturday Night Live and saw how f---ing good these guys were, I was scared s---less. I had an anxiety attack," Myers admitted.
The Canadian comedian, who was part of SNL from 1989 to 1995, expressed particular awe for castmates Phil Hartman, Dana Carvey, Kevin Nealon, and Jan Hooks, describing their collective talent as "unbelievable."
Myers' journey to SNL began with his Wayne Campbell character, which he first performed at Second City. The character's debut at SNL was a massive success, receiving "cheerstomps and whistles" from the audience. This performance caught the attention of SNL creator Lorne Michaels, who personally reached out to Myers about the character.
Interestingly, Myers had limited exposure to SNL before joining the cast. While living in England in 1983, the show was virtually unknown, and during his time in Canada, he prioritized recording Toronto Maple Leafs games over SNL due to scheduling conflicts and VCR limitations.
The Wayne Campbell character later spawned two successful films - Wayne's World (1992) and its 1993 sequel. After leaving SNL, Myers hosted in 1997 and made several guest appearances, with his most recent cameo in 2015 during Ryan Gosling's hosting stint. He went on to create other iconic franchises including Austin Powers and Shrek.
Myers also praised Lorne Michaels' mentorship, noting his generosity in sharing industry knowledge and practical wisdom about entertainment production.