Dana Carvey Says He Forgives Mike Myers for Allegedly Stealing Dr. Evil Character (original) (raw)
An apparent rift existed between Mike Myers and Dana Carvey for years — and a big reason revolved around the diabolical fictional character Dr. Evil.
Carvey, a Saturday Night Live alum who became a household name along with Myers for their Wayne’s World sketches and films, dropped by Howard Stern’s SiriusXM Satellite Radio program on Wednesday.
There, he opened up about the animosity he felt toward Myers for allegedly stealing the Dr. Evil character to use in the Austin Powers films. Carvey claimed he was the first SNL castmember to do an impression of show creator and executive producer, Lorne Michaels. Myers, he says, took that and ran with it for Dr. Evil.
“The pinky thing was a made up thing,” Carvey said of his impression. “Lorne doesn’t do that, but somehow it fit. The pinky thing I did do.”
Pressed if he every confronted Myers about the alleged theft, Carvey said they “never really talked about it.”
“I talked about it to the therapist,” he said. “There are a lot of moments in my life I wish I was more directly straightforward.” But, he also said, “I’ve basically let it go.”
Carvey, who appeared onstage alongside Myers during this year’s Oscars, praised the spy-comedy series, which became a pop culture staple.
“I have to say that the construct of Austin Powers was brilliant,” he said.
Asked if he ever picked up the phone to tell Myers he forgave him, Carvey replied, “I haven’t done that. I would like to do that on national radio,” he quipped.
Myers told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017 for an oral history on Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery that, yes, Dr. Evil was based partially on Michaels, but also on another actor.
“The Dr. Evil voice is a little bit Lorne Michaels, there are no two ways about it, but there is a lot more Donald Pleasence in there than Lorne. Lorne has a pinky thing, but he doesn’t do it anymore,” Myers said then.
Watch a portion of the Carvey interview below.