“It was about my country” — Saturday Night Live guest Mike Myers discusses how Canadians felt about Elon calling the country a state

Veteran Canadian comedian and actor Mike Myers sat down for an interview with The New York Times on April 26, 2025, and doubled down on his Saturday Night Live protest with a "Canada is not for sale" message. The actor who has appeared in movies like Austin Powers explained that his actions were a show of solidarity with Canadians.

Mike Myers first appeared on Saturday Night Live to mock Elon Musk in March and later reprised the role. He initially didn't plan to make a statement, but grew increasingly upset during the show. This was in response to Elon Musk's comment that Canada "isn't a real country" and past comments about Canada becoming the "51st state" of America.

“What happened came from my ankles and from my brain and from my heart, and it was not about me — it was about my country,” said Mike Myers.

Mike Myers wore a slogan tee during Saturday Night Live's ending stage, revealing it after unzipping his vest. He also referenced Canadian hockey legend Gordie Howe with an "elbows up" gesture. Myers said his actions came from his feelings for his country and were meant to send a message to Canadians that he stands with them.

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Saturday Night Live alum Mike Myers appeared in an ad with Canadian PM Mark Carney

Concluding his thoughts on the matter, Mike Myers expressed that he felt that the aforementioned statements had hurt Canadian feelings. He emphasized that Canadians love America and don't understand the current tensions. Myers also talked about his parody of Elon Musk. He felt that Elon Musk's involvement in government "goes against" his values as a Canadian.

Mike Myers believed in the importance of satire in pointing out unusual actions. He noted that satire can highlight what's not normal.

“Fascism doesn’t like to be ridiculed; it likes to be feared. Satire is an important tool in the toolbox to say that this is not normal — that the cuts he’s making are not normal,” stated Mike Myers.

The veteran Saturday Night Live contributor Mike Myers appeared in a political ad with Mark Carney, the new Canadian Prime Minister. In the ad that was released on March 23, Carney questioned Myers about his national identity. The ad ended with Myers wearing a hockey jersey that read "Never 51."

The scene began with Carney watching a hockey game in a Team Canada jersey. Mike Myers then entered the scene, and Carney asked him what he was doing there. Myers replied that he was just checking on things. Carney asked if Mike lived in the US, and Myers said yes, but emphasized his Canadian roots.

“Let me ask you, Mr. Prime Minister, will there always be a Canada?” Mike Myers questioned in the clip.

Mark Carney tested Mike Myers with a series of questions to test his Canadian identity. After the Saturday Night Live alum proved his knowledge, he turned the tables and asked Carney about Canada's future. The ad ended with the camera panning behind the two with Carney’s jersey saying “Carney 97” and Mike Myers reading “Never 51.”

As mentioned earlier, Mike Myers appeared in the March 1 episode of Saturday Night Live. He played Elon Musk in the Cold Open, which parodied the Oval Office press conference between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Donald Trump was played by James Austin Johnson, JD Vance was played by Bowen Yang. The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, was played by Marcello Hernández, and the Ukrainian President was played by Mikey Day.

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A new episode will air on May 3, 2025. The April 26 episode of NBC's long-running series was a rerun of a previous episode.