Wayne’s World was released after Freddie Mercury died, but the singer actually saw Queen’s iconic moment shortly before he passed away and “laughed and laughed” at the famous “Bohemian Rhapsody” scene.
Queen guitarist Brian May revealed the tidbit during the premiere of Wayne’s World Reunited Apart – PARTY TIME! Many of the cast members, including Mike Myers, Alice Cooper, Dana Carvey and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, participated in the event.
May said that Mercury saw the timeless car headbanging sequence featuring “Bohemian Rhapsody” shortly before his November 1991 death… and loved it. His revelation surprised the cast, who were unaware of Mercury’s blessing.
So, how did it happen?
Myers gave a VHS tape to May, who recalled, “I took it round to Freddie not long before he went and showed it to him. He loved it, he laughed and laughed. He was very weak, but he just smiled and laughed.”
Additionally, May said that Queen wasn’t big in the U.S. at that point in their career and that Mercury had joked that he’d have to die for the band to see a resurgence. Before he died, though, Mercury saw how the use of the song would ignite a comeback for Queen in the United States.
“I didn’t know that. My little Toronto head can’t handle that. But that’s fantastic,” an emotional Myers responded.
“You did it,” said May to the film’s cast and makers. “You got us back to a new American public, and Freddie was very aware of that. He went to the next place knowing what had happened.”
May added that many of Queen’s songs were “tongue in cheek” and the creative use of “Bohemian Rhapsody” illustrated that aspect of the band and song.
Other guests in Wayne’s World Reunited Apart included Tia Carrere, who sang some of the Sweet’s “Ballroom Blitz” as she did in Wayne’s World, as well as director Penelope Spheeris, Ione Skye and Lara Flynn Boyle, who played the spurned Wayne stan.
A special guest, producer/director Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The King of Staten Island) dropped in as a big admirer of the film, saying he was “nervous” to participate, being such a huge fan.
Watch the Wayne’s World reunion here.
