Queen Singer Freddie Mercury Saw ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ In ‘Wayne’s World’ Before He Died — Mike Myers Reacts to His Emotional Reaction
The connection between Wayne’s World and “Bohemian Rhapsody” remains inseparable to this day. Even the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody cast Mike Myers as the executive who slams Queen’s now iconic song. What Myers never knew until now though, was that Mercury himself got to see the movie before he died in 1991.
Reunited Apart surprised Myers and the cast of Wayne’s World by bringing Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor into the Zoom to discuss the film’s use of their song. Queen shared what Wayne’s World meant to Mercury and Myers tried to process the news live in real time.
Why ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ still works in ‘Wayne’s World’
Wayne (Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey) pack their car and blast “Bohemian Rhapsody.” When it gets to the call and response part, they repeat the words. By the time the rock music kicks in, they full on bang their heads to the music. Wayne’s World came out in 1992 but the scene lives on to this day.
“‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is just a full blown masterpiece,” Carvey said. “It’s a piece of music that’s just so brilliant and I give Mike total credit for picking it out. I didn’t get it initially but when that break kicks in and we syncopate to it, it’s pretty agic. It still gets me when I see it.”
May said that Myers had an inherent understanding of Queen that he applied to Wayne’s World.
“With Freddie’s stuff and with Queen stuff, there was always a little bit of tongue in cheek,” May sid. “I think you guys latched into that.”
They bang their heads to “Bohemian Rhapsody” too, May added.
“When we heard the track on the radio, which was novel for us, and the middle bit came on, we were doing this anyway,” May said. “It was basic human instinct.”
Freddie Mercury and Queen approved ‘Wayne’s World’
Taylor gave his reaction to Wayne’s World first.
“One, we found it hilarious and two, we found it very rewarding,” Taylor said. “We released an album and I think the sketch was such a hit, that was responsible for the album being a big hit. I have to say I really love the movie as well.”
May said that he showed Mercury a copy of Wayne’s World near the end of his life. Mercury would die Nov. 24, 1991 months before the release of the film.
“I can go back a little further than that because you, Mike, did get me the videotape, a VHS or something, and I took it around to Freddie not long before he went and showed it to him because you said you wanted to have the approval,” May said. “He loved it, he just laughed and laughed. He was very weak but he just smiled and laughed.”
Freddie Mercury payed ‘Wayne’s World’ the ultimate compliment
Mercury was hoping that Queen’s music would find a foothold in the U.S. in the ’90s. Before he died, he knew that Wayne’s World would do it.
“He’d been known to say, ‘Look, I suppose I have to die before we get America back’ but you guys did it,” May said. “You got us back to a new American public and Freddie was very aware of that. You should know that he got totally into it and he went to the next place knowing what had happened and enjoying it.”
That was a lot for Myers to process.
“I didn’t know that,” Myers said. “I can’t even… My little Toronto head can’t handle that but that’s fantastic.”
