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- Born: 1997
- Birthplace: The Movies
- Best Known As: Goofy hero of the Austin Powers film series
The creation of comedian Mike Myers, Austin Powers is the goofy hero of 1997's Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. The character is a silly satire of superspy James Bond and an affectionate spoof of swinging London of the 1960s: Powers wears foppish "mod" clothing, uses outlandish Bond-style secret weapons, and (despite his comically bad teeth) relishes his role as a ladykiller. His arch-enemy is the nefarious Dr. Evil (also played by Myers). The first film (which co-starred Mimi Rogers and Elizabeth Hurley) was a surprise hit and introduced pop culture catch-phrases like "Groovy, baby!" and "Behave!" It was followed by the sequels The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999, with Heather Graham) and Goldmember (2002, with Beyoncé Knowles as Foxxy Cleopatra).
The Austin Powers films also featured Robert Wagner as the eyepatch-wearing Number Two, and Cindy Margolis as a deadly "fembot"... Dr. Evil is loosely based on Bond nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld; his identical miniature sidekick is Mini Me, and his strange hairless cat is Mr. Bigglesworth.
