Josh Zuckerman has shared the unlikely — and slightly insulting — way he ended up playing young Dr Evil in Austin Powers in Goldmember, joking that he still “takes offence” at how he first came to the casting director’s attention.
Speaking to Pop Culture Planet, the 40-year-old actor explained that he only secured an audition because casting director Jeanne McCarthy happened to catch him on television. Josh had appeared in an episode of The West Wing, and she reportedly glanced at the screen mid‑task and immediately thought he resembled a younger version of Mike Myers’ villain.
He said: “She was watching The West Wing and saw my profile.
“She said she wasn’t even fully paying attention, looked up, and went, ‘Oh! Dr Evil!’”
Laughing, he added: “I still take offence to that, but it got me in the room — and probably helped me get the part.”
Despite the cheeky comparison, Josh said joining the hit comedy franchise was “a real honour”, noting he was already a fan of the first two films.
He said: “It was a thrill. I remember there being a lot of auditions for that role."
Josh appeared in flashback scenes as Young Evil, charting the origins of Dr Evil’s relationship with Number 2.
The 2002 film also starred Mike Myers, Beyoncé, Seth Green, Michael York, Robert Wagner, Mindy Sterling, Verne Troyer and Sir Michael Caine.
