Mike Myers still gets 'teary' thinking about the ending of The Beatles' 'A Hard Day's Night'

Mike Myers has been making audiences laugh for decades. However, his humor didn't just come from inside. There's a spirit in everything he does, and it's partly due to The Beatles and, more specifically, George Harrison.

Mike Myers is a huge Beatles fan

The Shrek actor has a connection to The Beatles that few have. As the son of two Liverpudlian immigrants, he can trace his roots back to Liverpool, the city where the Fab Four grew up.

In 2018, Myers told Stephen Cobert, "Coming from Liverpool parents, George and The Beatles represented like the best of our gene pool," Myers joked. "All I ever wanted was to just have a sense that The Beatles knew I existed. There's six faces in Liverpool, and I have one of them. You know what I mean? It's true.

"I always thought I had, I mean, the George Harrison family of faces. My dad looked exactly like George Harrison, so George was always my favorite."

In 2014, Myers told GQ that a song he kept coming back to then was The Beatles' "Across the Universe." The first time he heard it, it was the first song he ever heard on headphones. He said the experience made him feel like he was actually going across the universe. "I just think I haven't lost the sense of the magic of that," he said.

Myers gets 'teary' watching the ending of The Beatles' 'A Hard Day's Night'

There's no denying that Myers is a Beatles superfan. They changed his entire world and inspired him in his own career. He told GQ that in The Beatles: Anthology special, he spoke about how he still gets teary thinking of the last shot in The Beatles' first feature film, A Hard Day's Night.

The ending involves the band running and jumping into a helicopter. When Paul McCartney sees that his pesky grandfather has a bunch of photos of them with forged signatures, he throws them out of the aircraft.

It might not seem like the most tear-jerking scene, but it made a lasting impression on Myers. "I love the spirit of that film so much, that spirit got into Austin Powers and Wayne’s World, which is that it's a party," he said.

George Harrison wrote one of his last letters to Myers

Myers worships The Beatles, but, as he said, his favorite was George. Many Beatles fans have favorites, but few have been fortunate to receive a letter from their idol. Myers got the shock of his life when he received one of George's last letters on an important day on set.

The actor was filming Austin Powers 3, specifically, the scene where Tom Cruise, Gwyneth Paltrow, Steven Spielberg, Danny DeVito, and Kevin Spacey are shooting the Hollywood movie version of Austin Powers' life. It was also the day George died.

Myers discovered the news on set and started crying. Then, a security guy gave him the letter, and he broke down in tears again. "That's mind-blowing, dude, for the son of a Liverpudlian, a person who worships the Beatles," he told GQ.

"I cried like a baby, and it's prominently displayed in my house," he continued. "He says '...sitting here with my Dr. Evil doll...I just wanted to let you know I've been looking all over Europe for a mini-you doll.' And he says, 'Dr. Evil says frickin' but any good Scouser dad will tell you it's actually 'friggin' as in a 'four of fish and finger pie,' if you get my drift.' He said, 'Thanks for the movies, so much fun.'"

Myers added that George concluded his letter with, "I'm sorry I left you on the helicopter that day, I promise I won't do it again." During his interview with Colbert, Myers said, "That letter, it burned in my hands."

George's letter was the ultimate gift the actor never knew in his wildest dreams he'd receive. It's unsurprisingly one of his prized possessions. Myers revealed to GQ that he later discovered how George came to write the letter to him, but he didn't divulge the details.

"But it is fantastic and sad and awesome, and this is the magic that I’m talking about that I feel very grateful and privileged to be part of it," Myers concluded.

Receiving such a special gift, Myers no doubt wants to leave some aspects a mystery. After all, that's how George would have liked it. The Beatles and George will no doubt continue to inspire Myers. Without them, he'd have no spirit.

Stairway to 11 is dedicated to providing news, reviews, and original content covering classic rock, oldies, and old-school music of all genres. This site also serves as a community for like-minded fans to catch up on the latest news and discuss their passion. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.