Mike Myers had an "anxiety attack" over the talent of his 'Saturday Night Live' co-stars.

Mike Myers got his big break on SNL

Mike Myers got his big break on SNL

The 61-year-old comedian - who was a cast membe on the show from 1989 to 1995 - recalled being "scared s***less" in his early days on the sketch comedy series alongside the likes of Phil Hartman, Dana Carvey, Jan Hooks and Kevin Nealon.

Speaking at the Vulture Festival, he said: "When I got to 'Saturday Night Live' and saw how f****** good these guys were, I was scared s***less. I had an anxiety attack. It was unbelievable."

The 'Wayne's World' actor reflected on how he was cast after performing at a Second City show.

He said: "I did my sketch, 'Wayne and Nancy,' where I come from the audience. And I came from the audience and it f****** killed, which was unbelievable because I had only been in the show for like two seconds.

"It was cheerstomps and whistles. It was a jet taking off. I don't know what happened, but the audience just went for it and loved it."

Two weeks later, Mike - who had also performed in the closing improvised scene - receieved a call from showrunner Lorne Michaels while he was in Chicago.

He recalled: "And he said, 'I understand you do a Wayne character.' "

'Wayne's World' went on to become a long-running sketch on 'SNL', with Dana playing Wayne's best friend Garth, and it spawned a 1992 movie of the same name and a sequel the following year.

And Mike admitted he had "always" envisaged the character in a movie.

He said: "I’d always wanted to make 'Wayne’s World' a movie. I saw it as a world.

"I think that comedy is production design and comedy movies are worlds. They’re immaculate universes that they bring you into.

"I purposely called it 'Wayne’s World' because I love 'Pee-wee’s Big Adventure' — oh my God, what a masterpiece — and Jacques Tati and the TV series 'The Monkees'.

"I love being immersed in a comedic world. I’d written it out as a movie before I even got to 'Saturday Night Live', and I was trying to figure out a way to have the brilliant Dana Carvey be in my sketch. That was about it."


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