Wayne’s World stars Mike Myers and Dana Carvey may be best friends on-screen, but it seems that things aren’t quite as peachy between the two in real life. According to Carvey, who discussed the situation on Howard Stern’s radio show this week, Myers allegedly stole his Dr. Evil impression and used it in the Austin Powers movies. Carvey told Stern that he was the first Saturday Night Live star to do an impression of creator Lorne Michaels — one that featured “the pinky thing” — and after seeing how successful it was, Myers took elements of the bit and created the Dr. Evil character. While Carvey has been upset about the incident for some time, he said that he has now “let it go,” as he’s since developed “a bigger perspective” on his comedy career.
“Were you upset with him when he was doing the whole movie, Austin Powers?” asked Stern, never one to shy away from a tough line of questioning. “Dr. Evil is an impression of Lorne Michaels. And I had heard that Mike’s impression of Lorne was based on your impression of Lorne. And he took it and used it as Dr. Evil. And it bugged you a little bit, right?” Carvey hesitated a bit before going down the diplomatic route. “When I started there no one did Lorne,” said Carvey. He explained that he first developed the impression while blocking an episode of SNL. “He’d go, ‘I still have no fucking first act.’ And that was what broke it for me,” said the comedian.
“The pinky thing was a made up thing. Lorne doesn’t do that. But somehow it fit,” continued Carvey, referencing Dr. Evil’s iconic pose. “You came up with the pinky thing, right?” asked Stern. “The pinky thing I did do, yes.”
Stern continued to press Carvey on his relationship with Myers post-Austin Powers. “We never really talked about it,” said Carvey about the impression. “I talked about it to the therapist. But I basically let it go.” Feelings aside, Carvey admitted that “the construct of Austin Powers was brilliant,” and that Dr. Evil is “a great character.” Said Carvey, “I was very lucky to intersect with Mike Myers. So you get a bigger perspective when life gets tough.”
Now, more than 20 years after Austin Powers first premiered, Carvey is ready to move on. “So did you pick up the phone and call him and say, ‘Hey, you know I’ve been harboring a resentment and I am now kind of over it. I just want you to know that,'” said Stern. “I haven’t done that,” replied Carvey. “I’d like to do it on, you know, national radio.”
Watch Dana Carvey discuss his relationship with Mike Myers in the clip above.