Mike Myers Discusses using Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody in Wayne’s World movie

Comedic star Mike Myers says that Paramount originally didn’t want to use Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody in Wayne’s World, and he had to fight for it.

Mike Myers has revealed that he had to fight to use Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” in Wayne’s World. The hit comedy film got its start as a sketch on SNL beginning in 1988, with Wayne (Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey) quickly becoming fan-favorite characters. As the sketch grew in popularity, the use of its numerous catchphrases (such as “Party on!” and “Schwing!”) also became part of the daily lexicon of the time. Given its popularity, a Wayne’s World film seemed the next logical step, and the feature version released to very receptive audiences, becoming a cult classic.

The film expanded on the public access TV series Wayne’s World, which Wayne and Garth broadcast from Wayne’s parents’ basement. While it offered many comedic highlights, some scenes have become iconic. One such scene was the moment in which Wayne, Garth and their friends are driving to their favorite local hangouts, Stan Mikita’s Donuts. While listening to the Queen hit “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the friends sing along, and when the track hits its liveliest moment, everyone bangs their heads in unison. While certainly a great comedic moment in cinema, the scene also single-handedly managed to bring “Bohemian Rhapsody” to a new generation, resulting in a number 2 spot on the U.S. charts some 17 years after its initial release.

Yet, as successful and perfectly timed as the “Bohemian Rhapsody” scene in Wayne’s World was, it almost didn’t happen. Myers revealed that Paramount originally didn’t want the Queen song for the scene, and instead were favoring a track by Guns N’ Roses; a band that Myers admits to loving but admits he “didn’t have anything funny for” in terms of the Wayne’s World scene. After a conversation with SNL boss and Wayne’s World producer Lorne Michaels in which Myers reiterated his desire to have the Queen song, Michaels stepped up and ensured the actor got what he wanted:

“But what I remember most about this was, uh, fighting very, very hard for it to be Bohemian Rhapsody. And, uh, they didn’t want to do it, they wanted to do Guns N’ Roses which I love Guns N’ Roses, but I didn’t have anything funny for it. And then, Lorne was like ‘You really want it?’ I went “Yeah.” So Lorne fought for it on my behalf, Lorne Michaels.”

Today, it’s hard to imagine the iconic Wayne’s World scene with any other song, and Myers must still feel a certain degree of pride over having stuck to his instincts. The film likely would have still fared well without the scene altogether, since it was a hit for many reasons, but the sequence has remained synonymous with Wayne’s World (as well as Myers’ career) even all these years later. Unfortunately, Wayne’s World 2, which arrived in theatres the following year, lacked any equally-memorable moments. Still, for a sketch that appeared now and again on SNL, Wayne’s World proved remarkably successful as a film franchise.In recent years, Myers has taken on several more classic comedy roles. After starring as the titular International Man of Mystery in the beloved Austin Powers film, Myers also found tremendous success as the voice of the green ogre Shrek. However, despite these major successes, it is difficult to match or recreate the staying power of Wayne’s World. The film earned its place in comedy history upon its release back in 1992, setting the stage for Myers’ illustrious career. The fact that the actor himself played a key part in creating one of the film’s most iconic moments is a testament to his talent and ear for exceptional comedy.