Austin Powers

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Lore & Background

The character of Austin Powers originated from Mike Myers driving home from ice hockey practice and hearing Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love" on the radio. Wondering "Where have all the swingers gone?", Myers conceived a spy who represented an archetype of 1960s Swinging London, complete with advocacy for free love and obscure impressions. The series serves as a tribute to Myers' father, who introduced him to James Bond, Peter Sellers, and The Beatles. While Myers is Canadian by birth, his parents were natives of Liverpool, England, which heavily influenced the humor through British traditions like Carry On films and Benny Hill. Powers draws inspiration from multiple sources: DJ Simon Dee, the dandyish Jason King from Department S, Robert Danvers in Peter Sellers' "There's a Girl in My Soup," and Harry Palmer's thick horn-rimmed glasses played by Michael Caine.

In Their Own Story

The narrative follows Austin Powers as he navigates a quest to bring down his nemesis, Dr. Evil, while satirizing the outrageous plots and sexual innuendo of 1960s spy films. The character's visual design includes bad teeth created by dental technician Gary Archer, who studied expat patrons at an English pub in the San Fernando Valley to capture a "bad British 1960s" stereotype that Myers felt "nailed it." The films incorporate elements from Monty Python and the BBC series "Adam Adamant Lives!" where a Victorian spy was frozen in 1902 and revived in 1966. In "Goldmember," Michael Caine stars as Nigel Powers, Austin's father, spoofing his own role as Harry Palmer. The story also features specific vehicles like the "Shaguars" (Union Jack-painted Jaguars) and time-travel cars, including a rainbow Volkswagen New Beetle and a purple 1975 Cadillac Eldorado Fleetwood.

Reader's Guide

Austin Powers operates as a parody of 1960s spy heroes, defined by his mod fashion, bell-bottoms, and sunglasses worn indoors. His character relies on specific catchphrases, including the first phrase Myers envisioned: "Do I make you horny?" which became a staple of the series. The franchise consists of three films directed by Jay Roach: "International Man of Mystery" (1997), "The Spy Who Shagged Me" (1999), and "Goldmember" (2002). Before the movies, Powers appeared in the band Ming Tea with Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet. The series also features a cast of recurring characters like Dr. Evil, Scott Evil, Fat Bastard, and Mini-Me. In potential future installments discussed by Myers, the plot would shift to Dr. Evil's point of view, bringing back Fat Bastard after he regained weight lost in "Goldmember." The character's legacy is defined by a deep love for James Bond and a satirical take on one-dimensional stock characters.

Did You Know?

• Mike Myers conceived the character while driving home from ice hockey practice after hearing Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love."
• Austin Powers' bad teeth were designed by dental technician Gary Archer, who photographed patrons at an English pub in the San Fernando Valley to capture a specific British stereotype.
• The first phrase Myers imagined for Austin was "Do I make you horny?" which later became a famous catchphrase.
• Michael Caine, who played Harry Palmer (a major inspiration for Powers), starred as Nigel Powers in "Goldmember," spoofing his own role.
• An animated series was purchased by HBO in May 1999 with plans for thirteen episodes but was ultimately shelved.

Origins and Inspirations

Mike Myers stated the idea for Austin Powers came to him while driving home from ice hockey practice, hearing Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love" and asking, "Where have all the swingers gone?" He conceived the character as a tribute to his late father, who introduced him to James Bond, Peter Sellers, The Beatles, The Goodies, Peter Cook, and Dudley Moore. Although Myers is Canadian, his Liverpool-born parents shaped his British heritage influence, citing Carry On films, Benny Hill, and Peter Sellers (specifically "Casino Royale" and "The Party") as key comedic inspirations. The character draws on DJ Simon Dee's 1967 chat show persona and the dandyish Jason King from Department S. Myers also cited Robert Danvers in "There's a Girl in My Soup" and Harry Palmer (Michael Caine) as major influences, with Caine eventually appearing as Austin's father, Nigel Powers.

Character Design and Satirical Elements

The character satirizes James Bond, Jason King, and 1960s spy film tropes like rampant sexual innuendo and outrageous plots. A defining physical trait is his bad teeth, created by Los Angeles technician Gary Archer based on a stereotype of British expats in the 1960s. Archer photographed patrons at an English pub in the San Fernando Valley to design the look, which Myers approved as "nailed it." The character's dandyish appearance also reflects Peter Sellers' Robert Danvers and Jason King. Visual influences include Monty Pythonisms, the Victorian spy from "Adam Adamant Lives!," Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine, Matt Helm, Derek Flint, The Beatles films, The Monkees, and Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In skits.

Production History and Film Releases

The series consists of three films created by Mike Myers, all directed by Jay Roach and released by New Line Cinema. "International Man of Mystery" was released on May 2, 1997; "The Spy Who Shagged Me" on June 11, 1999; and "Goldmember" on July 26, 2002. The character first appeared in the band Ming Tea with Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet before Myers' wife, Robin Ruzan, suggested a movie based on him. The first phrase thought for the character was "Do I make you horny?" In May 1997, "Austin Powers' Electric Psychedelic Pussycat Swingers Club" aired as a television segment. HBO purchased rights for an animated series in May 1999 but shelved it after one draft by Donick Cary.

Vehicles and Media Expansion

The films feature iconic cars known as "Shaguars," specifically a 1961 Jaguar E-Type and a 2001 Jaguar XK8 convertible with Union Jack paint schemes and plates "SWINGER" and "SWINGER2." Time-travel vehicles include a psychedelic rainbow 1999 Volkswagen New Beetle and a purple 1975 Cadillac Eldorado Fleetwood (plate "SWNGR 3"). Felicity Shagwell drives a 1965 Chevrolet Corvette with an American flag scheme, while Nigel Powers uses a 2001 Mini Cooper that travels underwater (plate "GR8 SHAG"). Media expansions include video games like "Austin Powers Operation: Trivia" (PC/Mac, 1999), "Oh, Behave!" and "Welcome to My Underground Lair!" (Game Boy Color, 2000), and "Mojo Rally" (Dreamcast, Cancelled). Pinball machines were released by Sega Pinball (1997) and Stern Pinball (2001), alongside a collectible card game by Decipher Inc in 1999.