The Best Time Dana Carvey Ever Broke Character In Wayne's World
1992's "Wayne's World" is easily one of the biggest blockbusters to spin off of "SNL," and it remains a beloved classic to this day. Directed by Penelope Spheeris and starring Mike Myers as the titular Wayne Campbell and Dana Carvey as his partner in late-night local cable Garth Algar, the movie chronicles the efforts of the two young heroes to find fame and fortune whilst grappling with the corrupt corporate executive Ben Oliver (Rob Lowe). Along the way, Wayne finds love with the aspiring rock star Cassandra (Tia Carrere), also seeking her shot at the big time.
The film is full of funny moments and epic scenes, with the most memorable easily being the "Bohemian Rhapsody" sequence. But with two "Saturday Night Live" alumni as the stars, a great many of the film's classic one-liners and jokes were improvised on the spot. One of the funniest lines comes completely out of left field, delivered masterfully by Carvey.
A complete non-sequitur
The scene occurs about mid-way through the movie when Wayne and Garth are laying on the hood of Garth's car near the airport, watching planes pass by overhead. They talk for a few minutes about Wayne's attraction to Cassadra, when Garth asks a completely random question: did Wayne find Bugs Bunny attractive when he dressed in women's clothing? This has Wayne breaking down with laughter as he says no, with Garth (not convincingly) saying that he didn't think so either, but was merely asking.
The line itself is fairly amusing, but what clinches it is Wayne's reaction as he is taken off guard by the question and bursts out laughing. The best part? Dana Carvey made up the line on the spot, and Mike Myers' reaction is 100% genuine laughter, so much so that keen-eared listeners will note that Myers drops Wayne's distinctive accent as he reacts to Garth's question.
A moment of genuine joy
"Wayne's World" was made on a hectic schedule in order to meet its release date, and by the end of production, the airport scene was the last to be filmed. As a result, both Mike Myers and Dana Carvey were exhausted from the strenuous days of filming, making it the perfect opportunity for Carvey to catch Myers off guard. According to the director Penelope Spheeris in an interview with EW, the reason the moment hit so hard was a combination of Carvey's perfect delivery and the sheer relief of finally reaching the end of that grueling filming schedule.
The non-sequitur is spoken with impeccable timing by a masterful comic actor, and the reaction to the line is one of pure, giddy amusement. While it's one of the many, many funny moments to be found in "Wayne's World," it's also one of genuine warmth and hilarity, which makes it, in a word, excellent.