Whether you knew him for
Saturday Night Live, Wayne's World, Austin Powers or Shrek, Mike Myers has likely stuck in your mind as one of the major talents in comedy.
Known for his ability to take on a variety of outlandish characters, Myers was launched to fame in the 90s, but by 2017, he seems to have dropped off the map. After both The Cat in the Hat and The Love Guru flopped with critics and audiences, he kind of disappeared.
Or at least, that's what we thought. In reality, Myers has been hiding in plain sight - entertaining audiences without them even knowing he's on screen. As part of an elaborate prank, the comedian has been disguised as Tommy Maitland, a 72-year-old British man hosting an American amateur talent show.
ABC recently rebooted The Gong Show with Maitland as the "legendary" host from England making his debut on American television. While there was something familiar about him, many didn't realise that it was Myers behind layers of prosthetics, even if rumours did circulate that he was the one behind Tommy.
"Born on July 7, 1944, Thomas Winston Maitland (his middle name is a tribute to Winston Churchill) grew up in Neasden, GLC, Borough of Brent, where his father was an actuary and in the Merchant Marine and his mother was in the RAF. After a failed stint as a pipe fitter's apprentice, Tommy joined the British Army at the tender age of 15."
"He later joined the Entertainment National Service Association (ENSA), where he got to know some of the UK's biggest comedians. He played the ukulele, told jokes and drummed (though he drummed badly), and he ended up hosting the show - a talent he would later be known for."
Maitland even got his own social media accounts, appeared on talk shows, and red carpets, like a real host would do. However, after months on the show, ABC confirmed it is in fact Myers in disguise in a statement about renewing the series for a second season.
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In the statement, Myers said:
"Being the host of The Gong Show is a blast! Pure fun. It is with great delight that I can finally admit that there is indeed a Tommy Maitland, and that I portray him."
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Executive producer Will Arnett also made a statement, with his tongue firmly in cheek:
“I was just as surprised as the next guy when I heard The Gong Show’s host, Tommy Maitland, was a character portrayed by the insanely talented Mike Myers. Despite this shocking news, I’m in total awe of the man, and we are so fortunate to have him as our brilliant host.”
It was only the other day that I was wondering what exactly Myers has been up to recently, but I never would have guessed that it would have been this.
