No kidding! Mike gets serious
Mike Myers says he’s written a dramatic series for HBO that, if greenlit, could serve as his much-anticipated return to TV.
The Toronto-bred funnyman says the show would still include comedic elements, and is one of a slew of projects that will bring him back into the spotlight.
Over the past few years, Myers says he’s primarily been working out of his home so he can spend time with three young kids. Now, those projects are getting closer to seeing the light of day.
“It’s kind of like being at Sheppard and Victoria Park (in Toronto), where you wait for an hour and five buses come all at once and it’s 20 below and you want your dad to come pick you up,” Myers says of the ventures, which include his recently released book Canada and the expected big screen thriller Terminal with Margot Robbie.
“But I’ve been very, very happy to sort of be present for my little team.”
Myers says he would be acting in the HBO series, which is part of a development deal he signed with the specialty network in 2015.
He made the comments March 3, as the Canadian Association of New York bestowed him with its Arts & Letters Award.
The honour recognizes Myers’s work as a Canadian-bred film and TV actor, author, director, producer, writer and creator.
Other past recipients include novelist Margaret Atwood, musician Burton Cummings, film director Norman Jewison and CBC broadcaster Peter Mansbridge.
“I’ve lived in New York longer than I’ve lived in Canada now and so (this award) is kind of the two things that I’m most passionate about, which is Canada and my love of it, and New York City,” says Myers.
“I just hope it can be a great vehicle for us to brag a little bit in our own sort of Canadian non-braggy way, but at least to kind of trumpet and hail the things that we do so well.”
Myers says his homeland is never far from his thoughts, and he’s keen to make sure his U.S.-born kids inherit some of his Canadian pride.
“My kid will say to me now, ‘Hey, Dada, when you were a kid did you have imaginary friends?’ I said, ‘Yes, I did.’
“And then he’ll go, ‘Yeah, but that was Canada.’ As if my imaginary friends aren’t going to be as good, somehow,” recalls Myers, whose diverse credit list includes writing, producing and starring in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, which spawned two sequels, and the SNL feature film spinoff Wayne’s World, which recently marked its 25th anniversary.
“Having said that, he’s never out of his Toronto Maple Leafs shirt and my best friends’ kid came down and visited us and now I can’t get him out of his Team Canada shirt.”
The Canadian Association of New York encourages connections between Canadians and those interested in Canada, through social, cultural and business events held each year.