Welcome to The Second City Archives, in which we post an exclusive clip each week of some of comedy’s biggest superstars performing early in their careers on the legendary Chicago stage. Second City has generously given us a glimpse into their extensive archive of live performances, and over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing some rare and retro comedy never before seen on the web.
Today marks Mike Myers’s 53rd birthday, so to celebrate, Second City dug up an old clip from the 1986 revue Not Based on Anything by Stephen King, which featured Myers alongside ensemble performers Bob Bainborough, Bruce Pirrie, Dana Anderson, Mark Wilson, Linda Kash, and Deborah Theaker. In the above scene, Myers plays a dude named Wayne who gets into a spat with his girlfriend Nancy (Deborah Theaker), and just a few years later, the character would go on to become very famous on SNL and beyond. But this clip shows a more emotional side to Wayne than we’re used to seeing – a Wayne who isn’t afraid to shed some (fake) tears over a girl and take a petty fight to Shakespearian levels. Check out some other clips of Myers performing at Second City here and here.
