Is That Mike Myers in 'Michael'? All About the 'Shrek' Star's Surprise Cameo
Austin Powers star Mike Myers makes a surprise cameo in Michael, the controversial Michael Jackson biopic which arrives Friday in cinemas.
Mike Myers Plays a Famous Record Exec in Michael
The legendary Saturday Night Live cast member near the finale of Michael, in which Myers receives a rare “special appearance by” credit, playing late CBS Records president Walter Yetnikoff. Yetnikoff, who died at 87 in 2021, was an industry wünderkind who guided the careers of such diverse musicians as Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Weird Al, and Billy Joel.
In Michael, the eponymous star (played by Jafaar Jackson) pays a visit to Yetnikoff alongside his manager, John Branca (Miles Teller), to pressure CBS to pressure MTV to air Jackson’s Billy Jean video at a time when the TV station shied away from Black artists. (Branca, 75, is now the co-executor of Jackson’s estate and Chairman of The Michael Jackson Company.) Myers, decked out in some serious prosthetics, remains unrecognizable for most of the scene. Only in his isolated close-ups, as he profanely cajoles MTV into airing Billy Jean, do you realize it’s the chameleonic actor.
i was wondering what the "mike myers in bohemian rhapsody" would be for the michael jackson movie. turns out it is literally just mike myers again. pic.twitter.com/6STcu55r13
— jackson. (@cheaperby12film) April 19, 2026
The Veteran Comedian Has Lately Turned to Character Roles
Myers’ appearance is certainly a surprise, but it’s far from unprecedented. Though he largely abandoned the spotlight, having not led a feature since 2010’s Shrek Forever After, Myers has frequently popped up in smaller (usually single-scene) character roles in a variety of disparate pictures, almost always using prosthetics to disguise his identity. The first of these was a brief appearance as General Ed Fenech in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds (2010). He followed that up eight years later with Terminal, a Margot Robbie thriller in which he played five distinct roles; and with a role in David O’Russell’s Amsterdam (2022), also opposite Robbie.
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Most notably, Myers made a very similar appearance in the 2018 Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, playing EMI Records executive Ray Foster. Though Foster was a fictional character, he was reportedly loosely based on Queen’s EMI A&R man, Ray Featherstone. Unsurprisingly, Bohemian Rhapsody and Michael were both produced by Graham King under his GK Films banner.
Myers Curtailed His Work to Focus on Family
Myers married Kelly Tisdale, with whom he shares three children, in 2010. Shortly thereafter, he stepped back from working to focus on his family. Though he hasn’t led a film in almost 20 years, that will soon change with next summer’s release of the long-in-gestation Shrek 5. Earlier this week, Myers made a rare public appearance as Shrek to honor Nicole Kidman at the 49th American Film Institute Life Achievement Award Gala.